Winter storm arrives in Vermont

Wet, heavy snow began to fall in many parts of Vermont on Tuesday as the state prepared for difficult driving conditions and possible power outages.

The Adirondack Mountains almost disappeared as a blanket of snow headed toward Burlington over Lake Champlain early Tuesday afternoon. However, snow did not immediately stick in the city.

A winter storm warning was in effect for much of Tuesday, and it was set to last until 5 p.m. Wednesday in most of the state.

By 8:30 p.m., Mt. Holly had received 13 inches of snow, Killington got 12 inches and 9.5 inches fell in Northfield.

Road conditions in most of the state as shown by a 511 Vermont map online at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday were classified as difficult. Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Lamoille and Orleans counties remained under fair driving conditions.

Vermont 9 between Bennington and Wilmington was closed at about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday due to multiple tractor trailers stuck, the Vermont State Police said.

State police reported numerous other car crashes throughout the state on snow-covered roads.

One such accident in Rockingham helped recover a 2004 Jeep Wrangler that had been reported stolen from Lebanon, N.H. The driver fled the scene of the accident on foot, and state police said they are still searching for the man who is described as having facial hair and wearing a camouflage top.

The man collided on U.S. 5 near Joy Wah restaurant with a Toyota RAV 4 driven by Heaven McGivern, 30, of Westminster. Both vehicles were totaled, and McGivern was uninjured, state police said.

Investigation showed that the man driving the stolen car had lost control while driving down a hill, and the car began to spin. McGivern, who was driving south, began to slow down and pull to the right when the Jeep slid across the lane and hit the front of McGivern's car, police said.

State troopers tracked the man to Interstate 91 near exit 6, where it appears he was picked up by a passing car. Police ask that those with information about the man call 875-2112.

The National Weather Service in Burlington said northern Vermont would likely receive 5-10 inches of heavy, dense snow and a fraction of an inch of ice.

The heaviest snowfall was predicted to occur Tuesday afternoon and evening, at rates up to one inch per hour, the service said. On Wednesday, snow was expected to lighten and mix with periods of sleet.

The National Weather Service predicted up to 14 inches of snow at elevations above 1,500 feet.

As of 5 p.m., two flights departing from Burlington International Airport had been canceled, airport director Gene Richards said. The cancellations were a Delta flight to Atlanta, Ga., and a JetBlue flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, N.Y. Several flights into the airport had also been canceled.

Richards said the airlines were worried about visibility while in flight, as visibility is supposed to diminish to ¹/₄ a mile.

Richards added that the runways are clean and "in good shape" Tuesday evening, but cautioned that travelers should contact their airlines before coming to the airport. More cancellations are expected, he said.

Richards asked that travelers be patient while the airport works to get them to their destinations safely.

By mid-afternoon Tuesday, Green Mountain Power announced that the storm had already caused a "handful of outages," according to spokeswoman Dorothy Schnure. The company's website showed that outages were mainly contained to Bennington, Windham, Rutland and Windsor counties as of 7 p.m.

The power company reported that it responded to thousands of power outages, mainly in southern Vermont, throughout Tuesday evening. At 7:30 p.m., about 13,000 customers were reported to be without power, even after the power company had restored power to 6,000, it said in a news release.

Green Mountain Power had announced Monday that it readied a team of about 240 lineworkers in the event of scattered power outages throughout the state. Schnure said Tuesday evening that the power company brought in an additional 200 lineworkers and tree trimmers ahead of the storm.

"As the storm continues, we are seeing a tremendous amount of damage," Schnure said. "Falling trees have broken poles and brought down power lines, and we expect additional damage to continue as long as the snow falls."

Parking bans were in effect Tuesday night in both Winooski and Burlington.

Some cancellations of events and classes were announced on Tuesday.

Among them:

•Tuesday after-school activities at Montpelier schools.

•Tuesday afternoon classes at Vermont Law School.

•Tuesday afternoon activities for Burlington middle- and elementary students.

•Tuesday's Burlington School Board meeting was postponed to 7 p.m. Thursday.

•All Tuesday afternoon activities at Chittenden East High School; otherwise a normal closing time.

•Tuesday's statewide public meeting for the On-Road Bicycle Plan. It was rescheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. Jan. 7.

•Tuesday's Planning Commission meeting in South Burlington. The meeting was not immediately rescheduled.

Contact Elizabeth Murray at 651-4835 or emurray@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/LizMurraySMC.