A moderately strong upper level disturbance ahead of a surface cold front moved across southern Quebec during the afternoon and evening hours of July 4th. These disturbances moved into a warm and unstable air mass and developed thunderstorms in southern Quebec, which moved across northeast Vermont during the afternoon hours and the Champlain Valley during the evening.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS BTV wrote it up.
A moderately strong upper level disturbance ahead of a surface cold front moved across southern Quebec during the afternoon and evening hours of July 4th. These disturbances moved into a warm and unstable air mass and developed thunderstorms in southern Quebec, which moved across northeast Vermont during the afternoon hours and the Champlain Valley during the evening.
Both episodes contained widespread wind damage and frequent lightning. In the afternoon, the communities of Walden, Cabot, West Danville and Danville were most affected. During the evening storms, significant damage occurred in the Champlain Valley in communities like Colchester, Burlington, South Burlington, Essex and Hinesburg. A wind gust of 65 knots was observed at Diamond Island on Lake Champlain and 55 knots was observed at the NWS office at Burlington Int'l airport.
Despite the holiday festivities, no serious injuries were reported.
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 Jul 4, 12:49 PM EST, 1 hour 26 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT 149 PM EDT WED JUL 4 2012 .SYNOPSIS... THERE IS A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AS A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. DRY WEATHER WILL FINISH OFF THE WORK WEEK WITH SEASONABLY WARM TEMPERATURES...FOLLOWED BY A COOLING TREND INTO THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 8 PM THIS EVENING/... AS OF 1237 PM EDT WEDNESDAY...SOUPY AIRMASS REMAINS INTACT OVER THE NORTH COUNTRY THIS AFTNOON. TEMPS IN THE 70S TO L80S. DEWPTS IN THE 60S TO LWR 70S. LAPS CAPE VALUES RANGE FROM 400 TO 2600 J/KG. HIGHEST VALUES IN THE CVLY/SLV AND LOWEST VALUES OVER THE NE KINGDOM. LI/S STILL -2 TO -3. ANY CONVECTION THAT TRIES TO GET GOING NORTH OF THE BORDER DIE OUT BFR CROSSING. VAD WIND PROFILES DO SHOW DIRECTIONAL SHEAR OCCURRING...BUT SPEED-WISE...NUMBERS ARE LOW AND ARE ALLOWING FOR ANYTHING TRYING TO GET GOING TO RAIN-OUT. LATEST FEW FRAMES FROM VIS SAT LOOP DO SHOW CU/TCU ON THE INCR OVER THE CWA...SO ITS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BFR CONVECTION RAMPS UP. THEY WILL BE SLOW MOVERS ONCE THEY GET GOING. MAY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL LATER THIS AFTNOON FOR BETTER ACTION AS FRNT OVER WEST- CENTRAL QUEBEC DIVES SE. WILL SEND OUT UPDATE AT 100 PM TO ADJUST TEMPS/DEWPTS BUT WILL KEEP CHANCE FOR TRW/RW THRU THE AFTNOON TIMEFRAME. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...FORECASTED UPDATED TO ADJUST TEMPS AND CLD COVER BASED ON LATEST OBS/SATELLITE DATA. WITH MORNING PRECIP WELL EAST OF THE CWA...BREAKS OCCURRING OVER THE AREA ALLOWING FOR TEMPS TO CLIMB UNDER MORNING SUN. SOME SCT -RW/-TRW STARTING TO GET GOING NORTH OF THE BORDER AND WILL TRANSLATE SOUTH INTO THE AREA BY THIS AFTNOON. DEWPTS IN THE 60S TO AROUND 70F...SO AREA WILL SEE HUMID STICKY CONDITIONS UNTIL FROPA OCCURS LATER TODAY. && .SHORT TERM /8 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 430 AM EDT WEDNESDAY...QUIET WEATHER FOR THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. ANY PRECIP THAT DEVELOPS TODAY WILL MOVE OUT OF REGION BY THE EVENING. NW FLOW ON THURSDAY WITH WILL KEEP TEMPS COOLER THAN TODAY, AND NEAR NORMAL. HEIGHTS RISE UNDER RIDGING ALOFT FRIDAY AND TEMPS CLIMB BACK UP ABOVE NORMAL, BUT STILL SEASONABLY WARM. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 400 AM EDT WEDNESDAY...A TREND TOWARDS MORE SEASONAL TEMPERATURES ALONG WITH GENERALLY FAIR CONDITIONS IS EXPECTED FOR THE EXTENDED PORTION OF THE FORECAST. A WARM/MUGGY AIRMASS WILL BE IN PLACE FRIDAY NIGHT AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT SAGGING SOUTHWARD THROUGH CENTRAL/SOUTHERN ONTARIO/QUEBEC. WHILE THE AREA SHOULD REMAIN DRY...CHANCES FOR SHOWERS WILL INCREASE LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY AS THE FRONT APPROACHES. LATEST GUIDANCE INDICATES LITTLE TO NO INSTABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FEATURE SO HAVE ONLY MENTIONED SOME LOW CHANCES FOR SHOWERS WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE SATURDAY. BEHIND THE FRONT...A BROAD UPPER TROUGH DEVELOPS ACROSS THE NORTHEAST...BUT HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE REGION AT THE SURFACE AND WILL KEEP THE FORECAST AREA DRY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. AS THE UPPER TROUGH DEEPENS MONDAY...SHORTWAVE ENERGY MOVING THROUGH THE FLOW WILL INCREASE CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AGAIN MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. DRIER CONDITIONS RETURN FOR WEDNESDAY AS THE UPPER TROUGH BEGINS TO MOVE OUT...AND A RIDGE BEGINS TO BUILD IN. && .AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY...A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY CONTINUES TO TRACK THROUGH THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING BRINGING A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS GENERALLY FROM 19-03Z. WITHIN ANY HEAVIER SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS IFR VSBY AND MVFR CIGS ARE POSSIBLE...BUT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO FORECAST SOMETHING HITTING A TERMINAL AT THIS TIME SO HAVE JUST INCLUDED VCSH FOR NOW. SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALREADY DEVELOPING ALONG THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER AND DROPPING SOUTH INTO OUR FORECAST AREA. AFTER 03Z...A GENERAL CLEARING TREND IS EXPECTED WITH IFR BR/FOG LIKELY FORMING AT KSLK/KMPV AND SOME PATCHY MVFR BR POSSIBLE ELSEWHERE. OUTLOOK 18Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY... 18Z THURSDAY THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY...MAINLY VFR UNDER HIGH PRESSURE EXCEPT EARLY MORNING IFR FOG POSSIBLE AT KSLK/KMPV. 00Z SATURDAY THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY...MAINLY VFR WITH MVFR SHOWERS POSSIBLE AS A COLD FRONT SAGS SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE REGION. 00Z SUNDAY THROUGH 00Z MONDAY...VFR UNDER HIGH PRESSURE. && .BTV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VT...NONE. NY...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...HANSON NEAR TERM...JN SHORT TERM...HANSON LONG TERM...LAHIFF AVIATION...NEILES
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT 434 AM EDT WED JUL 4 2012 NYZ026>031-034-035-087-VTZ001>012-016>019-050845- NORTHERN ST. LAWRENCE-NORTHERN FRANKLIN-EASTERN CLINTON- SOUTHEASTERN ST. LAWRENCE-SOUTHERN FRANKLIN-WESTERN CLINTON- WESTERN ESSEX-EASTERN ESSEX-SOUTHWESTERN ST. LAWRENCE-GRAND ISLE- WESTERN FRANKLIN-ORLEANS-ESSEX-WESTERN CHITTENDEN-LAMOILLE-CALEDONIA- WASHINGTON-WESTERN ADDISON-ORANGE-WESTERN RUTLAND-WINDSOR- EASTERN FRANKLIN-EASTERN CHITTENDEN-EASTERN ADDISON-EASTERN RUTLAND- 434 AM EDT WED JUL 4 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN NEW YORK...CENTRAL VERMONT...NORTHEAST VERMONT...NORTHWEST VERMONT AND SOUTHERN VERMONT. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP MAINLY IN THE AFTERNOON. STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE, HOWEVER THEY COULD PRODUCE SMALL HAIL, GUSTY WINDS, AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL. THE THUNDERSTORM THREAT WILL DIMINISH AND SHIFT EAST THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HANSON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
144 PM EDT WED JUL 4 2012
NYZ028-VTZ001>003-005-006-016-017-041845-
EASTERN CHITTENDEN VT-EASTERN CLINTON NY-EASTERN FRANKLIN VT-
GRAND ISLE VT-LAMOILLE VT-ORLEANS VT-WESTERN CHITTENDEN VT-
WESTERN FRANKLIN VT-
144 PM EDT WED JUL 4 2012
...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE THROUGH FRANKLIN...
NORTHEASTERN CHITTENDEN...NORTHEASTERN CLINTON...NORTHERN GRAND
ISLE...NORTHERN LAMOILLE AND WESTERN ORLEANS COUNTIES...
AT 141 PM EDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM 10
MILES NORTHWEST OF MANSONVILLE TO PERRY MILLS...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT
35 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND SMALL HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE ARE POSSIBLE WITH
THESE STORMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...
SCIOTA...ROUSES POINT...HOG ISLAND POINT...EAST HIGHGATE...HOLIDAY
POINT...BUTLER ISLAND...ST. ALBANS BAY...ENOSBURG CENTER...BELVIDERE
CORNERS...LOWELL...EDEN...BARTON...
GET TO SAFETY IMMEDIATELY WHEN THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.
BOATERS ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN SHOULD SEEK SAFE HARBOR. STRONG WINDS WILL
CAUSE HIGHER WAVES AND SUDDEN WIND SHIFTS MAY OVERTURN SMALL BOATS.
LAT...LON 4501 7225 4470 7214 4454 7298 4485 7350
4500 7370 4502 7309
LOCONTOSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
240 PM EDT WED JUL 4 2012
VTZ002>004-016-041945-
EASTERN FRANKLIN VT-ESSEX VT-ORLEANS VT-WESTERN FRANKLIN VT-
240 PM EDT WED JUL 4 2012
...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE THROUGH NORTHEASTERN
FRANKLIN...NORTHERN ORLEANS AND NORTHWESTERN ESSEX COUNTIES...
AT 236 PM EDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM 7
MILES NORTH OF MANSONVILLE TO FRANKLIN...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND SMALL HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE ARE POSSIBLE WITH
THESE STORMS. EXPECT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL CAUSE
WATER TO POND ON ROADS AND IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. THERE MAY BE RAPID
RISES ON SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...
STEVENS MILLS...RICHFORD...EAST BERKSHIRE...SOUTH RICHFORD...NORTH
TROY...NEWPORT CENTER...MONTGOMERY CENTER...EXIT 29 I91...
WESTFIELD...TICE...HOLLAND...COVENTRY...
MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY! REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU
ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. STAY IN SAFE SHELTER AT
LEAST 30 MINUTES AFTER YOU HEAR THE LAST CLAP OF THUNDER.
LAT...LON 4492 7176 4477 7251 4491 7273 4501 7303
4502 7300 4501 7221 4502 7195
LOCONTOThe Burlington radar (KCXX), 46 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:17 UTC.
33 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 1 lightning, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Several large branches down, including on a power line.
Several reports of large trees down, including Daniels and Creek roads.
Farmstand overturned and other damage in Craftsbury Common.
Several reports of trees down and on power lines in Hardwick.
Several reports of one inch hail and damaging winds.
Microburst caused wide path of damage from Craftsbury, Cabot, Hardwick, Walden and Danville. The greatest damage was in Walden, especially along Route 15 and side roads such as Maple Lane, Cobbs road, Bricketts Crossing. A substantial downburst occurred on the western portion of Lyford Pond with numerous trees flattened, uprooted and falling on power lines, vehicles, home and camps. The strongest winds are estimated at 70 knots with 50 to 60 knots elsewhere.
Dozens of trees down, including on vehicles, camps and power lines. Several light boats flipped over on Joe's Pond. Damage was widespread on the north and east shores with lighter damage elsewhere.
Several trees and a few downed power lines down across Danville.
Several trees and a few downed power lines down.
Several large limbs down on Cloud Brook road with scattered trees and power lines throughout the area.
Several trees downed by thunderstorm winds.
Several trees down along Route 5.
A 40 foot spruce tree and other large branches downed by thunderstorm winds.
Dime size hail reported.
Lightning struck the United Methodist Church and caused a small structure fire.
Numerous trees and power lines down on Kibbie road and throughout South Hero. Some light tree damage to apple orchards on South street.
Numerous 3-4 foot diameter maple trees downed by thunderstorm winds in Sand Bar state park. Several picnic tables crushed or lifted elsewhere and damaged and traffic blocked along Route 2.
Scattered reports of tree damage in Milton along Route 7 and Route 2.
Thunderstorms produced over two inches of rain in less than an hour over the Burlington metropolitan area. Storm drains were quickly overwhelmed in the older heavily urbanized areas of the city. Low lying intersections of Willard, Manhattan, Main, and King Streets were inundated. Basements of businesses on the corner of Main Street and Winsooki Avenue, as well as Winooski Avenue and King Street were flooded.
Widespread large tree damage, downed power lines and some structural damage across Mallets Bay and Porters Point sections. also some damage to docks and boats on Mallets Bay.
Several reports of scattered trees and branches down across the village section of Colchester.
Widespread large trees and branches fell by thunderstorm winds throughout the city from the New North End to the southern border with South Burlington. Power lines, vehicle and structural damage as well.
Widespread large trees and branches fell by thunderstorm winds throughout South Burlington with power lines, vehicle and structural damage as well and road closures.
Measured wind gusts of 55 knots by ASOS and neighboring tree damage as well.
Utility pole fell atop of a small aircraft at Burlington International Airport.
Numerous branches and trees fell by thunderstorm winds.
Numerous branches and trees fell by thunderstorm winds.
Numerous trees and branches fell by thunderstorm winds along with some power lines.
Numerous trees and branches fell by thunderstorm winds along with some power lines, especially along Texas Hill road.
Several trees downed in Northfield.
Measured wind gust of 65 knots at Diamond Island, measured by the Vermont Monitoring Cooperative supported by University of Vermont.
Several reports of scattered trees and power lines downed by thunderstorm winds in Montpelier/Barre/Berlin.
Several trees down cross Exit 6 along Interstate 89 southbound.
Trees down along Route 125 near the Addison Vermont - Crown Point New York Bridge in West Addison as well as Route 17 in Addison.
Dozens of trees down along Route 125 between Bridport and West Addison.
Several reports of large branches and trees down along portions of Route 125, 30.
Several trees down in and around Leicester.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Vermont in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Vermont, July 2012
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: 381235, 381251, 381252, 381241, 381249, 381239, 381237, 381244, 381245, 381248, 381246, 381253, 381681, 381680, 381257, 381256, 381259, 381262, 393249, 381265, 381261, 381268, 381269, 381270, 381671, 381672, 381673, 381674, 381675, 381682, 381272, 381684, 381683, 381676, 381677, 381678, 381679.