I see the end of May as the big transitional period between spring and summer. Mud season ends and the Green Mountains begin to show their namesake color. Activities shift from skiing or white water rafting to boating and hiking as the trails dry up. And Vermont sees a new influx of tourists that want to enjoy the cooler air of the North Country. Tomorrow, June 1, is the official start of meteorological summer, so that transition is certainly taking place.
And with that in mind, I'd like to take one final look at the Mt. Mansfield Snow Stake and look at the Lake Champlain water temperature.
 |
| Mt. Mansfield snow depth graph taken 5/31 (SkiVT-L) |
For the Mt. Mansfield snow depth, we currently sit at 3 inches, which is just about average for the last day in May. Notice that the snow depth plummeted over the past week with the incredibly warm temperatures we saw. (Mt. Mansfield had an all-time record high temperature of 85 °F on May 27). Overall, this year was a fairly average year for snow depth, with a peak above the normal maximum in late February and then a resurgence in snow depth in April.
As for the boating activities in Vermont, things are looking much better this week than they were one week ago. After a chilly spring, the Lake Champlain water temperature sat at around 48 °F last weekend.
 |
| Lake Champlain water temperature graph (USGS) |
However, the impressive warmth in Northern New England caused the water temperature to rise 12 °F to about 60 °F, much more comfortable for activities in the lake, though still chilly.
Enjoy the start to summer!
No comments:
Post a Comment