Greenwood · Weather, flooding and hazards

Greenwood, Delaware: weather, flooding and hazards

Weather, climate, flooding and hazards in Greenwood, Sussex County, Delaware: 18 questions answered from NOAA, the state and other official sources.

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Questions about weather, flooding and hazards in Greenwood

What is the climate like in Greenwood, Delaware?

Using NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals from the Georgetown Delaware Coastal Airport station, the nearest of the stations we use, the average January low is 28.6 degrees F and the average July high is 87.7 degrees F. Annual precipitation averages 43.88 inches. The station is not inside Greenwood, so readings in town can differ a little, especially near the water. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

How much snow does Greenwood get per year?

The Georgetown airport normals table we use for Greenwood does not publish snowfall. The nearest station we fetched with a 1991 to 2020 snowfall normal is the Lewes station, at 10.5 inches a year. Treat that as a regional reference, not a measurement for Greenwood. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

Is Greenwood in a flood zone?

Part of Greenwood may sit in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, and the answer depends on the address, so we do not give a town-wide yes or no. The USGS elevation at the town's Census center point is about 44 feet. Look up a specific property in the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and the DNREC Delaware Flood Planning Tool. Source: msc.fema.gov, floodplanning.dnrec.delaware.gov, epqs.nationalmap.gov.

Is Greenwood in a hurricane evacuation zone?

Delaware labels hurricane evacuation zones A, B, C and D, and describes them as low-lying areas susceptible to flooding and storm surge. The state page does not list communities by zone, so we cannot say which zone Greenwood or a given address falls in. Use the Know Your Zone lookup tool or interactive map to check an address. Source: preparede.org, dema.delaware.gov.

What body of water is Greenwood on?

The Census Bureau 2020 Gazetteer lists 0 square miles of water within Greenwood town limits. We found no official source naming a river, bay or ocean that the town sits on, so we do not list one. Source: www2.census.gov.

How big is Greenwood and how high above sea level is it?

The 2020 Census Gazetteer lists Greenwood at 0.794 square miles of land and 0 square miles of water. Elevation at the Census center point is about 44 feet above sea level (USGS 3DEP), and ground height varies across town. Source: www2.census.gov, epqs.nationalmap.gov.

Which National Weather Service forecast zone covers Greenwood?

The National Weather Service (Mount Holly office) places Greenwood in forecast zone DEZ003, Inland Sussex, Delaware. This was read from the NWS point forecast page for the town's Census center point. Source: forecast.weather.gov.

How many days a year reach 90 degrees in Greenwood?

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Georgetown airport station show an average of 30.5 days a year with a high of 90 degrees F or higher, 0.5 days at 100 degrees F or higher and 110.8 days at 80 degrees F or higher. The Georgetown airport station is not inside Greenwood, so readings in town can differ a little. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

When are the last spring freeze and first fall freeze in Greenwood?

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Georgetown airport station give a 50 percent probability date of April 4 for the last spring freeze (32 degrees F or lower) and November 6 for the first fall freeze. That works out to a growing season of 217 days at the same probability level. The Georgetown airport station is not inside Greenwood, so readings in town can differ a little. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

How many freezing nights does Greenwood have in a typical year?

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Georgetown airport station show an average of 83.2 days a year with a low of 32 degrees F or lower, and 15.3 days with a low of 20 degrees F or lower. The Georgetown airport station is not inside Greenwood, so readings in town can differ a little. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

How much heating and cooling demand does Greenwood have in a year?

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Georgetown airport station list 4070.2 heating degree days and 1396.1 cooling degree days a year, which are NOAA's measures of heating and cooling demand. The Georgetown airport station is not inside Greenwood, so readings in town can differ a little. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

Which month is wettest and which is driest in Greenwood?

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 monthly normals for the Georgetown airport station show September as the wettest month at 4.54 inches and February as the driest at 2.58 inches. The Georgetown airport station is not inside Greenwood, so readings in town can differ a little. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

How is rainfall split across the seasons in Greenwood?

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Georgetown airport station list 9.06 inches of precipitation for winter (December to February), 10.78 inches for spring, 12.20 inches for summer and 11.84 inches for fall. Summer is the wettest season. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

How often does Greenwood get an inch or more of precipitation in one day?

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Georgetown airport station show an average of 11.1 days a year with 1.00 inch or more of precipitation and 2.2 days with 2.00 inches or more. The Georgetown airport station is not inside Greenwood, so readings in town can differ a little. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

What is the deepest snow Delaware has recorded, and where?

The Delaware Climate Office, citing NOAA, lists the state's greatest snow depth as 28 inches at the Greenwood 2.9 SE station on February 7, 2010. It lists the highest 24-hour snowfall as 25.0 inches at Dover on February 19, 1979. Source: climate.udel.edu.

Is Greenwood part of a StormReady community?

The National Weather Service StormReady page for Delaware lists Sussex County as StormReady, along with Kent and New Castle counties. It does not list Greenwood separately. Source: weather.gov.

When did the current flood maps for the Greenwood area take effect?

DNREC's floodplain mapping page says the Kent and Sussex map updates became effective in June 2018. Flood zones depend on the address, so check a specific property in the FEMA Flood Map Service Center or the Delaware Flood Planning Tool. Source: dnrec.delaware.gov.

What does Sussex County's hazard plan rank as the biggest weather risks for Greenwood?

Sussex County's December 2022 hazard mitigation plan ranks flooding (riverine and coastal) first, hurricanes and tropical storms second, severe thunderstorms third, drought fourth and extreme heat and cold fifth. Winter storms rank seventh and tornadoes eighth. Source: bridgeville.delaware.gov.

How these answers are sourced

Every answer on this page cites an official or primary source, such as the town, a state agency, NOAA or the institution itself. Answers SussexCounty.ai could not confirm from a primary source are left out until they can be.