The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for the entire state that will be in effect from late Sunday night to Monday night.

The department has 300 pieces of snow removal equipment and is responsible for nearly 14,000 lane miles of road in the state and initial efforts will be focused on clearing primary roads such as I-95, Route 1, Route 13, and Route 113. The objective is to keep primary roads passable, and drivers are advised to adapt their driving to the road conditions and avoid driving during the storm if possible. DelDOT cannot provide estimates on when specific roads will be plowed as conditions will dictate plowing operations.

Once primary roads are determined to be in passable condition, plow crews will move to secondary roads such as Route 9, Route 24, and Route 71, and then to local roads. We do not plow subdivisions with privately maintained streets or subdivisions within the Snow Removal Reimbursement Program.

DelDOT will be brining roads in Sussex County beginning Sunday morning. Routes 1 and 13 will be brined in Kent County from the New Castle County line to Dover. New Castle County roads were brined on Friday and no additional brining is necessary. DelDOT staff will be reporting ahead of the storm’s start to make additional preparations for the storm’s arrival.

The department has several resources available to monitor road conditions in real-time. The DelDOT interactive map, available on the deldot.gov website, and the DelDOT app provide resources such as 230 traffic cameras and the snowplow tracker that will be active throughout the storm event.

The “Frequently Asked Questions” webpage also provides additional information related to snow removal operations.

Downed trees and wires can be reported to the Transportation Management Center by calling (302) 659-4600, or #77 on cellphones.

DelDOT will post updates on Facebook, NextDoor, and X social media platforms throughout the storm event and issue news releases should driving restrictions be necessary.

With temperatures forecasted to fall well below freezing tonight, the Delaware Emergency Management Agency has issued a Level 1 Driving Warning statewide for the overnight hours of Tuesday, January 16, 2024, to Wednesday, January 17, 2024, due to the likelihood of icing occurring on roads and bridges statewide tonight. A Level 1 Driving Warning is an advisory against unnecessary travel due to road conditions.

The National Weather Service is advising that an Arctic airmass will overspread southeast Pennsylvania, New Jersey, the eastern shores of Maryland, and Delaware. Temperatures tonight will drop into the single digits and low teens across the region.

While DelDOT crews will continue to treat roads and bridges through the overnight hours, rock salt becomes less effective when temperatures reach 15 degrees Fahrenheit, which many areas of the state may near tonight.

Level 1 Driving Warning Definition: A ‘Level 1 Driving Warning’ shall mean 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. Non-essential employees, regardless of whether employed by a public or private entity, are encouraged not to operate a motor vehicle on the State’s roadways, unless there is a significant safety, health or business reason to do so.

The Level 1 Driving Warning will be publicly rescinded when road conditions allow.

NEW CASTLE (Jan. 10, 2022) – With Delaware facing the coldest temperatures of the winter Monday and Tuesday nights, Code Purple is being declared across the state by the nonprofit and volunteer organizations that operate the shelters to keep people who are homeless safe during dangerous winter weather. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing, capacity is limited.

When severe snowstorms or sub-freezing temperatures are forecast in Delaware, the organizations that manage Code Purple sites often activate their shelters. The Code Purple declarations, which vary by county and site, open up additional beds and warm shelter space beyond the year-round shelter beds available across the state.

To be connected to Code Purple resources, call the individual shelter locations or call the Delaware Housing Alliances Centralized Intake Line at 1-833-FIND-BED (833-346-3233). If you see someone outside who appears to be homeless, encourage them to seek emergency shelter or call a non-emergency police number to alert the police to the situation.

The wind chills across the state are expected to be in the single-digits to the low teens Monday and Tuesday, with overnight lows in the teens to low 20s. That means the risk for frostbite and/or hypothermia increases after even a short time outside.

“We are always grateful to the series of nonprofits and volunteers that operate Code Purple shelters across our state, but we are especially thankful for the work they are doing during the pandemic to keep vulnerable people safe,” said Governor John Carney. “This is the true meaning of neighbors helping neighbors.”

“The dropping temperatures, the strong winds and the wind chills arriving in Delaware will mean dangerous conditions outside,” said Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Molly Magarik. “We encourage anyone without a place to go to find a spot at a Code Purple shelter.”

Details about the shelters, which are organized and operated by nonprofit organizations or volunteers:

NEW CASTLE COUNTY

Wilmington: The City of Wilmington, the Salvation Army and Friendship House have declared Code Purple for Monday and Tuesday nights. The Salvation Army building operates a shelter for women and families with children only at 400 N. Orange St starting at 9 p.m. To access Friendship House’s Code Purple, individuals must register for location and details. To register, call 302-652-8033 or visit 720 N. Orange St., Wilmington, between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Newark: Friendship House has declared Code Purple for Monday and Tuesday nights. To access Friendship House’s Code Purple, individuals must register for location and details. To register, call 302-544-0165 or visit 62 E. Delaware Ave., between 1 and 3:30 p.m.

Middletown: Friendship House has declared Code Purple for Monday and Tuesday nights. To access Friendship House’s Code Purple, individuals must register for location and details. To register, call 302-416-0982 or visit 44 W. Main St., Middletown between 9 and 11:30 a.m.

KENT COUNTY

Code Purple Kent County has ongoing sanctuaries (hotline is 1-800-733-6816 or www.codepurplekentcounty.com), with check-in beginning at 5:30 p.m. and check-out at 8 a.m. The sites:

Men: Peoples Church, 46 S. Bradford St. Dover.

Women and children: Maranatha Life Changing Church, 1235 E. Division St., Dover.

SUSSEX COUNTY

Western Sussex: Code Purple shelters are housed in churches, with a central location for an evening meal. For more information call the hotline at302-519-0024 or visit codepurplesussexcounty.com

For men: Church of God, 425 Stein Highway, Seaford. Check-in is at 8 p.m. and check-out is at 7 a.m.

For women: Grace Seaford Church, 805 Atlanta Road, Seaford. Check-in is from 8:30-9 p.m. and check-out is at 7 a.m.

For men: Avenue United Methodist Church, 20 N. Church Ave., Milford. Check-in is from 8:30-9 p.m. and check-out is at 7 a.m.

For women, with or without children: Milford Nazarene, 11 NW Salevan Place, Milford. Check-in is from 8-9 p.m. and check-out is at 7 a.m.

Eastern Sussex: This Code Purple location operates all winter at the former Troop 7 Building, 18006 Coastal Highway, Lewes. Shelter hours are 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. To reserve a spot, call:
• 8 a.m.-2 p.m.: 302-269-7050
• After 2 p.m.: 302-519-0024

As the evening hours approach, and surface temperatures continue to drop and frozen precipitation remains, the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) is advising against unnecessary travel due to the likelihood of icy road conditions across the state.

DelDOT crews continue to salt primary roads, however, freezing rain is more difficult to treat than snow. Freezing rain dilutes the effectiveness of salt faster than snow and can cause the road surface to rapidly freeze. Examples of primary roads across the state are I-95, Route 1, Route 9, Route 13, Route 26, Route 113 and Route 404.

Untreated secondary and local roads will likely be icy and caution is advised for anyone who must travel. Black ice can form instantly and create hazardous driving conditions.

Please stay tuned to your local forecast and further updates from DelDOT regarding this storm.

The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) continues to prepare for the arrival of a statewide snow event. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for New Castle County from 7:00 a.m. Sunday to 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, and Winter Storm Watch for Kent County and Sussex County from 10:00 a.m. Sunday to 10:00 a.m. Tuesday.

DelDOT has brined roads across the state and prepared equipment ahead of the approaching storm and will be bringing in staff beginning Sunday morning to continue preparations.

At this time, DART also plans to operate fixed route and paratransit bus services as scheduled on Sunday, January 31.

The DelDOT snow plow tracker will be active during the storm and is available via the DelDOT smartphone app and www.deldot.gov under the interactive maps icon.