Delaware was hit with another blast of winter Thursday night as the second storm system this week blew into the state.
Most of the snow was expected to fall overnight, the National Weather Service said, and residents of Kent and Sussex counties may wake up to as many as 6 inches in the morning.
As of 6:50 a.m. Friday, Wilmington recorded 2.4 inches, with Dover reporting 2.2 inches and Smyrna reporting another 4.1 inches. It did not snow in most of Sussex county.
Schools across New Castle and Kent counties are closed today, and DART buses in the areas will operate on a delayed schedule.
Roads were mostly clear in downtown Wilmington by 6:30 a.m., but people parked outside still have a good amount of snow scraping to do before driving anywhere. Grassy areas look only a few inches deep, though snowfall is still ongoing.
But this is not Monday’s storm, meteorologist Alex Staarmann said. Where Jan. 3 saw massive traffic build-ups, power outages and snowfall greater than a foot, most of Delaware was expected to get only 3 or 4 inches of snow this time.
“This is not nearly as strong of a system, so there’s not really any potential for it to put down anything close to like what we saw on Monday,” Staarmann said.
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The storm will also move “much faster” than the one earlier this week, Staarmann said, and skies should be clear and sunny by Friday afternoon.
Still, it will likely take crews a few hours to clear off the roads. With heavy snowfall expected until the beginning of morning rush hour, Staarmann said drivers should expect traffic and “pretty hazardous conditions” on their commute.
“Keep it slow,” Staarmann cautioned drivers. “And if you don’t have to travel it’s probably best to just stay put.”
Snow was slated to begin about 10 p.m. Thursday and continue through the night until about 7 a.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The heaviest snowfall will likely be between 1 and 6 a.m., with skies clearing up as the day goes on.
DELAWARE SNOWFALL TOTALS:Track the inch count around the state
Temperatures will stay at about freezing throughout the day, experts predict, though some snow may melt into slush after the sun comes out.
Be careful, though – when nightfall drags the temperature back down to the teens, that slush could freeze into ice by Saturday morning.
Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on Twitter at @h_edelman.
