Snow, sleet, empty streets, and...pizza

LEWES, Del. - A snowy morning in coastal Delaware didn't last long in Lewes. By midday, fresh flakes turned into a wintry mix, and by nightfall, it was flat-out pouring rain. 

In each phase of that stormy weather, most of the people who live in the First Town in the First State seemed happy to be first to the couch, avoiding the weather completely. 

Second Street in Lewes, which is usually hopping with action on any given day, was empty. Most shops were closed, though a few die-hards did find their way around the corner to the Rose and Crown bar to watch some football.

Lewes local Russell Small told CoastTV he just needed to get out of the house. "I was home all day, and eventually, once my driveway got plowed, I was a little cabin fever, so I decided to come out and see what's up." 

After venturing out, Small says the weather was about what he expected: "I watched the weather report leading up to the storm, and I kind of figured it was going to be more rain than snow."

While most roads were car-free and most parking lots in Lewes were empty, one big exception was Nicola's Pizza. General Manager Kelly Small had her team ready and raring to go.

"It was really good, actually. We opened at 11 am, which is our normal time. We had a bare minimum staff here it was sort of on a voluntary basis. Yesterday, we set a plan in place for who could get here, who wanted to get here, so we went with what we could get in," Said Small.

The general manager says things were slow at first, but picked up just as the NFL playoff games got started. She also noted that a number of essential workers showed up today to fill their bellies.

"We had a lot of nurses who stopped in that had checked into the hotel. Beebe had them staying there so they can make their shift tomorrow, and we had a lot of plow crews come in after they were done working all day. They were very hungry, so we were happy to be here," Added Small.

The worst of the storm is now behind Delmarva, but it is expected to remain cold for the entirety of the next week, leaving some to dream of warmer days and sunnier shine.