A Top 10 Storm

Kyle Connolly, left, and Karl Young clear snow from parking spaces along Main Street in Randolph Wednesday morning. More than two feet of snowfall is predicted for this week. (Herald / Tim Calabro)

At 1 p.m. yesterday, local meteorologist Kevin Doering reported that Vermont was in the midst of a "one-in-ten" storm that had already dumped 12 inches of snow in 12 hours.

Worse is to come, he predicted yesterday afternoon, as "snow bands coming in from the southwest" were expected to increase the rate to three inches per hour. A little later big winds, up to 40 mph, will roar in, he said.

"Twenty-plus inch storms are very rare," Doering said.

Vermont’s last two big storms included one in March, 1993, that dumped 16 inches and produced three-to-four-foot drifts, due to high winds. The state’s last big blizzard was back in December of 1962, he said.

Doering ticked off three notable things about this storm.

• One is the arctic air in place, with temperatures staying in the 1-5° range. Relatively dry and cold snow has more air between flakes. It "accumulates" more and it blows around more, he said.

• Second is the high amount of Gulf moisture moving in; and

• Third is a "perfect storm track" for a blizzard, he said.

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