Milton · Weather, flooding and hazards

Milton, Delaware: weather, flooding and hazards

Weather, climate, flooding and hazards in Milton, 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 Milton

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

How much snow does Milton get per year?

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

Is Milton in a flood zone?

Part of Milton 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 33 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 Milton 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 Milton 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 Milton on?

Milton grew around mills at the head of navigation of the Broadkill River, per the Delaware Public Archives. Source: archives.delaware.gov.

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

The 2020 Census Gazetteer lists Milton at 1.786 square miles of land and 0.1 square miles of water. Elevation at the Census center point is about 33 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 Milton?

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

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

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

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

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

Which month is wettest and which is driest in Milton?

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

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

At what tide level does flooding start in Milton?

The National Weather Service Mount Holly Sussex County tide table, updated May 2016, says flooding begins in Milton along the Broadkill River at 6.6 feet above MLLW on the Lewes tide gauge. The table uses the Lewes gauge as the reference gauge for the county. Source: weather.gov.

Where was Delaware's record 24-hour rainfall measured?

The Delaware Climate Office, citing NOAA, lists the state's highest 24-hour rainfall as 12.48 inches at Harbeson on September 28 to 29, 2016. Sussex County's Medic 111 station in Milton lists Harbeson among its primary coverage areas. Source: climate.udel.edu, sussexcountyde.gov.

Where does DelDOT's coastal evacuation plan send traffic near Milton?

DelDOT's February 2023 Sussex County evacuation annex routes Lewes evacuees west on Route 16 toward Milton and Ellendale. It lists Route 16 from SR 1 to the Maryland line among the primary evacuation routes. Source: deldot.gov.

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

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.

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

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. Milton is one of the plan's participating jurisdictions, with its own annex. Source: bridgeville.delaware.gov.

Is Milton 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 Milton separately. Source: weather.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.