Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Delaware, February 8, 1997

The heaviest snow of the winter season for most of Delaware fell throughout the day on the 8th. Snow started just before sunrise on the 8th and fell at a fairly steady clip throughout the day. The snow ended during the evening hours. The snow was mixed with rain at times in Sussex County, especially toward the shore and this held accumulations down in the county. Accumulations were fairly uniform in Kent and New Castle Counties and averaged 4 to 6 inches. The highest accumulations (around 6 inches) occurred with a band of heavier snow that passed across Kent County. Accumulations in Sussex County ranged from 4 inches across northwest sections to less than 2 inches at the shore. Since this snow fell on a Saturday, the number of accidents was reduced. Nevertheless, the state police in New Castle County responded to over 60 accidents and disabled vehicles. In Kent County, the state police responded to over a dozen accidents and several disabled vehicles - a couple skidded into ditches. In Sussex County, a few accidents were reported during the evening of the 8th as temperatures dropped below the freezing mark.The low pressure system responsible for the heavy snow initially formed in the western Gulf of Mexico on the 7th. By the morning of the 8th, there were three separate centers, over Georgia, western North Carolina and near Cape Hatteras. These combined into one by the afternoon of the 8th. The low though moved fairly quickly out to sea. By 7 a.m. EST on the 9th, it was already about 500 miles eastnortheast of the Delaware Coast. While its storm track placed the band of heaviest snow across Delmarva and Southern New Jersey, its fast movement prevented heavier accumulations from occurring.