How many inches of snow are we getting? Your county-by-county breakdown for Delaware

Hannah Edelman, Delaware News Journal
·4 min read

Snow is coming – and it looks like all of Delaware is going to see it.

Gov. John Carney issued a state of emergency Friday afternoon before the storm touched down, restricting access to roadways and calling in the National Guard for help.

Closures were announced statewide, and a Code Purple was declared. This means anyone experiencing homelessness can call 211 to find somewhere safe to wait out the storm.

People walk along N. Franklin Street in the Cool Spring neighborhood as snow falls in Wilmington early Friday evening, Jan. 28, 2022.
People walk along N. Franklin Street in the Cool Spring neighborhood as snow falls in Wilmington early Friday evening, Jan. 28, 2022.

“This is undoubtedly the most significant winter nor’easter we have faced in a number of years, and it has the potential to rank up there with the back-to-back blizzards of 2010,” said Sussex County Emergency Operations Center Director Joseph L. Thomas in a statement. “The public should be mindful of the forecast, prepare accordingly, and avoid travel tonight. The last place you will want to be is stranded somewhere on a darkened road in a raging blizzard.”

Here are the basics of this weekend's weather forecast for Delaware from the National Weather Service.

Meteorologist Patrick O'Hara of the National Weather Service advised everyone to "stay home," especially with blizzard conditions in southern Delaware. And while wind chills are expected to drop below zero Saturday night, O'Hara said ice isn't likely.

"It's going to be pretty much all snow," he said.

Here's what to expect in each county.

WHAT'S COMING: With more snow inbound this weekend, meteorologists advise Delawareans to 'be prepared'

DELAWARE SNOW TOTALS: Here are the latest inch counts

New Castle County

Precipitation:

Friday: Rain and snow, then rain, then turning back to snow; 2-4 inches of accumulation expected, along with high winds

Saturday: High chance of snow, 1-3 inches of accumulation; windy

Sunday: Windy, but dry

Temperatures:

Friday: High 38, low 21

Saturday: High 24, low 11

Sunday: High 28, low 15

Watch out for:

  • The wind chill Saturday night will drop below zero.

  • High winds will blow snow off the ground, making for hazardous driving conditions.

Closures:

  • All roads in New Castle County will be restricted to travel other than for people with "significant health, safety or business reasons" under penalty of a fine or time in prison.

  • All New Castle County libraries will open at noon on Saturday.

  • Garfield Park and Hockessin recreation centers, Carousel Park and Rockwood Park and Museum will be closed Saturday.

Kent County

Precipitation:

Friday: Chance of rain, then chance of rain and snow, then snow overnight; 5-9 inches of accumulation expected, along with high winds

Saturday: High chance of snow, 2-4 inches of accumulation; windy

Sunday: Windy, but dry

WEATHER TWEETS: Amid erratic winter weather, Delaware agency says trust the 'cool people' on weekend snow

Temperatures:

Friday: High 40, low 21

Saturday: High 25, low 11

Sunday: High 28, low 16

Watch out for:

  • Possible coastal flooding.

  • The wind chill Saturday night will drop below zero.

  • High winds will blow snow off the ground, making for hazardous driving conditions.

Closures:

  • All roads in Kent County will be restricted to designated "emergency personnel," under penalty of a fine or time in prison.

  • The Kent County Public Library will be closed until Monday.

  • The Kent County Recreation Center will be closed on Saturday, with the potential to remain closed longer depending on the weather.

  • All Kent County parks will close Friday at dusk and reopen on Monday.

This graphic from the National Weather Service shows expected snowfall in Delaware from 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, through 1 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 30.
This graphic from the National Weather Service shows expected snowfall in Delaware from 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, through 1 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 30.

Sussex County

Precipitation:

Friday: Chance of rain and snow, then snow; 5-9 inches of accumulation expected; windy

Saturday: High chance of snow, 3-5 inches of accumulation; windy

Sunday: Windy, but dry

Is this a nor'easter with a bomb cyclone?: Here's what all those weather terms mean

Temperatures:

Friday: High 42, low 22

Saturday: High 26, low 10

Sunday: High 28, low 16

Watch out for:

  • Surges in water could lead to possible flooding along the coast.

  • The wind chill Saturday night will drop below zero.

  • High winds will blow snow off the ground, making for hazardous driving conditions. At times, wind gusts could be up to 50 mph.

Closures:

  • All roads in Sussex County will be restricted to designated "emergency personnel" under penalty of a fine or time in prison.

  • The Riverwalk in Milford will be closed to pedestrians until further notice.

  • All Milford recreation programs scheduled for Saturday are canceled, and a decision about Sunday's programs will be posted online later.

Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on Twitter at @h_edelman.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Blizzard warning in Delaware: Snow, high winds, freezing temperatures