Vermont, 2023

Extreme Cold and Strong Wind in Vermont, February 3 to 4, 2023

February 3 to 4, 2023 · NWS ALY · 6 events in 3 counties and zones

A brief but powerful arctic airmass moved across the region on February 3-4, 2023 which brought dangerously low wind chill values to much of the region along with strong wind gusts. An arctic cold front passed across the region during the early morning hours on February 3 accompanied by a few snow showers.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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 ALY wrote it up.

A brief but powerful arctic airmass moved across the region on February 3-4, 2023 which brought dangerously low wind chill values to much of the region along with strong wind gusts. An arctic cold front passed across the region during the early morning hours on February 3 accompanied by a few snow showers. Thereafter, very cold air gradually advected into the region on February 3 into the morning hours on February 4.

Air temperatures gradually fell throughout the day on February 3 with readings falling all the way to 15 to 30 degrees below zero by the early morning hours on February 4.

In addition to the cold, this arctic air mass brought strong winds to the region during the daytime hours on February 3 into the overnight hours before easing on February 4. Peak wind gusts between 35 and 50 mph were observed. A few power outages occurred as a result.

The combination of very cold air and strong winds resulted in wind chill values much lower than the air temperature. The lowest wind chills ranged from 25 to 50 degrees below zero. For many, the last time if was this cold was in February of 2016.

Warming centers opened to offer assistance to those needing to shelter from the cold. In addition, some area schools closed as a result of the cold weather.

Key impacts: power outages, school closures.

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 Albany, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 3, 12:32 AM EST, 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 3, 12:32 AM EST, 28 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 2, 4:09 PM EST, 8 hours 51 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Feb 2, 11:34 PM EST, 1 hour 26 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Feb 2, 11:52 PM EST, 1 hour 8 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Feb 3, 12:06 AM EST, 54 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Albany NY
1206 AM EST Fri Feb 3 2023

NYZ047-051-058-030600-
Western Greene NY-Schoharie NY-Western Albany NY-
1206 AM EST Fri Feb 3 2023

...A SNOW SQUALL WILL AFFECT PARTS OF WESTERN GREENE...SCHOHARIE...
AND WESTERN ALBANY COUNTIES...

HAZARDS...A snow squall accompanied by winds 30 to 35 MPH which can
rapidly reduce visibility to less than a quarter of a mile.

LOCATION AND MOVEMENT...At 1204 AM EST, a snow squall was over
Cobleskill moving southeast at 35 MPH.

THIS SQUALL WILL BE NEAR...
  Central Bridge around 1220 AM EST.
  Middleburgh, Schoharie and Breakabeen around 1225 AM EST.
  Livingstonville around 1235 AM EST.
  Berne around 1240 AM EST.
  Preston-Potter Hollow and Preston Hollow around 1245 AM EST.
  Westerlo around 1255 AM EST.

This includes Interstate 88 between exits 20 and 23.

SAFETY INFO...
Use extra caution if you must travel into or through this squall.
Rapid changes in visibility and potentially slick roads may lead to
accidents.

Conditions can deteriorate rapidly in winter weather situations. Be
prepared for snow or ice covered roads. Slow down and allow extra
time to reach your destination.

&&

LAT...LON 4262 7463 4267 7464 4280 7454 4263 7403
      4230 7403 4226 7404 4240 7456 4243 7462
      4252 7471
TIME...MOT...LOC 0504Z 297DEG 29KT 4269 7453

TAW
Special weather statement, Feb 3, 12:22 AM EST, 38 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Albany NY
1222 AM EST Fri Feb 3 2023

NYZ040-047>053-030615-
Eastern Albany NY-Western Rensselaer NY-Eastern Schenectady NY-
Schoharie NY-Western Schenectady NY-Montgomery NY-
Southern Saratoga NY-Western Albany NY-
1222 AM EST Fri Feb 3 2023

...A BAND OF SNOW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED SNOW SQUALLS WILL AFFECT
PARTS OF SCHOHARIE...RENSSELAER...MONTGOMERY...SOUTHERN
SARATOGA...WESTERN RENSSELAER...SCHENECTADY...AND ALBANY COUNTIES...

HAZARDS...A band snow showers and isolated snow squalls accompanied
by winds 30 to 35 MPH which can rapidly reduce visibility to less
than a quarter of a mile briefly.

LOCATION AND MOVEMENT...At 1217 AM EST, a snow squall was near
Delanson, or 9 miles south of Amsterdam moving southeast at 35 MPH.

THIS SQUALL WILL BE NEAR...
  Delanson and Pattersonville-Rotterdam Junction around 1220 AM EST.
  Duanesburg and Rotterdam Junction around 1225 AM EST.
  Rotterdam and Altamont around 1235 AM EST.
  Schenectady and East Glenville around 1240 AM EST.
  Voorheesville around 1245 AM EST.
  Colonie and Guilderland around 1250 AM EST.
  Albany and Feura Bush around 1255 AM EST.
  Watervliet, Delmar, Latham and Loudonville around 100 AM EST.

This includes the following highways...
 Interstate 88 between exits 24 and 25.
 Interstate 90 between exits 10 and 27.
 Interstate 890 between exits 1a and 9.
 Interstate 87 between exits 22 and 7.
 Interstate 787 between exits 1 and 9.

This band of snow showers and isolated squalls may produce a quick
dusting to an inch in less than an hour.

SAFETY INFO...
Use extra caution if you must travel into or through this squall.
Rapid changes in visibility and potentially slick roads may lead to
accidents.

Conditions can deteriorate rapidly in winter weather situations. Be
prepared for snow or ice covered roads. Slow down and allow extra
time to reach your destination.

&&

LAT...LON 4278 7444 4295 7424 4273 7356 4249 7370
TIME...MOT...LOC 0517Z 297DEG 29KT 4281 7420

TAW

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 extreme cold/wind chill, 3 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Bennington

When
February 3, 1:00 AM EST to February 4, 1:00 PM EST
Where
Bennington forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
43.036, -73.093 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Eastern Windham

When
February 3, 1:00 AM EST to February 4, 1:00 PM EST
Where
Eastern Windham forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
42.991, -72.714 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Western Windham

When
February 3, 1:00 AM EST to February 4, 1:00 PM EST
Where
Western Windham forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
42.991, -72.714 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Bennington

When
February 3, 8:00 AM EST to February 4, 6:00 AM EST
Where
Bennington forecast zone
Measured
41 kt (47 mph) measured gust
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
43.036, -73.093 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Eastern Windham

When
February 3, 8:00 AM EST to February 4, 6:00 AM EST
Where
Eastern Windham forecast zone
Measured
42 kt (48 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
42.991, -72.714 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Western Windham

When
February 3, 8:00 AM EST to February 4, 6:00 AM EST
Where
Western Windham forecast zone
Measured
43 kt (49 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
42.991, -72.714 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.
Strong Wind
Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused 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 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Vermont, February 2023

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1081203, 1081204, 1081205, 1081256, 1081257, 1081258.