The Vermont State Police is adding extra patrols and urging the public to be cautious as forecasts call for a significant ice storm to affect the state through Monday afternoon.

The National Weather Service is predicting up to 0.6 inches of ice to accumulate across portions of Vermont, with the highest totals ranging from the Northeast Kingdom to Springfield, in central Vermont, and along the spine of the Green Mountains. Considerable icing is expected statewide as the storm arrives from the southwest to the northeast during the overnight hours Sunday into Monday. Conditions are not expected to begin improving until at least Monday afternoon.

The state police has assigned troopers from the overnight shift to stay late and has called in the morning shift early to ensure patrol coverage during the storm’s predicted peak.

Road conditions are expected to deteriorate rapidly once the ice arrives, making travel difficult to impossible. VSP urges members of the public to stay home unless travel is absolutely necessary. If you must venture out, follow these tips:

• Leave plenty of extra time to reach your destination.
• Wear your seat belt.
• Slow down.
• Increase following distance between yourself and other vehicles on the road.
• Give plow trucks and emergency vehicles room to operate.
• Pack an emergency kit in your vehicle in case you become stranded.
• Be patient.

For the latest updates regarding the storm, Vermonters should follow the social media accounts for Vermont Emergency Management and the National Weather Service’s offices in Burlington, Vermont (for forecasts for Vermont’s northern 12 counties), and Albany, New York, which covers Bennington and Windham counties.

– 30 –