Last blast? Coastal storm brings seven inches of snow

For the second time this month, a snow storm covered the Cape Region in inches of snow over an 18-hour period.

The storm began late March 16 and lasted well into March 17 covering Sussex County in three to seven inches of snow. Kent County received between 2-5 inches and New Castle County received between one and three inches. There was a steady northeast wind at 10 to 20 mph, with gusts up to 30 mph, said the National Weather Service.

Before the first snowflake fell Sunday night, the Cape Region had already seen 20 times more snow this month than the average for March.

According to Evan Duffey, AccuWeather.com meteorologist, the normal snowfall total for March in Dover, the closest location they keep such information, is .3 inches; their records show 6.5 inches had fallen before this most recent storm.

The snow that fell on Sunday and Monday, more than doubled that percentage.

“This has been one of the snowiest Marches in Delaware,” said Duffey.

Temperatures are expected to reach the low 40s on Tuesday, so this snow should melt faster than the snow that fell at the beginning of the month, said Duffey.

He said this month has also been considerably colder than normal. From March 1 to March 16, the average temperature has been 6.1 percent below normal, which he categorized as pretty significant.

Duffey expects the unseasonably cold weather to continue for the rest of the month.

“Basically, the cold air from Canada has been willing to sink south this year,” he said. “Winter is definitely going to continue. It may not be snow, but it looks like a couple of cold rains are shaping up for the future.”

All schools in Kent and Sussex Counties were closed March 17 as were state offices.

And while many people spent another day cooped up waiting for warmed weather, some took the white stuff in stride.

Chae Sade, a bartender at Hammerheads in Dewey Beach, said the restaurant was open for business at 9 a.m. Monday.

“We might get some people for breakfast, but I think they'll come in a little later in the day,” she said. “It'll end up being a local thing because all the nonlocals left before the storm hit.”

Sade said this year's St. Patrick's Day was one of the slowest ones she can remember. Many people left early because the holiday fell on a Monday and the storm was approaching, she said.

“We were busy on Saturday, but I believe it was weather related,” she said, keeping a positive attitude though. “We're always happy with the patrons we get.”