DELMARVA - Early Wednesday morning should be calm and relatively mild for mid-January standards, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the upper 30s. A southwest wind near 10 mph could gust up to 20 mph.
Cloud cover is expected to increase through Wednesday, but most of the day should stay dry. Highs are forecast near 54 degrees with southwest winds around 5 to 10 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Conditions change late Wednesday night. Forecasters call for a slight chance of rain developing between about 10 p.m. and 1 a.m., followed by rain becoming likely and possibly mixing with snow as colder air arrives. Overnight lows are expected near 26 degrees. Winds are forecast to shift from southwest to northwest after midnight, with gusts up to 25 mph. Any accumulation in Sussex County is expected to be minor, with less than a half-inch of snow possible.
Even if precipitation tapers before sunrise Thursday, the bigger concern could be the rapid temperature drop. With colder air moving in behind the system, wet pavement that does not dry could freeze toward early Thursday morning, potentially creating slick spots on untreated roads, bridges and overpasses.