KENT COUNTY, Del.- With temperatures plunging, all attention is focused on the roads.
Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) crews express concern over lingering snow and water remnants following the season's first snowfall.
Throughout Kent County, residents spent the day chipping away at ice on their cars, anticipating the need to repeat the process for essential outings in the coming days.
Drivers like Reed and Cameron of Smyrna report less-than-ideal road conditions.
"I've mainly been driving in four-wheel, so it's not that bad. However, when I attempt to come to a stop, it has been somewhat skid-prone on the slowdowns," explained Reed.
While much of Kent County may have dodged the worst impacts, Kevin Sipple, Public Safety Director for Kent County EMS, notes, "Most of the traffic accidents we encountered were north of Smyrna on Route 1." He adds that New Castle County bore the brunt of the weather.
"Overall, Kent County maintained a slow incident rate throughout the storm," observed Sipple. Nevertheless, he cautions that challenges may persist. As temperatures drop to the teens, the risk of black ice becomes a major concern.
"With temperatures expected to drop to a negative three-degree wind chill, it depends on the road conditions throughout the day, whether they dry out or not. We do have concerns about icy roads later tonight," Sipple emphasized.
DelDOT issues a Level One driving warning, urging people to avoid unnecessary travel. Officials also advise drivers to steer clear of overpasses and bridges, as these areas accumulate ice rapidly. They highlight that rock salt becomes less effective once temperatures dip below 15 degrees.