Vermont, 2004

Winter Weather in Vermont, December 31, 2004

December 31, 2004 · NWS BTV · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A weather disturbance moved from the Great Lakes early Friday, December 31st and across New England during the day. During the morning hours freezing rain spread across portions of Vermont, before warmer air changed the freezing rain to plain rain.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$70,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS BTV wrote it up.

A weather disturbance moved from the Great Lakes early Friday, December 31st and across New England during the day. During the morning hours freezing rain spread across portions of Vermont, before warmer air changed the freezing rain to plain rain. During the early morning hours, numerous accidents were reported due to icy roads. As many as 60 cars were reported off the road on I-89 between Burlington and Montpelier, Vermont. Portions of I-89 were closed due to the ice in Washington, Chittenden and Franklin counties.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Eastern Chittenden

When
December 31, 4:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Eastern Chittenden forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
44.461, -73.081 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Eastern Franklin

When
December 31, 4:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Eastern Franklin forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
44.858, -72.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Washington

When
December 31, 4:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
44.273, -72.615 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Western Chittenden

When
December 31, 4:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Western Chittenden forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
44.461, -73.081 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Western Franklin

When
December 31, 4:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Western Franklin forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
44.858, -72.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Vermont in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Vermont, December 2004

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5429156, 5429157, 5429158, 5429159, 5429160.