**UPDATED 6:30 a.m. Thu., March 5, 2015**

Georgetown, Del. (4:30 p.m. Wed., March 4, 2015): Less than three weeks from the official start of spring, another bout of winter weather is on the horizon for Sussex County, which could pick up a heavy 4 to 8 inches of snow – just as snow and ice from the last major storm has nearly melted away.

A low-pressure system in the Southeast continues to press toward the East Coast, spreading a wide swath of snow, sleet and rain from New England to Texas. While Sussex County has experienced rain and milder temperatures at the onset of the storm, cold air will dip down into the mid-Atlantic region by Thursday morning, turning the moisture to an all-snow event that could pile up as much as 6 inches in spots. A winter storm warning is in effect for Sussex County from 3 a.m. until 7 p.m. Thursday, March 5. Meantime, County government offices are closed Thursday due to winter weather.

National Weather Service forecasters predict snowfall totals of generally 4 to 6 inches of snow throughout the county by Thursday evening. It will begin as rain, transitioning to sleet and freezing rain, before turning to all snow sometime Thursday morning. Meantime, temperatures will hover in the low 30s early Thursday morning before falling throughout the day to an overnight low in the teens, making roads, walkways and other surfaces slick and treacherous.

“Yet again, winter continues its grip and promises to leave behind snow-covered roads, possible power outages, and the general inconveniences that come with these types of events,” said Sussex County Emergency Operations Center Director Joseph Thomas. “People should prepare now for the wintry weather ahead, avoid unnecessary travel, if possible, on Thursday, and continue to monitor forecasts and conditions throughout.”

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, www.facebook.com/SussexCountyEOC, www.twitter.com/sussexde_govt and www.twitter.com/SussexCtyDE_EOC.