Vermont Warming Reshapes Winters and Flooding Costs
A new University of Vermont assessment documents long-term climate changes across the state, from warmer winters to heavier precipitation.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Severe Weather
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Do you think Vermont's winters and weather are getting worse for your household?
University of Vermont scientists published the latest Vermont Climate Assessment, documenting how the state's climate has changed over the past century. The report links rising temperatures and precipitation to flooding that caused an estimated $1 billion in damage in 2023 and 2024.
Why it matters
The assessment shows winter is Vermont's fastest-warming season, with effects extending to public health and local economies. Rising Lyme disease rates and crop and infrastructure losses point to climate impacts across daily life in the state.
The assessment draws on decades of Vermont weather records, showing the average annual temperature has risen 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit since 1900 and annual precipitation has increased 20%. Flooding in 2023 and 2024 caused an estimated $1 billion in damage, while the report does not detail how that total is broken down by sector.
The players
University of Vermont
A public research university in Burlington whose scientists produced the Vermont Climate Assessment and coordinated the 2025 Vermont Climate Corps.
The details
Nearly 200 people from government agencies, universities, municipalities, nongovernmental organizations and businesses helped develop the assessment, and 27 graduate and undergraduate students contributed through UVM's 2025 Vermont Climate Corps. Vermont now has nearly four more winter days above 50 degrees than in 1900, almost 16 fewer days below zero, and its freeze-free period has lengthened by almost 24 days.
Timeline
1900: Baseline year for Vermont temperature, winter and freeze-free comparisons.
1990: Baseline year for the snowfall comparison.
2008: Starting point for the fourfold rise in Lyme disease rates.
2023: Late-season freeze and flooding caused crop and economic losses.
2024: Flooding caused further agricultural losses and economic damage.
Seasonal Patterns
This latest edition of the Vermont Climate Assessment updates the state's long-term record, showing winter as its fastest-warming season and extending comparisons back to 1900. The findings place recent flooding and freeze events within a longer pattern of rising temperatures and heavier precipitation across Vermont.
Vermont residents can reduce Lyme disease risk by checking for ticks after time outdoors, since warmer winters allow ticks to survive longer. Households in flood-prone areas should review their flood preparedness and insurance coverage given the recent losses.
The takeaway
Vermont's warming winters and heavier rain are already reshaping health risks and economic losses across the state. Residents and local officials can use the assessment's year-by-year comparisons to plan for flooding, ticks and changing seasonal conditions.
Further reading
For more on recent storm impacts, see Severe Weather coverage across Vermont.
Live Poll
Do you think Vermont's winters and weather are getting worse for your household?
