It’s not much, but Delaware has first measurable snowfall. Dangerously cold air moves in

Saturday is the winter solstice, and parts of Delaware have already had a small, but still measurable, amount of snowfall.

For the first time since Feb. 17, 2024, measurable snowfall was reported in Delaware to the National Weather Service. Community reports of 0.1 inches of snow outside of Newark and in Smyrna are on the board after a storm brought rain and snow to the First State. That is the smallest amount of snowfall that can be recorded.

Wilmington last received measurable snowfall on that February date, but received only a trace Friday night. Parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey saw more than 5 inches from the same system.

Winter starts with cold snap

The storm ushered in dangerously cold air that will grip the Northeast for the weekend.

The temperatures are not so extreme that advisories will be issued, but it is not a good idea to stay outside for very long, said National Weather Service meteorologist Amanda Lee in Mount Holly, New Jersey.

On the night of Dec. 21, temperatures will dip, according to the weather service:

• 17 degrees in Wilmington
• 16 degrees in Dover
• 17 degrees in Georgetown

The overnight of Dec. 22 will be chillier, with temperatures dipping past the teens and wind chills in the single digits. It could plunge to:

• 10 degrees in Wilmington
• 10 degrees in Dover
• 9 degrees in Georgetown