Delaware

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

Published

5 months 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

Wilmington fire displaces 20, damages 6 homes on Clayton Road; cause under investigation

Published

7 hours ago

July 2, 2026

Press Room

Wilmington fire displaces 20, damages 6 homes on Clayton Road; cause under investigation

WILMINGTON, DE – The Delaware State Fire Marshal is investigating a four-alarm fire that broke out Thursday, July 2, damaging six homes and displacing 20 people on the 1500 block of Clayton Road in Wilmington.

What we know:

The fire was reported shortly after 3:00 p.m. and quickly escalated to four alarms due to the heat, according to the Delaware State Fire Marshal.

Multiple fire companies responded and found heavy fire at the rear of the residences.

Several firefighters were evaluated by EMS and New Castle County Paramedics at the scene.

One firefighter was taken to a hospital for heat exhaustion.

Deputy State Fire Marshals determined the fire started under a deck at the rear of one of the homes.

The fire displaced 20 people from their homes and required a large emergency response, highlighting the risks firefighters face during extreme weather.

The American Red Cross is providing support to the families who lost their homes, showing the importance of community resources during emergencies.

What’s next:

The Delaware State Fire Marshal’s office is continuing to investigate the cause of the fire. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

What we don’t know:

The specific cause of the fire has not been determined, and the names of the families affected have not been released.

The Source: Information from the Delaware State Fire Marshal.

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Delaware

County councilman says Newark data center plan paused after deal

Published

18 hours ago

July 2, 2026

Press Room

County councilman says Newark data center plan paused after deal

Olivia Marble
| Spotlight Delaware

A New Castle County councilman says he brokered a non-binding handshake deal to pause a data center project near Newark.
The deal depends on the county approving an exploratory plan that would grandfather the developer into previous zoning rules.
The developer, Shelbourne, has not commented on the informal agreement to consider other uses for the site.

This story was produced by Spotlight Delaware as part of a partnership with Delaware Online/The News Journal. For more about Spotlight Delaware, visit www.spotlightdelaware.org.

New Castle County Councilman Tim Sheldon says he recently brokered a handshake deal to pause a data center development project near Newark.

Sheldon, who represents the Newark area, said the deal followed private negotiations with the developer’s prominent Delaware attorney, Shawn Tucker, who told him the New York-based developer behind the project, Shelbourne, agreed to consider the Newark site for uses other than a data center. “This is my art of the deal,” Sheldon said.

But the deal is dependent on the county finalizing an approval for an exploratory plan application from the developer, which would grandfather the land into zoning rules that existed prior to this year, Sheldon said.

That means the developer would not have to follow the county’s recently-passed data center regulations if the company ultimately decides to build a data center there. Since the property’s zoning already allows data center projects, the county likely does not have the legal authority to deny that exploratory plan application. An email sent between Sheldon and Tucker, dated June 10, shows that Tucker agreed to pause the data center project under those conditions.

Neither Tucker nor Shelbourne representatives responded to requests for comment about this deal.

Last year, Shelbourne filed documents with the county that showed plans to demolish the existing White Clay Center office and industrial buildings and construct a three-building data center campus that covered about 850,000 square feet.

After the filing, the plans became wrapped into a larger community backlash in northern Delaware against the growth of the data center industry. Neighbors have voiced fears that such data centers would use too much water and energy, and be too noisy.

Sheldon’s handshake agreement is not binding, and the developer still has the legal right to build a data center.

New Castle County General Manager of Land Use David Culver said he saw the email from Tucker but has no other information.

Sheldon noted that the agreement is between him and Tucker — and not with the county as a party. He further stated that if he decides not to run for reelection in 2028 or loses to a challenger, “it may be null and void.”

“If I’m not there, there’s no promises,” Sheldon said.

Asked if he would try to secure an official county deal barring a data center on that property, Sheldon said the project is “too far in the process” and he doesn’t want to risk the progress he’s made.

He said he will instead work to find another company to lease or buy the land. He said in a text after the interview that the deal is “the best I could’ve got.”

“Nobody else has even done this much and it seems like I’m getting hammered because I did something,” Sheldon said in the text.

Sheldon said an Amtrak train maintenance site will open next door to the White Clay Center property in the next few years, and he thinks the track upgrades needed for that project could make the neighboring site more attractive for manufacturing.

Delaware Public Media reported last week that Alstom, which conducts maintenance on Amtrak’s high-speed Acela trains – will open a new facility on 1601 Ogletown Road, next to the White Clay Center office and industrial buildings.

Alstom did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

What’s the status of data centers in Delaware?

Beyond Shelbourne’s proposal, several other building projects proposed in Delaware could become data centers.

The biggest is Project Washington, a 1.2-gigawatt data center campus planned for the land just north of the Delaware City Refinery. It would use enough energy to power almost a million homes.

That plan faced a major setback in March after a state board unanimously upheld Environmental Secretary Greg Patterson’s decision that the project is not permitted under Delaware’s Coastal Zone Act, a landmark law designed to limit heavy industry along the state’s shorelines.

Developer Starwood Digital Ventures was expected to appeal that decision, but it is unclear whether it will. Representatives from Starwood did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Another potential data center plan is slated for land near the southern approach to the St. Georges Bridge off U.S. Route 13. The St. Georges project includes the land that hosts the popular Halloween attraction Frightland.

County records show plans for three distribution centers covering 3.6 million square feet on farmland, along with 150 homes.

The records say the buildings will be warehouses. But project engineer Verdantas also submitted letters to the county suggesting that the buildings could be a data center campus.

Delmarva Power filings this winter showed two other potential data center projects. But Technical.ly reported that only one of those projects is still on the table, which would be located in Harrington. City officials are still in the preliminary stages of discussions about that plan, according to the report.

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