It’s now officially winter with the coldest temperatures in two years freezing out much of the Northeast.
With the dropping temperatures brings the threat of snow as Christmas Day approaches. So, will we have a white Christmas for the first time in more than two decades?
Here’s the weather forecast:
How cold is it right now?
Early morning commuters Monday were hit with frigid temperatures that were well below freezing. In fact, many of the lows recorded Monday morning were the coldest since an “epic cold snap” nearly two years ago dropped temperatures 50 degrees in 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey.
Here’s a look at the Monday morning lows in Delaware:
- Wilmington: 12 degrees
- Dover: 14 degrees
- Bethany Beach: 22 degrees
Will it snow on Christmas?
While there’s a chance for some snow on Christmas Eve, residents in the First State shouldn’t get their hopes up for a white Christmas.
The National Weather Service is predicting a period of light wintry precipitation throughout the region Tuesday morning. This could lead to icy roads from light freezing rain with a small chance of a dusting of snow up to an inch along the Interstate 95 corridor.
However, possible snow likely will be confined to the Wilmington area with the rest of Delaware avoiding much of the ice hazard, according to the NWS.
Delaware Christmas weather forecast
Here is the forecast for Delaware, according to AccuWeather.com and it’s not looking very snowy.
- New Castle County: The forecast is calling for partly sunny skies and highs in the high 30s.
- Kent County: The forecast is calling for partly sunny skies with temperatures in the low 40s.
- Sussex County: The forecast is calling for mostly sunny skies with temperatures in the low 40s.
When was the last time Delaware had a white Christmas?
Delaware has not had a white Christmas in 22 years. In 2002, 1.3 inches of snow fell in Wilmington.
Since 2022, the conditions just haven’t aligned for snow. The First State has had precipitation some years and cold temperatures other years, but the two haven’t lined up properly.
Greg Giesen contributed to this story.