Heavy Snow — Kent, Delaware

2014-01-21 to 2014-01-22 · Kent, Delaware

Wider weather episode

A winter storm dropped heavy snow in central and northern Delaware and a wintry mix in Sussex County from the 21st into the morning of the 22nd. The winter storm affected New Castle County the hardest. Delaware Governor Jack Markell declared a limited state of emergency. Delaware State Police reported that the winter storm caused over 100 traffic related accidents (around 15 with injuries), most in New Castle County and included three tractor-trailers jack-knifing. Delaware Electric Cooperative reported that 6,800 of its customers lost power throughout the state.

The winter storm was caused by a quick moving clipper system that tracked out of the Great Lakes region and began transferring its energy to the developing coastal low, resulting in rapid intensification. This strengthening low pressure moved northeast through the afternoon of the 21st, allowing multiple bands of heavy snow to traverse across portions of northern Delaware. By late day, the coastal low emerged east of the Delmarva Peninsula and quickly moved off towards New England, bringing an end to the snow from west to east across the region overnight on the 21st.

Along and near the Interstate 95 corridor, temperatures were cold enough for rapid accumulation, and a narrow band of heavy snow developed in this vicinity, extending across northern Delaware. Within this general area, snowfall rates reached 2 to 3 inches per hour for a time during the midday hours of the 21st. This resulted in snowfall of 8 to 12 inches in New Castle County, around 6 inches in Kent County and 1 to 4 inches in Sussex County. Snowfall totals were held down in southern Delaware as temperatures were marginal for larger snow accumulations, and several hours of mixing with rain and sleet were reported.

Representative snowfall totals included 12.0 inches in Bear (New Castle County), 11.6 inches in Newark (New Castle County), 11.5 inches in Greenville (New Castle County), 10.5 inches at the New Castle County Airport in Wilmington (New Castle County), 10.1 inches in Hockessin (New Castle County), 9.7 inches in Glasgow (New Castle County), 9.2 inches in Prices Corner (New Castle County), 8.6 inches in New Castle (New Castle County), 8.3 inches in Claymont (New Castle County), 8.1 inches in Mount Cuba (New Castle County), 7.5 inches in Townsend (New Castle County), 7.0 inches in Newport (New Castle County), 6.3 inches in Harrington (Kent County), 5.8 inches in Dover (Kent County), 5.0 inches in Woodside (Kent County), 4.0 inches in Selbyville (Sussex County), 3.8 inches in Viola (Kent County), 3.4 inches in Ellendale (Sussex County), 3.2 inches in Harbeson (Sussex County), 3.1 inches in Delmar (Sussex County), 2.8 inches in Seaford (Sussex County), 2.5 inches in Milton (Sussex County), 2.3 inches in Stockley (Sussex County), 2.0 inches in Lewes (Sussex County), 1.5 inches in Bridgeville (Sussex County), and 1.0 inch in Laurel (Sussex County).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 495680. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.