The Climate of Vermont

Well it is time for state #4 in our climate exploration series...Vermont.

Let's start with a few interesting facts about the state.

Vermont is the only New England state with no coastline along the Atlantic Ocean

50% of Vermont's western border is Lake Champlain

Only 2 of Vermont's 14 counties are completely surrounded by other Vermont counties. The other 12 all border either another state or Canada

The climate of Vermont is a moist continental climate, heavily influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Champlain.

Although a small state, factors such as the large nearby bodies of water and the Green Mountains cause the state to have 3 distinct climate divisions...the west, northeast and southeast.

The western climate zone runs the full length of the west side of the Green Mountains.

The northeast climate area of Vermont is one of the coldest regions, averaging some 10 degrees colder than the southeast region during the winter.

And the southeast area of Vermont has it's climate characteristics due to the lower elevation than most of the rest of the state.

Spring is know as the mud season, summers are mild and muggy, turning down right hot by August, and then relief comes in the fall along with some of the most amazing color in the country outside of the aspens in the Rockies.

We'll talk more about Vermont in the next blog.