Vermont
Severe thunderstorms possible this afternoon and evening. Scattered flash flooding possible tonight and even into Monday morning.
BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A slow-moving but strong cold front will start to bring showers and thunderstorms to the region this afternoon, first in New York and the Champlain Valley, then slowly spread southeastward through the evening. The threat for severe weather has increased throughout the region, with damaging wind being the primary threat. Even an isolated tornado can’t be ruled out, but the risk for that is low. The greatest chance for severe weather will be between 4 PM and 10 PM today.
The risk for flash flooding will be this evening and even into Monday morning with isolated to scattered flash flooding. For those reasons, First Alert Weather Day is in effect from 3 PM through early Monday morning. Thunderstorms with possibly torrential downpours will result in 1 to 3 inches of rain tonight before ending around 2 to 3 AM early Monday, but residual flooding may continue into Monday morning.
Flash flooding may occur after midnight tonight, so if you’re traveling and encounter any flooded roads, never attempt to cross them. The water may look shallow, but the road could be washed out underneath and you won’t know until it’s too late if you try to drive through it. It’s always better to seek a different route. Our First Alert Weather Team will keep you updated if anything changes.
Copyright 2026 WCAX. All rights reserved.
Authorities have identified the girl and her older brother who died in a Vermont river after going missing last week.
Sandro Lala, 25, had jumped into the Lamoille River to save his sister, 11-year-old Yazmin Yupangui, when she fell into the Lamoille River near Arrowhead Mountain Lake in Georgia, Vermont, on Wednesday, according to the Vermont State Police.
Autopsies determined that the siblings, who both lived in Cambridge, Vermont, died in accidental drownings, according to police.
Yazmin’s body was found Thursday by a police underwater recovery team, while Lala’s body was found in Arrowhead Mountain Lake on Saturday morning.
Police had previously said a group of relatives were fishing along the shore when a young girl fell into the water, and a man jumped in to try to rescue her. Neither resurfaced after that, prompting a large search, including multiple agencies, on the water near where Lamoille River empties into the lake.
Mountain bike enthusiasts have been working for years on an ambitious 485-mile multi-use trail known as the Velomont that will span the length of Vermont.
When finished, the collaborative project will knit together existing trail networks, connect 27 communities, and include 30 new huts and five downtown hostels for overnight stays.
New trail construction is finally ramping up after years spent on permits, plans and public input. And organizers say they’re focused on ensuring the Velomont is accessible for everyone.
“For us, it’s not a huge lift to just be mindful when we’re trying to build trail or improve trail to think about the adaptive rider,” said Angus McCusker, the Velomont trail director with the nonprofit Vermont Huts and Trails.
McCusker is referring to the growing number of athletes with disabilities who mountain bike with specially designed equipment.
“The challenge,” he said, “is we’re connecting to existing trail networks that were never intended for adaptive bikes. So, where we can, we’re trying to do adaptive assessments.”
Louis Arevalo of Essex Junction is one of several adaptive athletes helping with that, most recently on some slightly overgrown trails in the Randolph Town Forest.
Zoe McDonald
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Vermont Public
Arevalo was paralyzed in a skiing accident six years ago. An avid mountain biker before, he now rides a recumbent-style three wheeler that sits low to the ground. Arevalo pedals and steers with his arms, and gets a boost from an electric motor.
“Once you realize what these bikes are capable (of) or this equipment actually opens up, it kind of blows your mind,” he said.
But adaptive rigs like Arevalo’s are wider and heavier than regular mountain bikes, and not all trails are user-friendly.
Zoe McDonald
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Vermont Public
Zoe McDonald
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Vermont Public
Nick Bennette, who tested a different type of adaptive bike that day, got hung up on several tight turns.
Bennette is executive director of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association, another nonprofit spearheading efforts around the Velomont. He and others involved in the assessment have been taking detailed notes on ways to make the trails more accessible.
“Just scalloping out a bit of material on the outside of that corner,” said Bennette, pointing to the area the bike got caught. “That will allow adaptive bikes to make that corner without really changing the way the trail rides.”
This type of work is not just happening on the trails. Organizers are also trying to reduce barriers at overnight accommodations along the network.
Zoe McDonald
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Vermont Public
This summer, contractors are turning an old office building near the trail in downtown Randolph into an ADA accessible hostel. And two remote huts along the trail in Stratton and Chittenden will have locked sheds with off-road wheelchairs so bikers don’t have to haul their own.
At the Chittenden Brook Hut, McCusker highlighted a new ramp and wider driveway.
“So if you’re an adaptive rider, you can imagine rolling right up here and you can transfer to your chair that’s available here, and then roll down the ramp and go down to the fireplace, to the privy, to make your meal,” he said.
Zoe McDonald
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Vermont Public
Louis Arevalo stayed at the hut last summer with other adaptive riders — his first camping trip since his accident.
“It was really refreshing to have easy access to a beautifully built hut that was easy to navigate, and then have these world-class trails right out the door,” he said. “And with these Velomont trails, I can actually plan a hut-to-hut trip with other people.”
Jeff Alexander is counting on it. He’s director of strategic partnerships with Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities access outdoor recreation.
An economic impact analysis the group commissioned estimates their programming generated more than $10 million last year.
“So the adaptive community has money, they travel, they want to travel and they want to play with everybody,” Alexander said. “We just need to level the playing field so that everyone can play together.”
Zoe Mcdonald
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Vermont Public
RUTLAND, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont State Police are asking the public for help locating a 71-year-old Rutland man who has not been seen since Thursday evening.
Mark P. Herring was last seen between 6:30 and 7 p.m. on July 2. He was last connected to the area around Coolidge State Park Road in Plymouth but is believed to have returned to Rutland City.
Investigators said the circumstances do not appear suspicious, but they are concerned about Herring’s health.
Anyone who has seen Herring or knows his whereabouts is asked to contact the Vermont State Police Rutland Barracks.
Copyright 2026 WCAX. All rights reserved.
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