Eagle Times Staff
Updated 5:15 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 10.
On Sunday evening, the National Weather Service continued to warn residents of the Twin State Valley to be prepared for a rough Monday commute and to take extra precautions as heavy rains will make for hazardous driving conditions and could cause flooding.
Vermont
While warnings were not being issued Sunday evening for local streams, the service’s River Forecast Center predicts that Otter Creek in Rutland will reach “minor flood stage” Monday morning.
All of Vermont, outside portions of Windsor and Windham counties, is under a winter storm warning until 7 p.m. Monday.
“Heavy wet snow expected,” advises the National Weather Service. “Total snow accumulations of 6 to 12 inches, with localized 12 to 18 inches across the central and northern Green Mountains. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph.
“Travel will be very difficult, especially during the Monday morning commute. Isolated to scattered power outages are possible.”
New Hampshire and Southeastern Vermont
In Vermont’s Windsor and Windham counties, and the southern half of New Hampshire, slightly warmer temperatures are expected to result in “multiple rounds of heavy rainfall through Monday.”
“The warm moist air is expected to melt out the snowpack from the foothills southward. Most areas should anticipate 1 to 3 inches of rainfall, which will cause small streams and rivers to reach bankfull. A heavier swath of 3 to 5 inches is possible from the foothills to the coast, which could result in potentially significant flash flooding and widespread stream flooding.”
“Widespread and potentially significant travel disruptions possible for both [Monday] morning and evening commutes” the Weather Service warns.
On Friday, Eversource announced it is “closely monitoring several weather forecasts and planning accordingly.”
The power company said it preemptively brought in outside crews to assist with power restoration.
“The combination of soaking rain and strong winds or heavy, wet snow can more easily bring down trees and tree limbs onto power lines and equipment causing outages, so we’re taking all necessary actions now to ensure our team is ready to respond,” said Eversource New Hampshire President of Electric Operations Doug Foley. “We’ll have crews prepositioned at our work centers throughout the state before the storm hits so they can immediately get to any damage locations and restore power as quickly as possible.”
Eversource encourages residents to prepare for the storm by assembling or restocking a storm kit which should include essentials like flashlights, batteries, water, non-perishable foods, pet food and essentials and any needed medications. In addition, make sure cell phones and devices are fully charged, create an emergency plan with family members and prepare to check on elderly neighbors and friends.
Additional preparedness tips can be found at the Storm Preparedness section at Eversource.com.
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