The 6 Coldest Places in Delaware Will Chill You to Your Core

Delaware is a relatively small state. In fact, it’s the second smallest state in the entire country. It has only three counties, with just over a million residents.

Despite being relatively small, you may be surprised by how much the temperature varies from place to place! Since it’s a northeastern state, most places in Delaware are pretty chilly. However, some are much colder than others!

This guide will explain exactly what places in Delaware are the coldest on average. Of course, some variances do exist, not averages will give us an accurate depiction of each area’s temperature.

1. Newark, Delaware

On average, Newark is one of the coldest places in Delaware. It is one of the most northern cities in the state, making it one of the coldest, as well. This city is relatively small but home to the University of Delaware. Its population is around 32,000 people, making it a small city.

Newark frequently experiences colder temperatures than the rest of the state, largely because it is more northern. Its proximity to the rest of the continent also leaves it open to harsher continental air. It often experiences early frosts and later thaws.

The average winter temperature is 34°F, which is about 2 degrees colder than more southern parts of the state.

2. Milford

Milford is very similar to Newark in terms of climate. It is also in the northern portion of Delaware. Therefore, you can expect it to get colder than other areas in Delaware. The inland location also allows for greater heat loss during the night, allowing the average nightly temperature to be much lower than in other areas.

The average winter temperature is around 34°F in the winter. That’s the same are Newark, but it is a bit colder than the rest of the state.

3. Towns Around White Clay Creek State Park

This state park produces its own “microclimate” due to how heavily forested it is. The dense forest cover prevents the ground from becoming heated and allows more heat dissipation. Therefore, towns like Hockessin, Greenville, and Newark South tend to be colder than the rest of the state.

However, these facts vary a bit. There are often colder pockets of air that tend to linger longer, but these may only exist in valleys and low-lying areas. These towns may also see frost and snow accumulation earlier.

4. Towns along the Delaware River

Delaware’s western border is along the Delaware River, which creates another microclimate. While the river’s presence can also moderate the temperature (due to heat release by the river), the prevailing northeastern winds can make things chilly. Towns like New Castle and Claymont tend to be the most affected.

The northeastern winds bring colder air from the Great Lakes region, which tends to be very chilly compared to Delaware. The towns away from the river can be affected too, be the Delaware River tends to make the effects greater.

5. Millsboro

Millsboro, a town in Deleware, is not known for experiencing extremely cold temperatures. However, it holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in the state. On January 17, 1893, the temperature dropped to -17°F, which was an exceptionally low reading even for that time. It’s worth noting that this was a rare occurrence, and Millsboro typically has milder weather.

This record was approximately 5 degrees colder than Newark’s coldest temperature and around 6 degrees colder than Milford’s lowest temperature.

Strangely enough, Millsboro also has the warmest temperature ever recorded in Delaware. It reached 110 degrees on July 21, 1930. It seems that this town is just more prone to extreme temperatures in both directions.

6. Wilmington

While not as cold as some of the other areas on this list, it does get fairly chilly in the winter. It sits along the Christina River, which does help to reduce the amount of extreme weather it gets. The average lows in the winter are in the mid-20s, which is just a bit higher than more northern areas we’ve explored.

Of course, this city has a pretty high popularity of over 70,000 people. It is the largest city in Delaware, though it still isn’t huge compared to cities in other states.

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