lookn4adeal

As a Christmas gift, we are surprising my Mom (age 73) with a trip to Vermont to visit her best friend. Her friend said anytime after the first of the year is good for her. What we (the kids) want to know is what is the spring like there. Or maybe a better question is WHEN is spring there, or IS there spring there? I'm sure that fall with the changing leaves is the best, but we've missed that already and don't want to wait that long to send her.

She will be flying in to Burlington, VT, and her friend lives not far from there.

travelgourmet

Spring is called mud season in Vermont. Depending upon the harshness of winter, and altitude, you could see snow on the ground well into spring, but Burlington sees a bit less snow. Overnight freezes are common as late as April, and snow can happen during April.

I would lean toward May or later for a visit to Vermont.

zootsi

Spring is not the best time of year in Vermont. Snow is usually on the ground until early April, then it's mud season for several weeks, then the black flies start by late May. On the other hand, you can have some truly great days in May, with apple trees in bloom, robins singing, and farmers plowing their fields. June thru early October are wonderful, although rural areas will be have blackflies until late June or so.

suze

Agreeing with the posters above about mud season! If you wait until early summer I think is the best chance at nice weather.
I used to live in VT and we'd laugh because some years you'd have long underwear and shorts in the same load of laundry (that's how quick it changed winter to summer).

glaird

I must also agree that spring is not the best time - mud everywhere and still pretty chilly.
Early summer is nice.

nlg

We went to Vermont in the middle of May(2010) and the weather was very nice. We stayed near Stowe. Some days we wore a light jacket and some days wore short sleeves. We did a lot of hiking and walking and didn't encounter any mud.

zootsi

nlg, actually, by mid May most of the mud has gone, and the black flies haven't really come out in force yet. Mid May can sometimes be a small window of good conditions, but it is very unpredictable,

Vttraveler

If your mother's friend does not live on a dirt road and they won't be driving around on back roads, mud season is not that much of an issue. Black flies are also not a problem in towns. I think late April/early May would be nice in the Burlington area. We sometimes take trips to Burlington and Montreal in late March/early April to get away from mud.

For others reading this thread who are interested in hiking, the advice is usually to stay off the trails until Memorial Day because of mud. last spring they dried out much earlier.

dfrostnh

Vttraveler gives sensible advice. Here in NH mud season is usually in mid-March when the ground is thawing and is not a problem unless you live on a dirt road. If your Mom is a gardener she might want to visit Gardener's Supply. If she would like to visit Shelburne Museum, check the museum's calendar for opening dates and/or special events. There shouldn't be any problem with mud and black flies on Church St in Burlington (nice pedestrian shopping area).

You would think I would remember when spring is at its best but it gradually unfolds. I get excited to see the first greens and reds as trees wake up and think it is almost as beautiful as fall. Flowering shrubs and bulbs are beautiful in some areas. Apple orchards bloom around May 15 in the Concord NH area. Lilacs also bloom in May. Can't remember when azaleas and rhodies are in bloom. Late April would probably be good for spring bulbs. We will take drives around neighborhoods just to see how pretty yards look.

Vttraveler

The Shelburne Museum always has a special Lilac Festival in mid-May. The grounds have 90 different varieties.

Jeff_Connor

You might also want to plan for Memorial Day weekend or early June if you think your mother would like to visit Shelburne Farms or Shelburne Museum. They are two "not to be missed" places that will be opening for the season then.