DELMARVA - A lingering coastal storm system that brought heavy winds and persistent rain to Sussex County Monday will begin to weaken late tonight, setting the stage for gradual improvement through Tuesday.
A “double-barrel” coastal low — with one center currently drifting east from Cape Fear, North Carolina, and another near the mouth of the Delaware Bay — continues to generate unsettled weather across the region. As the southern low moves out into the Atlantic overnight, the nearby system will weaken and merge with it, allowing conditions to slowly stabilize.
Gusty winds will continue through Monday evening, with coastal gusts reaching up to 45 mph before gradually easing overnight. Inland areas will see lighter winds, though gusts near 30 mph may persist into early Tuesday morning. Periods of light rain, mist, and drizzle will linger as the saturated atmosphere continues to feed precipitation back toward the coast.
Expect showers to taper off from northwest to southeast after midnight as the storm pulls away, though coastal areas could see continued drizzle into the early morning. Additional rainfall totals of 0.1 to 0.5 inches are possible, primarily near the shoreline. Overnight lows will dip into the upper 40s inland and upper 50s closer to the coast.
By Tuesday, drier air will begin filtering into Sussex County as the coastal low moves offshore. Cloud cover will be slow to break in the morning, but partial clearing and periods of sunshine are expected by mid to late afternoon. Winds will remain brisk, with occasional gusts between 20 and 30 mph. High temperatures will range from the mid-60s to low 70s.
The departing storm will give way to a cold front on Wednesday, bringing cooler, drier air and mostly clear skies. Breezy north winds and daytime highs in the upper 60s are forecast, with overnight lows dropping into the low 40s. Temperatures will remain below seasonal averages into Thursday, when highs are expected to stay in the upper 50s and lower 60s under mostly sunny skies.