Winter Weather — Kent, Delaware

2015-02-21 to 2015-02-22 · Kent, Delaware

Wider weather episode

A winter storm brought a wintry mix of snow (heavy in New Castle County), sleet and freezing rain to Delaware on the 21st. Snowfall averaged 3 to 7 inches in New Castle County, 1 to 3 inches in Kent County and less than an inch in Sussex County. Ice accumulations averaged one to two tenths of an inch statewide. The winter storm caused numerous accidents across the state.

Precipitation started as snow throughout Delaware on the afternoon of the 21st, beginning in New Castle County first in the early afternoon and then spreading south reaching Sussex County during the second half of the afternoon. In Sussex County, the snow changed to freezing rain during the early evening and then to plain rain during the middle of the evening. In Kent County, the snow changed to sleet and freezing rain during the early evening and then to plain rain toward Midnight. In New Castle County, the snow fell heavy at times during the afternoon. It changed to freezing rain during the early evening and then to plain rain toward Midnight. The rain ended on the morning of the 22nd.

Delaware State Police responded to approximately 115 accidents, 8 with injuries and nearly 100 disabled vehicles. Most of the accidents were in Kent and New Castle Counties. In New Castle County, northbound State Route 7 as well as Arundel Drive were closed west of Wilmington. In addition, the Cape May-Lewes Ferry suspended service.

Representative snowfall included 6.8 inches in Hockessin (New Castle County), 6.4 inches in Pike Creek (New Castle County), 5.0 inches in Newark (New Castle County) and at the New Castle County Airport, 4.6 inches in Newport (New Castle County), 4.1 inches in Glasgow (New Castle County), 2.1 inches in Dover (Kent County), 1.8 inches in Smyrna (Kent County) and 1.0 inch in Felton (Kent County).

Representative ice accumulations included 0.2 inches in Milton (Sussex County) and Glasgow (New Castle County) and 0.15 inches in Felton (Kent County).

The winter storm was caused by a low pressure system that moved northeast from the southern Mississippi River Valley on the morning of the 21st, to the Tennessee River Valley on the early evening of the 21st, into south central Pennsylvania early on the 22nd and then rapidly reached the Canadian Maritimes on the morning of the 22nd. In spite of the surface high pressure system being offshore (in an unfavorable position normally for snow and ice) at the onset of the event, the combination of extremely cold antecedent conditions and a relatively weak low pressure system (made it more difficult to remove cold air near the surface) still caused a winter weather event to occur in Delaware.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 556668. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.