• 74% of residents support the extension of the ACA subsidies, while 19% oppose.
• Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said that resurrecting the Affordable Care Act subsidies could depend on President Donald Trump in an interview with NPR Jan. 1.
• 92%, including majorities of all parties, disapprove of Congress’s handling of healthcare.

Most Vermont residents support extending the recently expired Obamacare subsidies, which were at the center of the government shutdown fight last year and continue to cause tension on Capitol Hill, according to a new poll from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.

Democrats in Congress had refused to support a government funding bill that didn’t extend COVID-era subsidies for lower income Americans under the Affordable Care Act, leading to longest-ever government shutdown in October and November as GOP lawmakers would not extend the subsidies, citing reports of fraud and criticisms of Obamacare more broadly. The two sides ultimately came to a deal to reopen the government, and the subsidies expired at the end of 2025.

While the House voted to extend the subsidies in early January, the legislation is less likely to pass the Senate, which has previously voted against it. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said that resurrecting the Affordable Care Act subsidies could depend on President Donald Trump in an interview with NPR Jan. 1.

In Vermont, 74% of residents support the extension of the subsidies, while 19% oppose. This is divided along party lines, with 99% of Democrats in support and 62% of Republicans in opposition.

When asked about Obamacare in general, 55% of Vermont residents said they wanted to expand the law, including 79% of Democrats. 21% want to repeal the law entirely, including 72% of Republicans.

73% disapprove of how President Donald Trump has handled healthcare, but more disapprove of how Congress has handled the issue. 92%, including majorities of all parties, disapprove of Congress’s handling of healthcare.

The Green Mountain State Poll, a States of Opinion Project conducted by UNH Survey Center and released Jan. 26, surveyed 765 Vermont residents online from Jan. 15 – 19. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.5%.

Do Vermonters support a “single-payer” health care plan?

A plurality (70%) of Vermont residents would support a national single-payer health care plan, the poll revealed.

A single-payer system is where all Americans would get insurance from a single government plan. It’s often championed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who calls his plan “Medicare for all.”

Support for the plan is divided by party: 92% of Democrats support, while 61% of Republicans oppose. Those with a higher household income are also more likely to support the idea.

How healthy are Vermonters?

In the poll, most Vermonters said they were in either good (50%) or very good (34%) health.

However, nearly half (47%) of Vermont residents say that it is difficult to pay for their overall medical care expenses, and 67% said that overall medical costs have gone up in the past 12 months. Just 1% said they have declined.

Vermont high schoolers can use their creativity to promote safe driving through a video contest, according to a community announcement.

The announcement, from the Vermont Highway Safety Alliance, describes how this year’s contest challenges teens to create public service announcements that discourage distracted driving. The theme is “Focus Drives Your Future.”

The contest is open to students in grades 9-12, either individually or in teams of two. More than $2,500 in cash prizes will be awarded, and winning videos will be shared statewide through media and educational outreach, according to the announcement.

“Distracted driving continues to be one of the most dangerous behaviors on our roads, especially for young drivers,” said Diana Gugliotta, executive director of the Vermont Highway Safety Alliance. “This contest empowers teens to speak directly to their peers, using their own voices and creativity to influence real change and help prevent crashes, injuries and deaths.”

Students are encouraged to address distractions such as using phones to text, check social media or adjust music or GPS maps, along with distractions from passengers, eating or drinking, grooming, pets or heightened emotions.

The videos must be 30, 45 or 60 seconds long and comply with Vermont traffic laws. Videos may not depict distracted driving, include brand logos or use copyrighted material without permission. Participants must reside in Vermont or be enrolled in a Vermont public or private high school, homeschool program or eligible New Hampshire cross-border school.

Thanks to sponsorship from AAA Northern New England, Co-operative Insurance Companies, the Vermont Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association, Yankee Driving School, Westside Driving and the Vermont Construction Association, prizes include:

The snowstorm isn’t over in Vermont quite yet: the National Weather Service of Burlington has a winter storm warning in effect for Vermont until 1 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Jan. 27.

With about a foot of snow already on the ground across Vermont, the NWS expects another few inches to accumulate on Jan. 26

NWS Meteorologist Adrianna Kremer said that travel should not be taken lightly, as the snow showers could affect visibility.

“If you’re on the roads, definitely just use caution,” Kremer said.

The winter storm warning said that roads, particularly bridges and overpasses, will be slick and hazardous to drive on in Vermont, affecting morning and evening commutes.

Here is how much snow Vermont has accumulated so far and will accumulate today.

Snowfall totals: How much snow did Burlington, VT get?

About a foot of snow has accumulated across Vermont so far overall, Kremer said, with the amount varying in different areas of the state.

She said that the Burlington Airport has about 9.8 inches of snow as of 7 a.m. Monday, Jan. 26.

Kremer said that they are expecting possibly two to six inches of additional snow accumulation today, but that it should begin tapering off later this evening.

Total snowfall accumulation could be 10 inches to 16 inches depending on the area. Southern Vermont has the potential to see 18 inches, according to the winter storm warning.

And more could be coming this week.

“There could be a few light snow showers throughout the week,” Kremer said. “The snow should be mostly over by the end of today.”

If you’d like to see informal reports of snowfall on the National Weather Service website, you can visit their spotter reports in Vermont here.

Search VT snow totals by address

Just type your address into the box below to see your snowfall total and a map of nearby measurements.

USA TODAY’s snowfall map shows accumulation over the past 24, 48, and 72 hours, as well as seasonal totals dating back to Oct. 1. Updated multiple times a day, the map lets you toggle between timeframes to see how snow is adding up in your area.

Can’t see the embed? View the file on a separate browser page here.

Vermont weather watches and warnings

Rin Velasco is a trending reporter. She can be reached at rvelasco@usatodayco.com.