HARDWICK – After experiencing several years of winters with dramatic fluctuations in temperatures and precipitation types, 2025 was a pleasant surprise when it came to what many would call traditional Vermont winter conditions, with persistently cool temperatures allowing outdoor enthusiasts time to enjoy the snow before the transition to spring. The pendulum, having pivoted to drier conditions by late summer, appeared to return largely to another season with some robust precipitation by year’s end.
Persistent light-to-moderate snowfall dominated the 2024-25 winter season, with no extreme snowstorms to mention. Conditions that favored the incrementally accumulating snow included colder conditions, with January and February coming in with near-or slightly-below-normal temperatures. Total snowfall accumulations for the winter season were 103.5 inches in the lower elevations of Greensboro, 160.2 inches in the elevated Greensboro terrain, 91.3 inches in Woodbury and 81.9 inches in Craftsbury.
A widespread 10 to 12 inches of snow fell on February 16 and 17 in our largest snowstorm for the season region-wide. March 3 saw a new record low of -11 in St. Johnsbury, before quickly moving to a record high of 65 March 15. March’s temperature average was above normal and snowpack depths quickly receded. Jay Peak reported a total snowfall of 475 inches for the season.
Summer solstice occurred on Friday, June 20, and was the last day of school for students at Calais Elementary School, which was slated to continue classes into the beginning of the following week. Instead, school was let out early due to an anticipated heat wave, with temperatures expecting to be well into the 90s with higher heat index values.
Indeed, record high temperatures were set at St. Johnsbury and Montpelier on June 23, with 97 and 93 degrees reported, respectively. On June 24, St. Johnsbury reported a record high of 96 and Montpelier again reached 93. Residents sought out places like the Jeudevine Library for relief from the heat and both the Plainfield Town Hall Opera House and the Highland Center for the Arts opened up as cooling centers.
Heat appeared in stretches intermittently throughout the summer, with five additional July days featuring record-breaking highs, including a 93-degree day in St. Johnsbury July 16. There were seven record-high days in August, that included a four-day heat wave from August 10 to 13. Both July and August highs averaged about four degrees above normal.
Welcome relief from two years of flooding, July 10 and 11 featured no significant washouts in our immediate area, and the overall summertime thunderstorm activity was generally on the less-severe side, with only a few localized wind damage reports. However, on July 10, the area a few miles north and east of our region received strong and persistent rain showers that quickly amounted to over five inches of rain. Towns like Sutton saw significant localized damage to homes and roads, while rain gauges in Hardwick and Greensboro logged about half an inch of rain. According to Vermont Public, damage to the Town of Sutton exceeded $1 million. The focus of heavy rain came from thunderstorms training over the same location multiple times throughout the afternoon on July 10.
Abnormally dry conditions for several months were otherwise the rule with significant decreases in river and lake levels and concerns over wells and springs running dry. From June through September, rainfall totals were about 57% of normal, with conditions beginning to turn around in late October and November. November’s rainfall was 135% of normal at the East Hardwick station.
Snowfall made significant progress in both November and December, with weather stations in Greensboro reporting between 41.5 and 64.3 inches of snow by December 21. East Hardwick reported 31.2 inches. The precipitation that fell from October 1 to December 21 is 95% of normal, which was a significant improvement from the prolonged drought through the summer and fall, although drought resolution continues to be slow.
Four record-low days occurred in December at a nearby long-term observation station. St. Johnsbury reported -15 December 9. Overall temperatures for the month remain a couple of degrees below normal, which helped to maintain some of the accumulated snowpack.
The Craftsbury Outdoor Center began welcoming cross-country skiers on a limited trail network just before Thanksgiving, with more Craftsbury and Greensboro trails opening thereafter. Several VAST trails were open in fair condition at the start of the first week of the season, December 16, before some deterioration occurred on all groomed recreation trails due to heavy rain and snow melt by the morning of Friday, Dec. 19. The short-term forecast for large amounts of snow remained unlikely following the warm-up.
The long-term forecast into January and February supports equal chances of above, below or near-normal temperatures and a slightly higher than normal chance of precipitation. It’s likely we will contend with persistently mild temperatures unlike last year as 2025 wraps up, but perhaps it will feel like winter again as we move further into the new year.
