Milford · Weather, flooding and hazards

Milford, Delaware: weather, flooding and hazards

Weather, climate, flooding and hazards in Milford, Sussex County, Delaware: 19 questions answered from NOAA, the state and other official sources.

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Questions about weather, flooding and hazards in Milford

What is the climate like in Milford, 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 Milford, so readings in town can differ a little, especially near the water. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

How much snow does Milford get per year?

The Georgetown airport normals table we use for Milford 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 Milford. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

Is Milford in a flood zone?

Part of Milford 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 21 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 Milford 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 Milford 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 Milford on?

Milford sits on both sides of the Mispillion River, which the Delaware Public Archives history also calls Mispillion Creek. North Milford is in Kent County and South Milford is in Sussex County. Source: archivesfiles.delaware.gov.

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

The 2020 Census Gazetteer lists Milford at 9.853 square miles of land and 0.087 square miles of water. Elevation at the Census center point is about 21 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 Milford?

The National Weather Service (Mount Holly office) places Milford 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 Milford?

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 Milford, so readings in town can differ a little. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

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

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 Milford, so readings in town can differ a little. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

How many freezing nights does Milford 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 Milford, so readings in town can differ a little. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

How much heating and cooling demand does Milford 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 Milford, so readings in town can differ a little. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

Which month is wettest and which is driest in Milford?

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 Milford, so readings in town can differ a little. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

How often does Milford 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 Milford, so readings in town can differ a little. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

At what tide level does flooding start in Milford?

The National Weather Service Mount Holly Sussex County tide table, updated May 2016, says flooding begins in Milford along the Mispillion River at 6.8 feet above MLLW on the Lewes tide gauge. The table uses the Lewes gauge as the reference gauge for the county. Source: weather.gov.

Do tides on the Mispillion River near Milford run earlier or later than at Lewes?

The National Weather Service says high tides occur about 25 minutes later at the Mispillion River, at the north end of Sussex County, than at the Lewes gauge. Low tides occur around 50 minutes later. Source: weather.gov.

What are the highest tides on record at the Lewes gauge that NWS uses for Milford?

The National Weather Service Mount Holly Sussex County tide table, updated May 2016, lists the highest Lewes gauge readings as 9.3 feet above MLLW on January 23, 2016, 9.2 feet on March 6, 1962, 8.8 feet on January 4, 1992 and 8.7 feet on October 29, 2012 during Post-Tropical Cyclone Sandy. NOAA's own Lewes datum record also lists its observed maximum on January 23, 2016. Source: weather.gov, api.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov.

Does DelDOT's coastal evacuation plan route traffic toward Milford?

Yes. DelDOT's February 2023 Sussex County evacuation annex says Lewes evacuees head west on US 9 toward Georgetown, then north on SR 1 toward Milford, or west on Route 16 toward Milton and Ellendale. The annex says evacuations should be complete before gale-force winds of 34 knots (39 mph) arrive. Source: deldot.gov.

Is Milford 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 Milford separately. Source: weather.gov.

When did the current flood maps for the Milford 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.

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.