Delaware

A bomb cyclone may develop this weekend. How will it impact Delaware?

Published

3 weeks ago

January 28, 2026

Press Room

A bomb cyclone may develop this weekend. How will it impact Delaware?

Delaware will need to start shoveling again this weekend, especially in Sussex County.

A nor’easter will start moving up the coast late this week and interact with the cold air hitting the eastern part of the country, potentially causing a bomb cyclone. The storm, named Winter Storm Gianna by The Weather Channel, is still hard to predict as specific details remain uncertain.

According to the National Weather Service’s 4 p.m. update, there is confidence a coastal storm will impact parts of Delaware this upcoming weekend with strong winds and coastal flooding. However, it’s still too early to determine other impacts such as snowfall.

Delaware snow forecasts

Here’s a look at the range of snow forecasts for Delaware this weekend.

National Weather Service: The forecast is calling for snow starting Saturday, Jan. 31, in Sussex County and continuing through Sunday. The chance of getting 4 inches of snow in Sussex County is 50% to 60%. The chance of getting 4 inches of snow in Kent County is 40% to 50%, and the chance of getting 4 inches of snow in New Castle County is 40%.
AccuWeather: The forecast is calling for snow to start in the First State at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, and run until 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1. Sussex County is expected to get 6 to 10 inches of snow. Kent County is expected to get 3 to 6 inches of snow. New Castle County is expected to get 1 to 3 inches of snow.
The Weather Channel: The forecast is calling for the snow to mostly miss Delaware. Georgetown is expected to receive 2 to 6 inches from Saturday, Jan. 31, to Sunday, Feb. 1. Dover is expected to receive less than an inch, and Wilmington is expected to see a few flurries.
Apple app: The forecast is calling for 2 to 3 inches of snow on Sunday, Feb. 1, in Sussex County.

What is a bomb cyclone?

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a bombogenesis, or bomb cyclone, is a mid-latitude cyclone that rapidly or explosively intensifies over a 24-hour period. The storm’s central pressure usually has to drop 24 millibars in 24 hours.

Also known as a winter hurricane, the storm is capable of producing blizzard conditions, heavy rains and strong winds.

Delaware weather: ‘Bitterly cold’ temps preserve ice, snow – and school snow days

What is a nor’easter?

According to the National Weather Service, a nor’easter is a strong low-pressure system that affects the Mid-Atlantic and New England states. They produce heavy snow, rain, and tremendous waves that can cause beach erosion and structural damage. Wind gusts associated with these storms can exceed hurricane-force intensity.

A nor’easter gets its name from the northeasterly winds blowing in from the ocean.

How to prepare for winter weather

Here are a few tips to prepare for the cold weather.

Stock up on snow removal supplies. Add rock salt or ice melt, space heaters and snow shovels to your snow preparation arsenal.
Make sure your snowblower is working. There’s nothing worse than having heavy snow and finding out your snowblower isn’t working. Before the storm hits, do a test run or take it in for a tune-up.
Clean the gutters. Remove all dead leaves and other debris so that your gutters can do what they’re intended to do – collect water from the roof and channel it down to the ground.
Inspect the roof. Repair or replace any damaged shingles or hire someone to do it for you.
Trim tree branches. Cut or trim back any trees that are close to your house.
Add more insulation. Call in a pro to check your insulation and add more where necessary.
Seal up cracks. Inspect doors and windows for drafts and seal up any openings to avoid the loss of heat and warm air.
Insulate your pipes. Frozen pipes can burst, flooding your home and yard.

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Delaware

A first in Delaware for energy-efficient affordable housing

Published

3 hours ago

February 20, 2026

Press Room

A first in Delaware for energy-efficient affordable housing

The first homes in Delaware to achieve one of the nation’s highest certifications for energy-efficient design were unveiled in Dover on Feb. 19.
An open house and dedication were held for the four Phius-certified homes on North Kirkwood Street.

The first residential buildings in Delaware to achieve one of the nation’s highest certifications for energy-efficient design were unveiled in Dover on Feb. 19.

The North Kirkwood Street “passive house project” features four homes that have been certified in Phius core prescriptive design.

Phius stands for “Passive House Institute United States,” a nonprofit that trains and certifies professionals to build highly energy-efficient and healthy homes, certifies energy-efficient building products and conducts research on energy-efficient construction.

So the homes will be more affordable each month with lower utility bills – and thanks to funding help from nonprofits and governments, the homes will have a more affordable price.

The houses cost an average of about $350,000 to build, but they’re being sold for $250,000 each.

Leading the project were three nonprofits:

NeighborGood Partners, which specializes in affordable housing counseling and development, financial education and lending

Energize Delaware, which promotes clean, efficient and sustainable energy solutions with energy-saving programs, rebates and financing

New Ecology, which helps energy-efficient construction with technical assistance, testing and verification services, project coordination, education and training

NeighborGood Partners is selecting the homeowners from those enrolled in the organization’s housing counseling program, with preference to those who already live in Dover.

“I just want to recognize all the different partners that we had because it took, in this case, a village to make this happen,” said NeighborGood Partners Executive Director Karen Speakman.

Along with the groups heading the project, additional funds came from the Delaware State Housing Authority, Healthy Communities Delaware and the city of Dover including a portion of the city’s money from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

Construction was led by Green Diamond Builders with Cypress Construction and Architectural Alliance, with New Ecology overseeing the certification process.

How much energy do the homes save?

Phius-certified homes are designed to deliver healthy indoor air, consistent comfort and significantly lower utility bills to reduce monthly housing costs, according to the organization’s website.

How much lower bills?

With 1,680 square feet, 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths, the all-electric homes in Dover are designed to use about 7,500 kilowatt hours of electricity a year, about 625 kilowatt hours per month.

That’s about 30% less than what the average home uses – 10,791 kilowatt hours per year or 899.25 kilowatt hours per month, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Norm Horn, New Ecology construction project manager, outlined the key components in the energy-efficient construction including:

continuous insulation around the outside of the home, higher levels of insulation in the walls, under the floors and in the attic and “significant attention to how that insulation was installed so it works”

a thermal airtight building enclosure that requires very little energy to heat and cool

highly efficient heat pump systems for heating, cooling, the water heater and clothes dryer

dehumidifier system to control moisture

continuous mechanical ventilation with heat recovery that provides fresh, filtered air

New Ecology Chief Executive Officer Kim Stevenson said the construction techniques used in these homes help the owners in several ways.

Utility bills can spike during winter’s cold and summer’s heat if homes don’t have good insulation, good windows and doors or proper sealing around them.

“That forces families to make impossible tradeoffs between paying utility bills, rent or mortgage, food and health care,” Stevenson said.

The Phius homes can decrease monthly utility bills while also improving residents’ health with moisture control to prevent mold along with top-quality air circulation for cleaner, healthier air.

These four homes will be examples for others to follow in trying to make homes more affordable, more energy efficient and healthier, as the nonprofits leading the effort expand the training to more builders.

Tony DePrima, Energize Delaware treasurer and former executive director, said the homes will be part of a research project, comparing data including utility bills to more typical homes to see the cost savings over time.

Energize Delaware is “trying to figure out how do we make this work for the people who need it most,” DePrima said.

Reporter Ben Mace covers real estate and development news. Reach him at rmace@gannett.com.

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Delaware

Who has the best pizza in Delaware? Is it Grotto or another shop?

Published

15 hours ago

February 19, 2026

Press Room

Who has the best pizza in Delaware? Is it Grotto or another shop?

The News Journal/Delaware Online is hosting a “Munch Madness” tournament to find Delaware’s best pizza.
Readers will nominate their favorite pizza places, and the top 42 will compete in a single-elimination bracket.
Cafe Napoli in Milltown is the reigning champion from the last tournament held in March 2023.

The hunger games are returning to Delaware, where your favorite pizza spots from all three counties across the state will step into a saucy arena, armed with lots of cheese, and not a shred of fear.

It’s been nearly three fully baked years since readers crowned Cafe Napoli in Milltown as Delaware’s best pizza place in Delaware Online/The News Journal’s annual Munch Madness tournament in March 2023.

We’re not sure if another pizzeria is worthy of a seat on the mozzarella throne of glory because (once again) that’s not our call. It’s your job to vote and ultimately crown your cheesy champion.

We’re just here to count the votes, one slice at a time.

How does the tournament work for the best pizza in Delaware?

Readers will kick things off by filling out an easy survey below, which simply requires you to provide the name and city/town of the Delaware place that makes your favorite pizza.

From there, we’ll tally up the top 64 pizza contenders for this single-elimination showdown. Each week, pizza shops will be cut in half, based on reader votes. The bracket will look like this: Round 1 (64 contestants), Round 2 (32), Round 3 (Sweet 16), Round 4 (Elite 8), Round 5 (Final 4) and Round 6 (the winner).

Now, let’s paint the town red like Ragu.

Cafe Napoli is the reigning pizza champion in Delaware

This Milltown shop on Kirkwood Highway has been in the pizza game for over 30 years, and the pizzeria hangs its hat on authentic Napoletano cuisine and Southern Italian hospitality.

Cafe Napoli was founded by four brothers: Domenico, Antonio, Pasquale and Mario. They left Italy and decided to run a winning restaurant.

Although this pizza shop is defending its throne, one bite at a time, that doesn’t mean you should leave your guard down around their mozzarella sticks. Those bad boys are light, yet they’re deceptively filling.

In 2023, during their epic Munch Madness run, General Manager Tim Widdoes, who has worked at Cafe Napoli for 30-plus years (though you’d never guess it), told us the top pizza his customers dream about.

“Our most popular would probably be the chicken bruschetta. That’s our breaded chicken, homemade bruschetta, on a white garlic pizza, topped with a little bit of ranch dressing,” Widdoes said.

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The pie is on point like a Katniss arrow aimed straight at your appetite.

“People love that pizza.”

If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters

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