Blizzard Buries the Beach: 12+ Inches in Ocean City, Nearly 18 by Rehoboth

ALEXANDRIA, VA – Ocean City snow totals topped 12 inches after a powerful winter storm buried parts of Delmarva under double-digit snowfall, while areas near Rehoboth approached 18 inches. Both beach towns are still digging out, with scattered snow showers tapering off later this afternoon.

While many families in Alexandria and Annapolis think of these towns as summer escapes filled with boardwalk fries and beach chairs, this week the shore looks more like a postcard from New England.

Ocean City officials said in a statement that the overnight storm “brought more than 12 inches of snowfall,” as crews worked to clear streets from the storm, prompting overnight plowing operations and travel advisories. Snow remains piled along Coastal Highway and neighborhood streets, and crews continue clearing secondary roads.

“Temperatures hovering in the 30s are slowing the melt, keeping much of the snowpack intact,” one office aide told Zebra on the phone.

“It’s still snowing!” said Jen Slack, a local Ocean photographer, who captured scenes around the town this morning. “The seagull photo is actually kind of striking to me because it’s not what we think of when we think of seagulls and Ocean City,” Slack told Zebra this afternoon. “Even as a local, it kind of caught me off guard to see all of the seagulls gathering at the inlet (where the photo was taken.) There were probably 6 dozen or so that were within a 15ft area of each other. Some were lined up on the wooden railing that I photographed, and even more were off to the right, about three feet down, resting on the jetty rocks and floating in the ocean. They were completely unbothered by the snow.”

Just north in Sussex County, Delaware — home to Rehoboth Beach — snowfall totals climbed even higher. National Weather Service reports showed 18 inches recorded near Lewes, only minutes from Rehoboth.

Photographer Ron Miller told us, “For me, a snowstorm like this is exciting. I just have this compulsion to get out in the elements and capture as many images as possible. I find Mother Nature awesome, inspirational, and spiritual.”

Conditions during the height of the storm were severe enough that Sussex County issued a Level 3 Driving Ban, warning that most roads were impassable. While restrictions have since eased, some areas remain snow-covered and drifting continues near open dune-side streets.

“This Was a Good One.”

Mike Detweiler, who lives in Laurel, Maryland, but owns a place near Rehoboth, made the drive specifically because snow was in the forecast.

“This was a good one,” Detweiler told Zebra. “I personally can only remember a bigger storm, maybe five or six years ago. I’d have to look up my old pics. Usually don’t get much snow here, so when I see it’s going to snow, I drive down for it.”

His photos show thick snow blanketing quiet coastal streets and piling along dunes — a rare sight in communities more associated with July traffic than winter drifts.

“I’m anxious to get over there to see if the snow load on my roof and deck has done any damage,” said John Rutkus, an Annapolis-area resident with a place in Ocean City. “You don’t expect to worry about structural stress when you buy a place at the beach.”For second-home owners watching from places like Alexandria and Annapolis, storms like this prompt practical questions: road access, roof load, deck clearing, and whether it’s worth driving down to check on a property.

Even with snow showers tapering off today:

• Roads may remain slick, especially in residential neighborhoods
• Roofs and decks are carrying significant snow weight
• Drifts near dunes can exceed measured totals
• Cleanup operations may continue into tomorrow

Cold air behind the storm is slowing the melt, meaning snow may linger for several days.

Snow clings to beach signage. Boardwalks sit under white powder. Dunes are reshaped by wind and drifting.

By late today, the last snow showers should move offshore. Sunshine returns tomorrow.

But for now, the beach belongs to winter.