This story has been updated.
DOVER — Old Man Winter will hit Delaware even harder this weekend.
There is some light snow expected the morning of Feb. 7, but extremely cold temperatures and high winds will be bigger concerns.
AccuWeather meteorologist Adam Douty said the public should take precautions — limiting time outside and keeping skin covered. There’s a higher chance of frostbite and hypothermia if warnings aren’t heeded, he added, because “the wind removes heat from the body faster.”
Kent and Sussex counties will likely see light snow early Feb. 7, with a total accumulation of less than an inch.
Along with the snow, the arctic front will move through and numb the area.
AccuWeather predicted that Dover could see one of the coldest days of the winter, with 45-mph winds in tandem with a real-feel low of 2.
The National Weather Service added that the wind chill could reach as low as minus 6 the afternoon of Feb. 7 and minus 11 that night.
High-wind and extreme-cold warnings were issued for that day, as well.
“We are very concerned about the potential for power outages to coincide with some of the coldest air we’ve experienced this winter as temperatures plummet into the single digits,” a post from the NWS notes.
The service’s regional office, in Mount Holly, New Jersey, covers Delaware, southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.
“The magnitude of winds we are forecasting typically produce anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand power outages in our area,” the post states. “Please take this cold seriously!”
Along the coast, there’s a gale warning. Also, NWS forecasters said moderate to heavy freezing spray is expected from 6 a.m. Feb. 7 through 6 a.m. Feb. 8.
Large areas of the Delaware River and the Delaware Bay have ice concentrations of 10%-70% at this time, the report continues. The conditions worsen to the north.
Meanwhile, ice has disrupted Cape May-Lewes Ferry operations this week. Its schedule noted that Feb. 7’s morning crossing had been canceled.
Will it warm up?
Below-normal temperatures will linger through the beginning of next week. On Feb. 10, the high will be in the 30s, and it will reach the low 40s the following day.
Looking ahead to Feb. 13-19, the National Weather Service is forecasting above-average temperatures. Normal highs range from the low 30s to the upper 40s.
Still on ice
On Feb. 6, the city of Dover issued a statement to residents on social media.
“We are receiving a high influx of calls regarding snow covered sidewalks,” it reads. “We have also received ‘areas of concern’ as well that parents have submitted to local school officials, where students are having to walk into the streets and parents feel it is dangerous. We agree but we willfully postponed enforcement for a couple of weeks due to the brutal temps and our own inability to clear the roads of the ice.”
Officials went on to urge citizens to remove at least some of the snow and ice from their sidewalks, stating that doing so will “help make a difference and allow for a safer route for people to walk.”
“We also know that the snowplows made some very large ‘mountains’ of snow — no we do not expect anyone to be able to clear a 6-foot mountain of snow,” the statement continued.
Warmer days ahead may allow residents to do more clearing. Plus, the release noted, code enforcement officers will be out starting next week.
“So as the temperatures warm up next week, try to get out and break some of it up and get it moving to make it safer for all,” it added.
Editor-in-chief Andrew West contributed to this story.
By