The third snowstorm of this week is expected to mostly miss Delaware to the south, but forecasters are monitoring a potential ice storm for this weekend.
Smyrna led Delaware with 5.5 inches of snow from the storm that started Wednesday night and continued into midday Thursday, but with the front that sparked that storm having shifted just south of the First State, less an an inch of snow is expected in Sussex County, with flurries or a coating expected north of Milford, according to the National Weather Service.
It's not missing by much though, as much of the Virginia part of Delmarva could receive 2-3 inches of snow Thursday night, according to the NWS.
Friday is expected to be cloudy and sub-freezing, but dry, with temperatures maybe cracking 30, and wind chills in the teens and 20s.
That will set the scene for another area of low pressure to work from the southwest, and with the combination of a strong high pressure over Ontario and the warm air coming in from the south, the concern for Saturday isn't snow, but ice.
The NWS Weather Prediction Center is saying the best chance of receiving a quarter inch of ice or more will run from Southwest Virginia up into the Philadelphia area, including a large chunk of Northern Delaware.
They hint that ice accumulation on trees, power lines, and roads could lead to power outages and tricky travel Saturday afternoon into Sunday.
Southern Delaware may see the cold air near the surface scour out enough to get above freezing, keeping the rain from turning to ice upon contact with the ground.
The NWS says the chance of this is still not strong enough to issue any Winter Storm Watches or Ice Storm Watches, but they are possible.
If that's not enough, a fifth winter weather system could approach the area Monday into Tuesday, before yet another system on Wednesday or Thursday, that might finally come as temperatures safely are above freezing.
Since midnight Thursday, Wilmington officially received 3 inches of snow at the New Castle Airport -- 0.7 fell Wednesday evening -- bringing the city up to 11.3 inches officially for the season. That's still below the to-date average of 12.8.
