Island Pond is different. Honestly, if you’ve spent any time in the Northeast Kingdom, you know the weather here doesn't follow the same rules as the rest of Vermont. Basically, while Burlington is dealing with a damp lake breeze, Island Pond is often tucked into a deep, crystalline freeze that feels like a whole other planet.
It’s currently Thursday night, January 15, 2026, and the air in Brighton (the township where Island Pond sits) is sitting at a steady 10°F. But that’s the number on the screen. The real story is the wind. It’s coming out of the west at 8 mph, which drags that "feels like" temperature down to a biting -2°F.
The sky is a heavy blanket of clouds right now. Humidity is pegged at 91%, which is why the air feels so thick even in the cold. There's about a 14% chance of snow hitting the ground before morning.
What's Actually Happening Right Now
If you were planning to head out tonight, you’d be stepping into a very specific kind of Vermont winter. It’s cloudy and quiet. Today was actually much warmer than it feels now—we hit a high of 34°F with some snow during the day. But that’s over. The low for tonight is expected to bottom out at 1°F.
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Looking ahead to tomorrow, Friday, January 16, things aren't exactly warming up. We’re looking at a high of only 13°F. There’s a 25% chance of light snow during the day, which jumps to 35% at night. The wind is going to pick up too, hitting 14 mph from the west. If you're out on the pond, that wind will cut right through you.
The Island Pond Microclimate
Most people think Vermont weather is just "cold and snowy." That’s a massive oversimplification. Island Pond is technically a "warm-summer humid continental climate" ($Dfb$ in the Köppen system), but that label hides the local reality.
The pond itself acts as a giant heat sink in the summer and a frozen plain in the winter. Because the elevation sits around 1,200 feet, we get hit with weather systems that lose their moisture as they climb over the mountains. This results in an average annual snowfall of about 114.9 inches. That is a lot of shoveling.
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Historically, January is the brutal month. Average highs usually hover around 24°F, but tonight’s 10°F shows just how much we can deviate from the "norm."
The Week Ahead: A Deep Freeze is Coming
If you're looking for a "January thaw," you're going to be disappointed. Here is the breakdown of what the next few days look like:
- Saturday (Jan 17): A bit of a bounce back. High of 27°F with snow showers. It’ll feel almost balmy compared to Friday.
- Sunday (Jan 18): Things stay steady with a high of 26°F and some light snow.
- Monday (Jan 19): We start sliding down again. High of 21°F, low of 3°F.
- Tuesday (Jan 20): This is where it gets serious. The high is only 4°F. The low? -5°F.
The most shocking part of the current 10-day trend happens toward the end of next week. By Sunday, January 25, the forecast is calling for a low of -25°F. That isn't a typo. That is the kind of cold that stops car batteries in their tracks and makes the trees pop like gunshots in the night.
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Why the "Expected" Snowfall is Often a Lie
You'll see weather apps predict "4 inches of expected snow" for Island Pond, but the high-end amounts for this region often hit much harder. Local data shows that while a 4-inch storm is standard, there's often a 10% chance of seeing much higher totals—sometimes double—because of how the clouds hang over the Northeast Kingdom hills.
The humidity today is 98%, which is incredibly high for a winter day. That moisture has to go somewhere. Usually, it ends up as that fine, powdery snow that makes Island Pond a mecca for snowmobiling.
Actionable Advice for Navigating Island Pond Weather
- Trust the "Feels Like" Over the Temperature: With the current -2°F wind chill, exposed skin can start to freeze faster than you’d think. If the wind is over 10 mph and it's under 20 degrees, wear a face mask.
- Monitor the Pond Ice: Even with the low of 1°F tonight, ice thickness can be inconsistent near the inlets. Check with local bait shops or the snowmobile clubs before taking a heavy rig out.
- Battery Care: With that -25°F low coming up on the 25th, if your car battery is more than three years old, get it tested now. You do not want to be stranded in the Kingdom when the mercury hits those depths.
- Humidity Management: High humidity (91% tonight) in a cold house can lead to massive frost buildup on the inside of windows. Keep your air moving to prevent mold issues when things finally thaw.
Island Pond weather is a game of extremes. It's beautiful, but it's demanding. Stick to the actual data, watch the wind direction, and always keep an extra wool blanket in the back of the truck. You’re going to need it.