HARDWICK – Flood waters receded as quickly on Thursday as they rose on Wednesday night. Not everywhere in Vermont had the same set of conditions priming the risk for flash flooding.
Canada Geese, the annual visitors of the Hardwick Kwik Stop & Deli, owned by John and Kathy Ovitt, have returned again this year. Since the recent July 10 to July 11 flood waters, they now have a pond they can use in the field.
As higher-resolution modeling came into more agreement Wednesday afternoon, areas of north-central Vermont already experiencing saturated grounds from above-average rainfall were expected to be the epicenter. The focus of the heavy rain appeared to be around the boundary between Caledonia and Washington counties. Along this line, widespread reports of five to six and a half inches of rain fell in a period of about eight hours.
Even outside of this axis of heavy rain, most of our local river basins received accumulations of at least four inches. Flash flooding occurred first in areas along the north branch of the Winooski River basin. Flash flooding became more widespread later in the evening, with sustained rainfall and river level responses to run off from smaller creeks and streams.
Thankfully, tranquil conditions dominate this forecast with a break from the excessive heat also expected. An upper-level system passing over the northeast today into tomorrow morning may bring a returned chance for scattered showers and thunderstorms as we move into the afternoon today. Lingering showers may persist in a scattered fashion into the morning tomorrow. The associated cold front crossing the region with this system will carve out the humidity and return temperatures to the mid to upper 70s for several days. Our sunniest days expect to be Friday and Saturday, with a reinforcing cold front sagging south over the day on Sunday. This will maintain less humid conditions. Highs will be in the upper 70s in the wake of this frontal system. Here are the forecast details:
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers and thunderstorms. High: 83. Low: 59.
Thursday: Mostly sunny. Isolated showers in the morning. High: 74. Low: 53.
Friday: Sunny. High: 76. Low: 55.
Saturday: Sunny. High: 77. Low: 56.
Sunday: Partly sunny. High: 75. Low: 54.
Tyler is our weather reporter and a community journalist. He works as a nurse and EMT, volunteers with Hardwick Rescue and helps to train new EMTs.
