(Smyrna) – A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect until 3pm tomorrow, Tuesday, January 27.

The National Weather Service forecast is for up to 8-10 inches of snow in far northern New Castle County, 6-8 inches in southern New Castle County (south of Wilmington), 6-8 inches in northern Kent County with 2-4 inches in southern Kent County, and 2-3 inches in northern Sussex County.  Sussex County has experienced rain through most of the afternoon and the National Weather Service has some concerns about flooding in low lying areas of the county.

High winds will accompany this storm, and winds along the coast tomorrow could gust 40-50 MPH.  A Coastal Flood Warning will be in effect from 11 PM this evening to 7 AM Tuesday. This will impact coastal areas of New Jersey Delaware, including the Delaware Bay. Moderate flooding is anticipated around the time of tonight’s high tide.

The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) says its crews have been working all day to stay ahead of any snow or ice accumulation on roadways.  Crews in New Castle and Kent Counties are still working, treating roads with salt, while Sussex County crews will be called in if needed.

No large areas of power outages have been reported.

For information on school closures, log on to http://schoolclosings.delaware.gov/.

(Smyrna) – The Winter Storm Warning, issued by the National Weather Service (NWS), remains in effect for New Castle and Kent Counties until 4:00pm today, March 3^rd.  Sussex County is also under a Winter Storm Warning until 6:00pm today.

Also remaining in effect are the a State of Emergency and a Level 1 Driving Warning, which went into effect at midnight, and were issued yesterday by Governor Jack Markell.  Delaware law states, a “Level 1 Driving Warning” means that any person operating a motor vehicle when a Level 1 Driving Warning has been activated shall exercise extra caution in the operation of their motor vehicle. Nonessential employees, regardless of whether employed by a public or private entity, are encouraged not to operate a motor vehicle on the State’s roadways when a Level 1 Driving Warning has been activated, unless there is a significant safety, health or business reason to do so.”

DEMA activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) has been activated since 8:00pm last night.  The EOC activation brings multiple response agencies together with DEMA serving as the coordinating lead agency.  DEMA is working along with other emergency response agencies across the state to monitor conditions caused by the winter storm and take appropriate action.

State of Delaware offices are closed today, during regular business hours 8am to 4:30pm.

The weather forecast has been adjusted and now predicts accumulation 4-8 inches of snow statewide.  Some areas still have the possibility of seeing greater amounts, particularly a band in southern Kent County.  Snow will fall moderate to heavy at times before ending late afternoon.  Winds will be 10-15 MPH with gusts up to 25 MPH in New Castle and Kent Counties.  Slightly higher winds are expected in Sussex County, with gusts up to 35 MPH.

Road and weather conditions vary, with ice covered by snow in many areas. Roads across the state are slippery and police in all three counties have reported a number of motor vehicle accidents, a few with personal injuries.  Police are also dealing with disabled vehicles.  The speed limit on Interstate 495 in New Castle County has been reduced to 45 MPH.  DelDOT is plowing and salting roadways in across Delaware, concentrating on primary roads, bridges, bus routes, and toll plazas.  The weather has also caused changes in DART transit service today.  Details on bus routes and changes can be found at http://www.dartfirststate.com.  Click on “Alerts” for more information.

All public schools in Delaware are closed today.  The University of Delaware, Delaware State University, Wilmington University, Wesley College, and Delaware Technical and Community College are also closed.

Near-record cold weather will follow the storm on Monday, as temperatures in some portions of the state could be in the single digits Monday night and overnight until Tuesday, but slightly higher in the southern portion of Delaware.

(Smyrna) – A Winter Storm Warning, issued by the National Weather Service (NWS), remains in effect for New Castle and Kent Counties until 4:00pm today, March 3^rd.  Sussex County is also under a Winter Storm Warning until 6:00pm today.

Governor Jack Markell issued a State of Emergency and a Level 1 Driving Warning, both of which went into effect at midnight.  Delaware law states, a “Level 1 Driving Warning” means that any person operating a motor vehicle when a Level 1 Driving Warning has been activated shall exercise extra caution in the operation of their motor vehicle. Nonessential employees, regardless of whether employed by a public or private entity, are encouraged not to operate a motor vehicle on the State’s roadways when a Level 1 Driving Warning has been activated, unless there is a significant safety, health or business reason to do so.”

Sunday afternoon, Governor Markell issued an Executive Order authorizing the Delaware National Guard, as directed by the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) to take precautionary or responsive actions upon request by local authorities.  DEMA activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as of 8:00pm, Sunday night.  The EOC activation brings multiple response agencies together with DEMA serving as the coordinating lead agency.  DEMA is working along with other emergency response agencies across the state to monitor conditions caused by the winter storm and take appropriate action.

State of Delaware offices are closed today, during regular business hours 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Non-essential employees are not to report to work for this period. Essential employees are to report as scheduled.

The forecast still calls for New Castle and Kent Counties to see 6-10 inches of snow from the storm.  Inland Sussex County is forecast at 4-8 inches of snow with lesser amounts at coastal areas.  Snow will fall moderate to heavy at times before ending late afternoon.  Winds will be 10-15 MPH with gusts up to 25 MPH in New Castle and Kent Counties.  Slightly higher winds are expected in Sussex County, with gusts up to 35 MPH.

Road and weather conditions will have varying impacts on the morning rush hour. Motorists should allow extra time for their morning commute, reduce speeds, and use extreme caution while driving.  The speed limit on Interstate 495 in New Castle County has been reduced to 45 MPH.  DelDOT is plowing and salting roadways in New Castle County, and watching conditions downstate.

All public schools in Delaware are closed today.  The University of Delaware, Delaware State University, Wilmington University, Wesley College, and Delaware Technical and Community College are also closed.

Near-record cold weather will follow the storm on Monday, as temperatures in some portions of the state could be in the single digits Monday night and overnight until Tuesday.

DOVER – State of Delaware offices in New Castle County will open at 10 a.m. Non-essential employees who live or work in New Castle County do not report until 10 a.m. Essential employees are to report as scheduled.

(Smyrna) – Another round of precipitation will move through the state tonight beginning as rain, then changing over to snow.

National Weather Service forecasters say an additional 2-4 inches of accumulation could occur in northern Delaware, with 1-2 inches more of snow further south into Kent County.  this evening’s snow will also be wet and heavy and the danger it brings comes in the form of broken tree branches and downed power lines.  Winds will have sustained speeds of 20 to 25 MPH with gusts up to 35 MPH.  Temperatures will be dropping as the night progresses, which brings the possibility of ice to the state.  A Coastal Flood Advisory is posted, with concerns about the impact of the winds at high tide.

There have been scattered power outages across the state today, but currently Delmarva Power reports fewer than 50 customers without power.  Information on school closings, can be found on the State of Delaware School Closings website (http://schoolclosings.delaware.gov/).

Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) officials, along with the National Weather Service, are keeping an eye on a storm system that will move through the area on Friday that could bring a couple of inches of new snow overnight Friday into Saturday morning.