8-12 inches of snow may be heading toward Delaware

Delawareans hoping that snow was in their rear view on the way to springlike temperatures are learning winter doesn't seem interested in going away.

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly has issued a winter storm watch from Monday evening through Tuesday evening.

Snowfall from late Monday night into Wednesday afternoon could total 8-12 inches, forecasters said.

The National Weather Service is predicting 3-5 inches of snowfall Monday night with temperatures falling to the 20s in the northern New Castle County area. Winds could potentially reach 8 to 16 mph, said Mitchell Gaines, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey.

Kent and Sussex counties could be impacted, but not likely as severely as northern Delaware.

Temperatures in the state will continue to be in the lows teens and high 20s throughout the weekend.

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Heavy snow and high winds are likely to continue into Tuesday morning’s early commute, Gaines said, adding that snow will lessen by Tuesday afternoon.

A wintry mix of rain, sleet and snow will fall Tuesday afternoon, then snow is expected to pick up Tuesday evening and into Wednesday, forecasters predict.

But snowfall in northern Delaware is expected to be its heaviest Monday night, Gaines said.

In southern Delaware, specifically the Dover area, 1 to 3 inches of snow is possible.

Forecasters say winds will range from 10 to 20 mph coming from the northeast with gusts up to 40 mph. The highest winds should occur southeast of the I-295 corridor.

In addition to strong winds, coastal flooding and erosion are possible along the coast. Heavy rain with a little snow and winds gusting to 36 mph in Lewes is expected Monday night, according to forecasters.

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Given there is a lot of uncertainty, Gaines said, residents should have a plan in place for inclement weather. With heavy snowfall a strong possibility, Gaines asked families to "have provisions and equipment in place in case of emergency" in their home and vehicles.

Contact Alonzo Small at (302) 324-2856 or asmall@delawareonline.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @P_AlonzoSmall.