Vermont Snow Day Calculator: Chances & Closure Norms
What closes Vermont schools? Snowday's Vermont calculator usually flags a snow day when about 8 or more inches fall overnight or during the 5–9 a.m. commute — more than most states, because Vermont districts plow hard and expect snow. Enter your town above for tomorrow's exact chance.
Snow day calculator
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Result
Your forecast appears here. Enter a ZIP code or city above and press Calculate snow day chance.
Fun estimate only — always follow your school district’s official announcements.
How Vermont districts decide snow days
The rule of thumb across most Vermont districts: 8 to 12 inches of fresh snow overnight, or less if it falls during the morning commute, triggers a closure. Ice is the bigger wildcard — freezing rain on dirt roads closes schools faster than double-digit snowfall, because town plows cannot scrape ice off gravel.
Vermont law sets a 175-day minimum school year, and most supervisory unions build about five snow days into the calendar to absorb the typical winter. Extreme cold matters too: when morning wind chills dive toward −20 °F, rural districts without heated bus stops often close for safety.
Average snowfall in Vermont
| Place | Avg. snow per year |
|---|---|
| Burlington | ≈ 81 in/yr |
| Rutland | ≈ 80 in/yr |
| Montpelier | ≈ 83 in/yr |
| Jay Peak (resort) | ≈ 370 in/yr |
Vermont averages are approximate 30-year values from NOAA/NCEI 1991–2020 climate normals, rounded. The Jay Peak figure is a resort-reported seasonal average — the summit snow stake famously measures in hundreds of inches, not tens.
The storm Vermont remembers
The January 1998 ice storm. Vermont schools remember January 1998 more than any blizzard. Five days of freezing rain coated northern New England and Québec in up to 3 inches of ice, snapping thousands of poles and power lines. Some northern Vermont towns kept schools dark for a week — proof that in New England, ice beats snow for disruption.
Using the calculator in Vermont
Snowday weights Vermont’s high closure baseline (about 8 inches) into every score, along with cold and wind risk. Run it with your own town: open the snow day calculator, enter a ZIP code like 05401, and adjust the strictness slider to match your district. For the full picture, open the snow day calculator and see how commute-hour snowfall, cold, and wind combine into tomorrow’s percent chance — free, instant, no sign-up.
Last updated: October 2026