Winter Weather in Delaware, January 8 to 9, 1999

A low pressure system developed over Texas during the morning of the 8th. A broad southwest flow of air preceding it overran a frontal boundary over the central Appalachians and spread snow into the region the morning of the 8th. Enough warm air moved in aloft to change the snow to sleet and freezing rain. Since the low pressure system tracked across western Pennsylvania, the onshore flow brought in milder air into the peninsula and changed the freezing rain to plain rain from southeast to northwest. This took the quickest (afternoon of the 8th) in Sussex County, but the longest (past midnight) in the northwest hills of New Castle County. Very little snow fell in Sussex County.Snow reached Delaware in New Castle County first around 8 a.m. EST. Snow spread south into Kent County and precipitation fell as a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain in Sussex County by 10 a.m. EST. As warmer air moved in the snow mixed with sleet and then changed over to sleet and freezing rain by the afternoon of the 8th. The change to plain rain worked its way from the Delaware Beaches from around noon on the 8th northwestward. It took until well past midnight for air temperatures to rise above freezing in northwest New Castle County. Accumulations ranged between 1 and 4 inches in Kent and Sussex Counties. Numerous accidents were reported, especially in the northern half of the state. There were over 80 accidents even before the evening rush hour. School districts dismissed the children early, mainly in New Castle County. Accumulations included 4 inches at the New Castle County Airport, 3.2 inches in Wilmington (New Castle County), 1 inch in Greenwood (Sussex County), 0.5 inches in Harrington (Kent County) and a trace in Milford (Sussex County).