DELMARVA - The National Weather Services in Mt. Holly, N.J. and Wakefield, Va. upgraded Winter Storm Watches for Delmarva to Winter Storm Warnings as confidence grows in a significant winter weather event on the peninsula Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday morning.
This storm will bring Delmarva's second round of snow this winter where parts of the peninsula could see 6 inches of snow or more.
Snow is expected to start early Tuesday afternoon and increase in intensity, becoming heavy at times, by the Tuesday evening commute, when we could see snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour. Similar to the snow event from January 6, the heaviest snow is expected to be on the Maryland Midshore through south-central Delaware, where 6 to 10 inches of snow could fall. Areas that see heavier snow bands could even see more.
Lesser amounts are expected north of Dover, given that these areas will be farther away from the storm. Lesser amounts are also expected south of Salisbury, as more sleet and rain is expected to mix with snow, suppressing snowfall totals. Accomack County might only see an inch or two of slushy snow. We could also see slightly lower snow totals along the immediate Atlantic Coast along Coastal Highway, as there will be a light northeasterly wind coming off the waters of the Atlantic, causing a little bit of rain to mix in with the snow.
Snow will gradually change to rain late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, with all of Delmarva seeing rain or a wintry mix by Wednesday morning.
Heavy snow is the main threat with this storm, as the snow will be of a "wet" type (the type good for making snowballs!). Folks shoveling snow should take care to lift carefully to avoid back injuries. The wet snow could also cause weakened tree limbs to snap, causing isolated power outages.
Unlike the storm in early January, this snow won't stick around for very long, as rain will continue through Thursday morning, when we'll see temperatures start to rise into the mild mid-50s. Another round of rain and mild temperatures this weekend should take care of the last of any snow. This rainfall will be beneficial in alleviating the ongoing drought situation on Delmarva.
Be sure to check out the free WBOC Weather App for the latest local conditions and forecasts during this winter storm.