When to go & weather

Weather

Because Vermont has such varying elevations and terrains, it’s hard to generalize about its climate and how it might affect your trip. But there are a few things that a traveler can count on. In the winter expect bitter cold and a number of snowstorms that drop at least 5in in one fell swoop. Freezing rain is common. Springtime is fleeting and doesn’t really arrive until well into May. Summertime is glorious, and although it can be hazy, the humidity is rarely oppressive. Autumn, when leaves turn ablaze with color, is the peak season – with blue-sky days followed by (hopefully) crisp nights.

If climatic conditions are likely to seriously affect your travel schedule, contact the highway department (802-828-2648) and listen to An Eye on the Sky (fairbanksmuseum.org/eye.cfm), aired on Vermont Public Radio (at the lower end of your FM dial). These reports provide frequent and utterly entertaining, informative discourses on the wheres and whys of Mother Nature’s whims.