An 'explosive' nor'easter could bring 6-12 inches of additional snow Tuesday into Wednesday

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly, N.J. has called this past weekend’s snowstorm historic after it dumped 21.5 to 26.5 inches of snow across the state.

As if that were not enough, the National Weather Service issued yet another winter storm watch on Monday, Feb. 8 for the “explosively developing nor’easter” expected to arrive Tuesday afternoon and last through Wednesday evening.

Meteorologists are predicting a potential for 6 to 12 inches of snow for the pending storm. The precipitation could possibly be heavier in New Castle County.

By Wednesday afternoon, this nor’easter is forecast to be intensifying strongly southeast of the Delmarva area, Delaware Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Rosanne Pack said. It may start out as mixed precipitation in southern Delaware and along the coast, but it is forecast to turn to all snow later in the storm.

Meanwhile, crews from the Delaware Department of Transportation continue to work to clear secondary roads, particularly in southern Kent County and all of Sussex County, DelDOT spokesman Jim Westhoff said. New Castle County crews are being sent to lower Delaware to help in the effort.

“We have moved our resources completely from the primary roads, which are passable not clear,” Westhoff said. “We need to move on to the secondary roads because there are some roads that have not been plowed. The problem is mostly in parts of Kent County and all of Sussex. There was a lot more drifting and accumulation in Sussex County.

“If we plow the secondary roads and get them to at least one passable lane, we should be able to fight through another six inches,” he said.

That should allow people to venture out to reload on groceries and the like. Otherwise, people could be stuck in their homes for a week, he added.

On Sunday, Feb. 7, the Delaware National Guard and DelDOT worked to transport some people to temporary shelters, Westhoff said. DelDOT plowed the way for Humvees transporting people who requested such service.

At this point Crew fatigue is a concern so it is rotating shifts and ordering people to go home and get at least six hours of rest, Westhoff said.

“That is a very difficult decision to make when you know there are people in their homes with no power and stuck in their homes. It wouldn’t be safe to keep them working 24 hours per day every day.”

The electric companies have made progress in restoring power, Westhoff said. However, crews from both Delaware Electric Co-Op and Delmarva Power still cannot reach many of the locations in need of repair. To assist, DelDOT has dispatched private contractors with bulldozers, tractors and plows to work directly with the electric companies, clearing the way for electric crews.

Due to the forecast, emergency management officials are also urging residents to clear snow from roofs, particularly flat roofs, Pack said. Heavy snowstorms in past years, such as the Presidents’ Day weekend storm of 2003, resulted in major accumulation on roofs and led to several roof and building collapses of commercial and residential properties.

Exhaust vents should be kept clear of snow as well, and down spouts should be cleared of any snow and ice so they can drain better.