Vermont, 2008

Winter Weather in Vermont, December 17, 2008

December 17, 2008 · NWS BTV · 16 events in 16 counties and zones

A weak surface low developed across the Great Lakes on December 16th and moved into northern New York by the morning of December 17th. A secondary low formed south of New England during the early morning hours of December 17th and moved east of New England by the evening.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 15 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
$80,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
16

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 weak surface low developed across the Great Lakes on December 16th and moved into northern New York by the morning of December 17th. A secondary low formed south of New England during the early morning hours of December 17th and moved east of New England by the evening.

Snow overspread Vermont after midnight on the 17th and accumulated 3 to 6 inches before tapering to snow showers and ending by early afternoon.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Burlington, VT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 17, 12:53 AM EST, 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 17, 12:53 AM EST, 7 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

16 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Eastern Addison

When
December 17, 1:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Eastern Addison forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.031, -73.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Eastern Chittenden

When
December 17, 1:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Eastern Chittenden forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.461, -73.081 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Eastern Franklin

When
December 17, 1:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Eastern Franklin forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.858, -72.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Eastern Rutland

When
December 17, 1:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Eastern Rutland forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.580, -73.037 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Grand Isle

When
December 17, 1:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Grand Isle forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.797, -73.295 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Lamoille

When
December 17, 1:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Lamoille forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.606, -72.641 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Washington

When
December 17, 1:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.273, -72.615 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Western Addison

When
December 17, 1:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Western Addison forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.031, -73.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Western Franklin

When
December 17, 1:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Western Franklin forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.858, -72.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Western Rutland

When
December 17, 1:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Western Rutland forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.580, -73.037 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Western Chittenden

When
December 17, 1:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Western Chittenden forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.461, -73.081 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Windsor

When
December 17, 1:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Windsor forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
COOP Observer

Winter Weather, Caledonia

When
December 17, 2:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where
Caledonia forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.465, -72.102 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Essex

When
December 17, 2:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where
Essex forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.728, -71.736 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Orange

When
December 17, 2:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where
Orange forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.006, -72.377 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Orleans

When
December 17, 2:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where
Orleans forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.829, -72.244 (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 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Vermont, December 2008

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: 141764, 141765, 141766, 141767, 141768, 141769, 141770, 141771, 141772, 141773, 141774, 141775, 141760, 141761, 141762, 141763.