Storm packs a wet, heavy punch in northern Delaware
A powerful winter storm didn't drop the forecasted foot of snow on Delaware, but it did bring a combination of wind and ice that left 33,000 New Castle County homes without power at its height.
Officials and weather experts warned that the lingering effects – including widespread power outages and slick roadways in northern Delaware – could become even more dangerous as temperatures plummet to the low 20s overnight.
"If there is any leftover standing slushy areas, it will freeze," said Accuweather Meteorologist Brian Edwards. "That is the concern for the morning commute."
The late-winter snowstorm that barreled through the northeast U.S. was originally predicted to drop between 8 and 12 inches of snow on New Castle County. While some neighboring states still got two feet of snow, Delaware was mostly spared from the March monster because the precipitation transitioned to rain and sleet sooner than expected.
"The storm tracked a little bit further west, and it allowed the mixing to come in," Edwards said. "You saw that snow initially, but it really quickly moved to freezing rain overnight as the warmer air got pulled in."
By midday Tuesday, New Castle County saw only two to four inches of snow, with the highest amount at 4.3 inches in Greenville. Other areas of the county got as much as .30 inches of ice, leaving the snow heavy and glazed over, Edwards said.
Trees and electrical wires fell under this weight when wind gusts started hitting 40 to 50 mph, Edwards said.
This left approximately 22,000 customers – or about 10 percent of New Castle County – without power as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to a Delmarva Power outage map. While most restorations were slated for Tuesday, others were not expected to be restored until Wednesday morning, making for a cold night.
That was the case for Dawn Worth and her children.
They awoke to find only a few inches of snow outside their Midvale home near New Castle. By about 8:30 a.m., the conditions had caused a power outage in their neighborhood.
"This is the heavy snow," Worth said. "This is the kind of snow that you don't want."
They felt lucky, however, because the family has a gas stove that keeps their house warm. They spent the day playing outside and then bundled up again when they came back indoors.
The family, like most others, were home for the day since most schools and government offices in New Castle County were closed.
Initially, Gov. John Carney enacted a state of emergency and Level 1 driving warning in New Castle County, but it was lifted at noon. Delaware Department of Transportation officials said crews continued working as of 5 p.m. to plow and treat roadways.
The crews also had to contend with the removal of multiple downed tree limbs and other debris.
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In the 1400 block of N. Union Street in Wilmington, neighbors said multiple branches broke from a tree and fell onto a white Chevy sedan about 10:30 a.m.
"It sounded like a car crashing into something," said Maggie Kane, who lives in a rowhouse on the property where the branches fell.
Kane and others in the area did not lose power, but police warned them to stay downstairs since other branches were hanging dangerously close to their roofs and power lines.
As Kane spoke, she looked toward a smaller downed branch resting on a wire outside, causing it to bend but not break.
"That is power, and it looks like it's just waiting to snap," Kane said.
Miles away, most Trolley Square shops were closed and quiet. At Kid Shelleen’s Charcoal House and Saloon, outdoor gas lights were lit as employees cleared the sidewalk of snow and ice.
Dave Banks, chef, and partner at the restaurant chipped icy twigs off of a large branch hanging over the awning at the front entrance of the restaurant, in preparation for a mid-day opening.
“We’re knocking the ice off of the branches of this beautiful tree,” Banks said. “If we release some of that weight, it will secure our awning a little better.”
Meanwhile, the ocean coast of Delaware saw huge waves but little damage thanks to a wind shift just prior to high tide. At the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk, the wind blew a sustained 33.7 miles per hour at 7:40 a.m. out of the northeast with gusts close to 40 mph.
High tide was at 9:49 a.m. but between 9 and 9:05, the wind shifted to the north-northwest, sparing the beaches from significant damage.
"You never know what to expect," said Janet Ray, of Lewes, who, with her husband, John, went up to the boardwalk to check out the waves.
Janet Ray said it's hard to believe that one part of the state could get snow while at the beach, a mere 90 miles away, it was rain.
"It's windy and chilly," John Ray said. "The waves are unreal. It is great."
Most of the damage was reserved for New Castle County, where DelDOT continued to urge motorists to remain cautious as they navigated side streets that were still covered with snow, blocked by downed trees or nonworking traffic signals.
"Power outages caused by fallen trees have resulted in several traffic signals to be dark," said DelDOT spokesman Bud Freel. "Maintenance crews with generators are responding to the dark signals until commercial power can be restored."
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As of 5 p.m., DelDOT reported the following road closures in New Castle County:
• Faulkland Road closed between Route 41 and Centreville Road due to a fallen tree/power line.
• Old Coach Road closed between Upper Pike Creek and Polly Drummond Road due to a power line.
• Dupont Road closed between Brandon Lane and Route 52 due to wires down.
• Barley Mill Road closed at Centreville Road due to fallen tree/power lines down.
• Owls Nest Road closed at Hay Stack Road due to a tree down.
• East Wood Drive closed due to down tree.
• Miller Road closed between Talley and Miller Road due to fallen tree and power lines down.
• Porter Road closed in both directions in the area west of DE-72 due to power lines down.
• Federal School Lane closed due to fallen tree.
• County Road closed off of Old Porter Road due to fallen tree.
• Iron Hill Road closed at the end due to fallen tree.
• Chesapeake City Road closed west of Frasier Road with multiple trees down.
• Kirkwood Road closed at St. Georges due to a tree down and power lines.
• Alley Mill Road closed between VanDyke Greenspring Road and Clayton Delaney Road due to a tree down and power lines.
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The conditions led one DelDOT snow plow to run off the road around 10:15 a.m. at Sunset Lake Road near Reybold Road, said Master Cpl. Jeffrey Hale, a spokesman for Delaware State Police.
The crash occurred when one of four DelDOT plow trucks stopped suddenly to avoid hitting a vehicle coming in the opposite direction, Hale said. The third plow in the lineup swerved to avoid a chain-reaction crash and ended up clipping the salt box on the second plow, he said.
In the process, the truck ended up in a ditch and with the plow turned underneath the truck. The driver hit his head and blacked out momentarily, Hale said. He was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital.
The treacherous conditions will give way to a clear but cold end of the week. Edwards said there could be a few snow or rain showers in the forecast for Wednesday and Friday, but "nothing big on the horizon."
Staff reporters Molly Murray, Karl Baker and Esteban Parra contributed to this story.
Contact Brittany Horn at (302) 324-2771 or bhorn@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @brittanyhorn. Contact Jessica Masulli Reyes at 302-324-2777, jmreyes@delawareonline.com or Twitter @jessicamasulli.