Heavy Snow, Inland Sussex
- When
- January 20, 4:00 AM EST to 10:30 PM EST
- Where
- Inland Sussex forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 38.683, -75.339 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow in Delaware, January 20, 2000
A pair of low pressure systems, one that moved from the Northern Plains into western Pennsylvania before dissipating and a second one that developed near Wilmington, North Carolina the morning of the 20th produced a steady, heavy snow across most of Delaware. This was the first widespread accumulating snow of the winter season.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 30
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 3
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS PHI wrote it up.
A pair of low pressure systems, one that moved from the Northern Plains into western Pennsylvania before dissipating and a second one that developed near Wilmington, North Carolina the morning of the 20th produced a steady, heavy snow across most of Delaware. This was the first widespread accumulating snow of the winter season. The low intensified, but moved offshore relatively quickly. This prevented substantial accumulations from occurring. Enough warm air arrived at the coast to have precipitation fall as a snow and rain mixture. Accumulations along the shore were around an inch. Precipitation began between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. EST on the 20th and fell at a steady rate throughout the day. The precipitation ended by midnight. Aside from the shore, accumulations across the state averaged between 3 and 6 inches. The snow caused many orthopedic injuries (fractured ankles and wrists) from nasty spills. Over a dozen people were also injured from sledding accidents. About two dozen traffic accidents were reported. Schools were closed on Thursday (the 20th) in Kent and Sussex Counties. The heavy snow forced the postponement of Governor Tom Carper's State of the State Address. It was estimated the clean-up from this storm cost the state about 1.1 million dollars. Accumulations included 6 inches in Wyoming (Kent County), 5.5 inches in Dover (Kent County) and Harbeson (Sussex County), 5.0 inches in Hockessin (New Castle County), Laurel (Sussex County) and Delmar (Sussex County), 4.5 inches in Camden (Kent County) and Newark (New Castle County) and 2.7 inches at the New Castle County Airport.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Snow, Kent
- When
- January 20, 4:00 AM EST to 10:30 PM EST
- Where
- Kent forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.096, -75.505 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, New Castle
- When
- January 20, 4:00 AM EST to 10:30 PM EST
- Where
- New Castle forecast zone
- Injuries
- 30 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.578, -75.639 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Heavy Snow
- Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Cold in South Carolina, January 20, 2000
- Heavy Snow in New York, January 20, 2000
- Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, January 20, 2000
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Virginia, January 20, 2000
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Maryland, January 20, 2000
- Winter Storm in North Carolina, January 20, 2000
- Heavy Snow in New Jersey, January 20 to 21, 2000
- Heavy Snow in New York, January 20 to 21, 2000
- Heavy Snow in North Carolina, January 20, 2000
- Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, January 20, 2000
- Heavy Snow in Ohio, January 20, 2000
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in West Virginia, January 20, 2000
More
Every storm in Delaware in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Delaware, January 2000
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5130309, 5130310, 5130311.