Thursday was another day of record-breaking temperatures for Vermont, according to the National Weather Service. Burlington’s 93 degree afternoon reading smashed a previous high temperature for the date of 89 degrees.
Thursday’s warm-up brought safety advisories that apply for the next several weeks and months, and saw work to improve recreational fishing opportunities in Vermont this summer.
Burlington’s North Beach was busy Thursday afternoon, as groups of friends celebrated their college graduations.
“Mom, if you’re looking at this, I wore sunblock,” joked David Shektman, a recent graduate of St. Michael’s College.
Despite the sun and warm air Shektman and his buddies were enjoying, the water in Lake Champlain is still only in the mid-40s and will take weeks to gradually warm up to more comfortable levels.
The United States Coast Guard issued warnings to boaters, paddle boarders, and others, telling them that life vests are a must when participating in recreational activities on water that remains so cold.
A tumble into chilly water could mean hypothermia quickly, the Coast Guard warned, and a life vest could greatly improve chances of a successful rescue.
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At the Central Vermont Humane Society in East Montpelier, shelter operations director Erika Holm was spreading another safety reminder.
She demonstrated with her thermometer how dangerously hot it can get in parked cars. Readings with her device on cars in the sunny parking lot ranged from 105 to 126 degrees, depending on their location, how long they sat parked, and whether they had windows cracked.
Those numbers should demonstrate why it is so critical for pet owners to ensure they do not leave their animals in parked cars on hot days, Holm said, because pets experience the heat even more intensely with their fur coats.
“It’s very serious and very quickly becomes serious, especially on a bright sunny day like today,” Holm said of the heat in parked cars. “So when it’s hot outside—with sun—it’s exponentially hotter inside [a vehicle].”
In Waterbury, a bucket brigade worked in the heat Thursday to prepare for all the other warm days still to come.
Volunteers helped the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department add roughly 700 large rainbow trout to the Winooski River, aiming to boost summer recreation that connects families to nature.
“Vermont has endless opportunities when it comes to hunting, fishing, and going out wildlife watching,” said Adam Miller, the fish culture operations manager for the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. “Hopefully with this great weather, we’re going to see a lot of people going out into Vermont and having a good time outdoors.”
Miller said the state stocks approximately 1-million fish into waterways across the state, both to contribute to species conservation and to improve fishing opportunities that generate economic activity while boosting the public’s engagement with the natural world.
After two straight days of record-breaking heat, necn meteorologists say Vermonters can expect more typical temperatures over the next week.
