The Climate of Vermont

In the northeastern United States you will find Vermont (VT), nicknamed the “Green Mountain State”. According to Abbreviation Finder, it owes its name to the French name Les Verts Monts (the green mountains), which was later corrupted into Vermont. Vermont, which consists mainly of mountains and forests, has a humid continental climate (type Dfb), with cool winters, warm summers and precipitation throughout the year. This precipitation falls evenly throughout the year, in winter for the most part in the form of snow. At higher altitudes it is on average colder than in the lower areas. About half of Vermont is made up of mountain and hills that belong to the Appalachians, a mountain range that extends from Newfoundland in Canada to the southern state of Alabama. The part in Vermont is called the Green Mountains, a mountain range that stretches over an area of ​​​​about 400 kilometers and has five peaks over 1000 meters.

Summers in Vermont are relatively warm; the average maximum temperature is then between 25 and 28 degrees Celsius. Sometimes outliers are measured above 35 degrees, the record is held by Vernon. The record temperature is 41 degrees Celsius and was recorded on July 4, 1911. From the second half of September, temperatures drop rapidly. Where September still has an average maximum temperature of 20 to 22 degrees, November has to make do with an average of only 2 degrees. That means a temperature drop of no less than twenty degrees within two months. After November, the thermometer rarely comes close to freezing at night. On average, in December, January and February it freezes about ten to twenty degrees, it is only from April that the average night temperature is around freezing again.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

The climate of Burlington

According to Countryaah, Burlington is located in western Vermont, on the east coast of Lake Champlain, not far from where the Winooski River flows into the lake. Burlington is the state’s largest city in population. The city is home to the University of Vermont, the largest and oldest in Vermont. The Carnegie Building of the Fletcher Free Library is also the state’s largest and oldest library, and one of the state’s most modern after its major renovation in 2002.

Burlington has a humid continental climate, with cold winters and mild, wet summers. There is also a clear difference between the four seasons and the spring and autumn periods are real transition periods here. Rain is fairly evenly distributed, although the summer months are among the wettest. On average, more than two meters of snow fall each year, although this varies greatly from year to year. Lake Champlain has a clear influence on the climate in Burlington.

The climate of Essex

Essex is located in the western part of the state of Vermont and is the largest city in the state by area. Essex is often mentioned in the same breath as the village of Essex Junction, which is right next to it. Just outside the city is the Indian Brook Park, where you can tour the beautiful surroundings of the city with a guide. If you want to take it a little easier, you can play a round on the local golf course.

Essex has a humid continental climate, with cold winters and pleasant summers with relatively high rainfall. You can speak of an obvious difference between the four seasons here. In the winter months, precipitation will usually come down as snow, although this can vary greatly from year to year. Lake Champlain, which is located a little more to the west, still has some influence on the city’s climate.

The climate of Montpelier

Montpelier is the capital of the northeastern US state of Vermont. With less than ten thousand inhabitants, Montpelier is the smallest American capital if you look at the population. The city, founded at the end of the eighteenth century, is named after the French city of Montpellier (with double ‘l’). Montpelier is located relatively low in the state of Vermont, at 182 meters above sea level.

Montpelier has a distinctly humid continental climate (type Dfb according to the Köppen climate classification), with long, cold winters full of snow, a relatively short spring and autumn and warm summers. The average maximum temperature in summer is between 23 and 26 degrees, with the 30-degree limit being passed for about 4 to 10 days per year. Only rarely does it get warmer than 35 degrees. The winters are cold, night frosts occur almost every night in the period from December to March and even during the day the thermometer does not often rise above freezing. Because snow remains for a long time in the winter and fairly large amounts fall, the total snow layer can reach a considerable height.

The climate of Rutland

Rutland is a small city in southern Vermont. The city borders a number of parks and protected natural areas, which leads to many tourists heading out into nature from here. There is also a golf course in town. The city owes its existence mainly to the amount of marble that was mined here and the associated railway line, which definitely put the city on the map. Since the end of the last century, the marble quarries have been closed and there is a lot of unemployment in this area.

Rutland, like the rest of Vermont, has a humid continental climate, with cold winters and mild, humid summers. Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, but peaks in the high summer months. In the winter months, most precipitation will fall as snow. although this varies greatly from year to year. Due to the mild temperatures and the high rainfall, the area around Rutland is particularly green.