A powerful storm traveled from the Great Lakes on February 19th across the St. Lawrence Valley of Canada and merged with a developing coastal low in Quebec on February 20th.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 powerful storm traveled from the Great Lakes on February 19th across the St. Lawrence Valley of Canada and merged with a developing coastal low in Quebec on February 20th. Marginal temperature profiles, a persistent north-northwest flow and limited moisture to the windward side of the northern Green Mountains of Vermont accounted for a localized and highly variable snowfall event. Snowfall totals of 8 to 14 inches were largely confined to the hilly terrain of Lamoille, eastern Franklin and western Orleans counties with some localized amounts exceeding 20 inches.
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 Feb 20, 9:23 AM EST, 1 hour 37 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT 923 AM EST WED FEB 20 2013 .SYNOPSIS... THE LARGE UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT BROUGHT A ROUND OF SNOW TO THE NORTH COUNTRY TUESDAY AND THIS MORNING WILL MOVE EAST TODAY. AS IT DOES...THE FLOW ALOFT WILL BECOME NORTHWEST AND THIS WILL BE A FAVORABLE SETUP FOR UPSLOPE SNOWS IN THE MOUNTAINS. THUS ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT AND THURSDAY ACROSS NORTHERN NEW YORK AND THE NORTHERN HALF OF VERMONT WHERE A GENERAL 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED...BUT HIGHER AMOUNTS FOR THE MOUNTAINS. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 7 PM THIS EVENING/... AS OF 923 AM EST WEDNESDAY...MODEST ADJUSTMENTS TO MAX TEMPS AND SKY COVER AS WE PROGRESS THROUGH THE DAY PER LATEST GUIDANCE AND OBSERVATIONAL DATA. MEAN WESTERLY FLOW IN THE BOUNDARY LAYER AND THINNING COLUMNAR MOISTURE PROFILES ALOFT HAVE ALLOWED SOME PARTIAL BREAKS IN THE CLOUD COVER HERE AND THERE THIS MORNING. OVERALL FCST WILL STILL OFFER PLENTY OF CLOUDS TODAY...BUT SUGGEST AT LEAST THE POSSIBILITY OF A FEW BREAKS/PEEKS OF SUN HERE AND THERE...ESP IN DEEPER VALLEYS AND AREAS TO THE LEEWARD SIDES OF THE MOUNTAINS. ONLY OTHER CHANGE WAS TO NUDGE MAX TEMPS UP SLIGHTLY (2-4 DEG) PER BLENDED BIAS-CORRECTED 06Z DATA AND BACK TRAJECTORY 500M DATA. HAVE A GREAT DAY. PRIOR DISCUSSION... NOW SEEING A GRADUAL DECREASE IN AREAL COVERAGE OF THE SNOW ACROSS VERMONT THIS MORNING AS SHORTWAVE TROUGH HAS MOVED JUST NORTH OF THE BORDER. STILL LOOKING AT NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS THE NORTHEAST KINGDOM THIS MORNING WITH ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS ELSEWHERE. LAKE EFFECT SNOW FROM LAKE ONTARIO HAS DEVELOPED...BUT MAJORITY OF SNOW SHOULD REMAIN JUST TO OUR SOUTH. ONE OTHER NOTE...THE SNOW IS ONLY ENHANCING THE POTENTIAL FOR DIFFICULT TRAVEL CONDITIONS THIS MORNING GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE HAD RAIN AND SNOW YESTERDAY/LAST NIGHT AND WITH FREEZING TEMPERATURES AND THE SNOW PACKED ON ROADS...ICY CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY EXIST. HAVE THUS ISSUED A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT TO HIGHLIGHT THE POTENTIALLY DIFFICULT TRAVEL CONDITIONS ACROSS THE NORTH COUNTRY THIS MORNING. && .SHORT TERM /7 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 348 AM EST WEDNESDAY...FLOW ALOFT BECOMES MORE NORTHWEST WITH TIME TONIGHT AND ESPECIALLY LATE TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. THIS WILL HELP ENHANCE UPSLOPE SNOW...ESPECIALLY OVER THE NORTHERN ADIRONDACKS AND NORTHERN VERMONT. THE AREA COVERAGE OF THE UPSLOPE SNOW SHOULD INCREASE AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON THURSDAY BEFORE GRADUALLY TAPERING OFF. FROUDE NUMBER...WHICH INDICATES THE EXISTENCE OF BLOCKED FLOW...SUGGESTS THE FLOW WILL BECOME BLOCKED LATER TONIGHT AND THURSDAY...THUS LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW SHOULD EVEN DEVELOP FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE...LOOKING AT 1-3 OR 2-4 INCHES IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF NORTHERN NEW YORK AND NORTHERN/CENTRAL VERMONT WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS...4 TO 8 INCHES...IN THE MOUNTAINS. MOST OF THE SNOW SHOULD OCCUR LATER TONIGHT AND THE FIRST HALF OF THURSDAY AND FUTURE SHIFTS WILL NEED TO EXAMINE SCENARIO FOR POSSIBLE ADVISORIES. UPPER LOW MOVES FAR ENOUGH EAST THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY AND THIS WILL ALLOW FOR DRY WEATHER AS RIDGING DEVELOPS BOTH IN THE UPPER LEVELS AND AT THE SURFACE. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 348 AM EST WEDNESDAY...EXTENDED PORTION OF THE FORECAST WILL FEATURE FAIRLY ACTIVE WEATHER AND TEMPERATURES WELL ABOVE NORMAL. DEEP UPPER LEVEL TROF AND LOW WILL MOVE FROM THE GREAT LAKES REGION FRIDAY NIGHT TOWARDS THE NORTH COUNTRY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. ENERGY TRANSFERS TOWARDS NEW ENGLAND COAST SUNDAY MORNING THEN AWAY FROM THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT. UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BRIEFLY BE OVER THE REGION FROM MONDAY THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY...THEN ANOTHER LARGE UPPER LEVEL LOW AND TROF WILL APPROACH THE REGION TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE ECMWF IS SLOWER THAN THE GFS WITH THIS UPPER LOW FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK. FLOW REMAINS VERY PROGRESSIVE THROUGH THE PERIOD...WITH SEVERAL SYSTEMS PRESENTING POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO THE NORTH COUNTRY. THE FIRST SYSTEM TO IMPACT THE REGION HAS TWO DISTINCT PARTS...AND MODELS STILL SHOW THESE TWO LOWS NOT PHASING TOGETHER. THEREFORE STRONGER LOW WILL BE OFF THE COAST OF NEW ENGLAND...MUCH LIKE THE SYSTEM LAST WEEK...WHILE A WEAKER LOW PASSES NORTH OF OUR FORECAST AREA. THESE TWO LOWS WILL GIVE US A CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION FROM SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT WHEN BOTH LOWS FINALLY MOVE EAST OF THE REGION. THE SECOND SYSTEM WILL BRING CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION TO THE NORTH COUNTRY FOR TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. WILL LIKELY SEE A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WITH BOTH OF THESE SCENARIOS AS DAYTIME HIGHS REACH THE UPPER 30S AND LOWER 40S ACROSS THE AREA. && .AVIATION /14Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY...SNOW SHOWERS WHICH MOVED THROUGH THE AREA OVERNIGHT HAVE FINALLY PUSHED EAST OF THE REGION...ONLY STILL LINGERING IN THE NORTHEAST KINGDOM OF VERMONT. THERE AREA SOME LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS WIN NORTHERN NEW YORK...BUT NOT AFFECTING OUR FORECAST AREA AT THIS TIME. MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT ALL TAF SITES THROUGH THE PERIOD...ONLY EXCEPTION WILL BE SLK WHERE MVFR CEILINGS WILL PERSIST. WILL SEE SNOW SHOWERS PICK UP AGAIN OVERNIGHT...AT THIS POINT HAVE ONLY MENTIONED VCSH. BEST CHANCE FOR SHSN WILL BE AT MSS...SLK...AND MPV. POSSIBLE MVFR AND IFR AT MPV AND SLK. WINDS MAY BE GUSTY AT TIMES AT ALL TERMINALS THIS AFTERNOON. OUTLOOK 12Z THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... A VERTICALLY STACKED AREA OF LOW PRES AND THE ASSOCIATED CYCLONIC UPSLOPE FLW WL RESULT IN OCCASIONAL SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY THRU 06Z FRIDAY. THIS COMBINED WITH SEVERAL EMBEDDED S/W'S WL PRODUCE PERIODS OF SNOW SHOWERS WITH OCCASIONAL IFR LIKELY AT SLK/MPV AND MVFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE AT BTV/MSS/RUT/PBG. THE GREATEST CHC FOR IFR CONDITIONS AT BTV/RUT/PBG WL BE ON THURSDAY. OTHERWISE...SFC RIDGE AND IMPROVING CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED ON FRIDAY. FROM FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY THERE WILL BE MORE CHANCES FOR SNOW SHOWERS AND MVFR CONDITIONS. AT THIS POINT HARD TO PINPOINT POSSIBILITY FOR IFR CONDITIONS WITH THIS SNOW. && .BTV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VT...NONE. NY...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...EVENSON NEAR TERM...JMG/EVENSON SHORT TERM...EVENSON LONG TERM...NEILES AVIATION...NEILES
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT 329 AM EST WED FEB 20 2013 NYZ026>031-034-035-087-VTZ001>012-016>019-210830- 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- 329 AM EST WED FEB 20 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN NEW YORK...CENTRAL VERMONT...NORTHEAST VERMONT...NORTHWEST VERMONT AND SOUTHERN VERMONT. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ADDITIONAL LIGHT SNOW AND SNOW SHOWERS THIS MORNING WILL HELP MAKE TRAVEL DIFFICULT ACROSS THE NORTH COUNTRY GIVEN THE ICE AND SNOW PACKED ROADS THAT EXIST. TEMPERATURES BELOW FREEZING WILL ALSO HELP TO MAINTAIN THE ICY ROAD CONDITIONS. UPSLOPE SNOWS DEVELOP LATER TONIGHT WITH ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED FOR THE MOUNTAINS...GENERALLY LOOKING AT 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. SNOW WILL CONTINUE IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 3 INCHES EXPECTED BEFORE TAPERING OFF THURSDAY NIGHT. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. EVENSON
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall totals across eastern Franklin ranged from 6 to 20+ inches.
Snowfall totals across western Orleans county were 6 to 20+ inches.
Snowfall totals across Lamoille county were 6 to 18 inches.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Vermont in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Vermont, February 2013
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: 427944, 427947, 427945.