Wilmington, DE – Delaware may experience a mix of cold rain and marginal wintry weather during the Thanksgiving travel period, as new long-range outlooks show a near-normal precipitation pattern, leaving the state with a 50–50 chance of seeing a brief wintry mix between November 23 and November 29.
According to the Climate Prediction Center’s 8–14 Day Outlook released Saturday, Delaware sits between colder air settling across the interior Northeast and milder maritime influence from the Atlantic. This borderline setup makes storm-track timing critical, as small shifts may determine whether the holiday week brings only rain—or a short window of mixed precipitation.
Northern Delaware—including Wilmington, Newark, Pike Creek, and Hockessin—holds the strongest potential for brief wintry weather. Temperatures in this region may drop close to freezing during overnight hours, creating a narrow window for a rain–snow mix if incoming systems pass close to the Mid-Atlantic shoreline.
Central Delaware—including Dover, Smyrna, and Milford—sits firmly in the middle of the 50–50 zone. Cold rain is the most likely outcome, though a short period of mixed precipitation cannot be ruled out if slightly colder air dips south during the middle or late part of the week.
Southern Delaware—including Georgetown, Millsboro, Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, and Fenwick Island—leans heavily toward rain. Warm Atlantic influence keeps temperatures elevated, reducing the chance of snow even in borderline setups.
Travel impacts remain possible regardless of precipitation type. Thanksgiving week brings heavy volume along I-95, DE-1, and US-13, where steady rainfall and low visibility may slow traffic. Should any mixed precipitation develop in the northern part of the state, brief slick spots could form during early-morning hours.
Forecasters expect sharper clarity early next week as short-range models begin resolving individual storm systems and temperature profiles.
