As snow nears, some schools decide to close Tuesday

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DELAWARE (1/26/2015) An updated weather forecast from the National Weather Service at 10 p.m. calls for 2 to 6 inches of snow to arrive tonight and Tuesday in Delaware, with the smaller amount at the southern end and the heaviest in the northeastern part of the state.

AccuWeather predicts most of the state getting 3 to 6 inches.

State officials said late today that plans are for offices to remain open Tuesday, but a decision on any change will be made by 5:30 a.m.

A mix of rain, sleet and snow was causing slippery conditions in some areas tonight, and the Capital, Caesar Rodney, Polytech and Smyrna school districts announced they would be closed Tuesday. In advance of the storm, many schools announced early dismissals today and cancellation of after-school and evening activities.

The storm also will cause moderate flooding along the coast, forecasters say, and a rain and snow mix is causing slippery conditions on some roadways.

A coastal flood warning issued by the National Weather Service for Kent and Sussex counties is in effect from 11 tonight until 7 a.m. Tuesday, with flooded roadways and minor to moderate property damage predicted at high tide times. High tide Tuesday is at 1 a.m. on the Rehoboth Beach oceanfront and at 2 a.m. on the Delaware Bay at Lewes. High tide is later on the inland bays.

Winds gusting to 40 mph downstate and 25 mph upstate will cause drifting and reduce visibility to a quarter mile.

The snow is expected to taper off by midday Tuesday.

A blizzard warning was issued for coastal New York and New England, where this storm is expected to dump as much as 2 feet of snow with winds gusting to 55 mph.