New Castle, Kent counties report 5+ inches of snow as state issues travel advisory

A number of communities in New Castle and Kent counties are now seeing snow accumulation of more than 5 inches, prompting the Delaware Department of Transportation and the Delaware Emergency Management Agency to issue a travel advisory.

The snow, which had reached 5.8 inches in Blackbird, 5.3 inches in New Castle, 5.3 inches in Smyrna and 5.1 inches in Talleyville as of 9:15 p.m. Friday, is expected to continue falling throughout the evening.

Given the continued precipitation, DelDOT and DEMA are urging residents to stay off the roads.

Both agencies said the advisory is not an official driving warning, which is issued during inclement weather. A Level 1 warning already had been issued this week, however.

The Friday afternoon advisory is "meant to caution motorists of adverse weather conditions and to stay off roads if possible. If driving is necessary, motorists are urged to use caution and common sense," a news release said.

According to the National Weather Service, radar shows "moderate to occasionally heavy snow continuing to move across the area." The agency has predicted as much as 6 inches of snow in Kent and New Castle counties.

The weather agency said the region's snow is mostly centered along the I-95 corridor from Wilmington to Philadelphia to Trenton. The weather service also said it's possible to see snowfall rates of 0.5 to 1 inch per hour, which could significantly reduce the road visibility to a half-mile to a quarter of a mile.

DRIVING IN THE SNOW: Bad weather can lead to various driving restrictions. Here's what to know in Delaware

Where is it accumulating?

Flurries, which began as early as 5 a.m. on Friday, have since turned into heavier snow, with an inch or more falling in an hour in some areas of Kent County.

While the southernmost part of Sussex County has seen little snow, the rest of that county has reported some accumulation. Ellendale has seen the most, with 4 inches.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for the Delaware beaches until 10 p.m., predicting up to an inch of snow and slippery roads.

These are Delaware snow accumulation amounts as of 9:15 p.m. Friday:

New Castle County

• Blackbird - 5.8 inches

• Claymont - 5 inches

• Greenville - 4.2 inches

• Glasgow - 4.6 inches

• Hockessin - 4 inches

• New Castle - 5.3 inches

• Newark - 4.2 inches

• Port Penn - 3.9 inches

• Prices Corner - 4.5 inches

• Talleyville - 5.1 inches

• White Clay - 4.5 inches

Kent County

• Dover - 5 inches

• Frederica - 4 inches

• Harrington - 3.9 inches

• Smyrna - 5.3 inches

• West Dover - 5.1 inches

• Woodside - 5.1 inches

Sussex County

• Bethany Beach - Trace amounts of snow

• Bridgeville - 3.2 inches

• Dagsboro - 2 inches

• Ellendale - 4 inches

• Laurel - 2.1 inches

• Lewes - 2.3 inches

• Nassau - 2.4 inches

• Seaford - 2.4 inches

• Stockley - 2.8 inches

Temperatures will rapidly drop into the teens late Friday night causing untreated roads to become icy and dangerous. Areas of blowing snow are possible over the weekend.

Delaware has already lowered the speed limit on I-495 from 65 mph to 55 mph. The state Department of Transportation is also reminding motorists that bridges and overpasses freeze before roadways.

"Heavy ice" from a storm earlier this week, caused several crashes on Tuesday resulting in large stretches of highways being closed — including I-495.

More: Various Delaware roads reopen after 'heavy ice' causes crashes, road closures

Closures

Several offices and businesses across the state reported closures and delays.

Snow day: What schools are closed, remote learning on Friday ahead of expected snowstorm

A winter storm warning has been issued for northern Delaware and is in effect until 10 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. The storm is forecast to deliver up to 6 inches of snow to northern Delaware causing hazardous travel conditions.

Sussex County, which is under a winter weather advisory, is experiencing rain with a mix of snow toward the coast.

Storm

The latest storm will spread accumulating snow and travel disruptions across 18 states in the Midwest and Northeast, home to 115 million people, into Friday night, AccuWeather meteorologists warn. Arctic air will pour in following the storm, resulting in the coldest winter weekend so far for much of the eastern United States.

The area most likely to pick up a foot of snow, according to AccuWeather, is the mountains of West Virginia.

This area of moderate to heavy snow may extend into southern New Jersey and Delaware, which would put a plowable snowstorm in play from Washington to Philadelphia and to the west. Enough snow to shovel and plow could extend to Cincinnati, Atlantic City and Dover.

Weekend highs across the state will hover in the mid to upper 20s on Saturday, inching up into the 30s by Sunday. Delaware can expect to see highs in the 50s later next week — around Wednesday and Thursday.

How much snow will Delaware see?

Here are the latest projections for Delaware:

• Wilmington and the northern part of New Castle County is expected to get 4-6 inches.

• Southern New Castle County is forecasted to receive 3-4 inches of snow.

• Northern Kent County is forecasted to receive 2-3 inches.

• Southern Kent County is forecasted to receive 1-2 inches of snow.

• Sussex County will receive an inch or less of snow, with the most accumulation possibly in northern Sussex County.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com. Got a tip? Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com or 302-324-2785. For all things breaking news, follow her on X at @izzihughes_

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Snow storm could bring 6 inches to Delaware: Travel advisory issued