DELMARVA - The coastal communities are headed for a cold start Thursday morning, followed by a quiet stretch of dry weather through Friday morning. Inland is expected to see areas of frost early Thursday, then partly sunny skies and afternoon highs in the upper 50s. Along the Delaware Beaches, temperatures will be cooler, with highs in the lower 50s under partly sunny skies and light east winds.
The main precaution remains the cold. The National Weather Service has issued a Freeze Warning from 10 p.m. Wednesday to 9 a.m. Thursday, warning that temperatures could fall as low as 28 degrees. The cold could kill sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing, and they advise residents to protect tender plants.
The beach communities are not included in that freeze warning. Marine influence and increasing clouds near the coast should limit frost potential there, keeping overnight lows mainly in the lower 40s Thursday night, compared with upper 30s inland, where patchy frost is expected again after midnight into early Friday.
By Friday morning, should still be dealing with patchy frost before sunshine returns. The beaches are expected to stay frost-free, with a milder start and lighter southeast winds. Conditions overall look quiet for commuters, students and outdoor workers, with no widespread rain or severe weather expected through the period.
Residents should also keep in mind that the broader weather pattern remains very dry. The Mount Holly forecast office said fire weather concerns are greatest northwest of the Interstate 95 corridor on Thursday, while areas farther south and east should see somewhat lower risk because of lighter winds and slightly higher humidity. Even so, Sussex County residents should still be cautious with outdoor burning because dry air continues across the region.
For boaters, no major marine hazard is posted for Thursday into early Friday, but seas off the Delaware coast are forecast to run 3 to 4 feet Thursday and build to 4 to 6 feet later Friday. That means small craft operators should keep an eye on changing ocean conditions heading into the end of the week, especially near the Cape Henlopen-to-Fenwick Island waters