Georgetown, Del. (11 a.m. Mon., March 3, 2014): Snow from the latest winter storm to affect the region this season is falling at a steady clip across Sussex County and will continue throughout much of the day, hours after a thin coating of ice set the stage for a day of hazardous travel conditions that will keep road-clearing crews busy well into the night.

A winter storm warning is in effect for Sussex County until 6 p.m. Monday. Meantime, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell’s state of emergency declaration and Level I driving advisory remain in effect cautioning motorists to avoid travel today, if possible.

National Weather Service forecasters predict slightly lower snowfall totals, a widespread 6 to 8 inches, than what had initially been anticipated. Still, a half-foot of snow, combined with a pre-dawn mix of sleet and freezing rain, will be enough to make roads treacherous until Delaware Department of Transportation crews can clear them.

“The public needs to take this seriously and heed the advice to avoid travel. So far, we’ve had more than 30 accidents, mostly minor,” said Sussex County Emergency Operations Center Director Joseph Thomas. “It’s still early, and a lot can happen, but let’s keep our fingers crossed that this is the worst of it and the storm’s bark is worse than its bite.”

For the latest on road closures, visit the DelDOT website at www.deldot.gov. To view a map of power outages, visit Delmarva Power at www.delmarva.com and the Delaware Electric Cooperative at www.delaware.coop.

For updates on the storm or any emergency response, stay tuned to local media outlets, and be sure to follow the County’s Facebook and Twitter feeds, www.facebook.com/SussexCountyDE, twitter.com/sussexde_govt and twitter.com/SussexCtyDE_EOC. For non-emergency storm-related questions, contact the EOC’s storm hotline at (302) 856-7366.

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