1500 Hours, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010: Sussex County is catching a break from the latest winter storm to affect the East Coast, as forecasters now expect less snow than originally predicted to fall over the area. But strong winds brought on by the intensifying coastal storm could pose a greater problem to trees and utility lines in the hours ahead.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for Sussex County through 1 p.m. Friday, as winds gusting up to 45 mph are possible later tonight into Friday. Meantime, forecasters have lowered snowfall projections to 1 to 3 inches of snow, down from the original forecast of 3 to 6 inches.

“This is better than the alternative, which we’re seeing up in New England with forecasts of 1 to 2 feet of snow,” Sussex County Emergency Operations Center Director Joseph L. Thomas said. “But we’re not out of the woods yet. There’s the possibility of high winds, and with the ground so saturated now from the recent rain and melting snow, that could be a recipe for downed trees and power lines.”

Emergency officials urge the public to stay prepared and to continue monitoring local forecasts. The Sussex County EOC will continue to track the storm and will issue further updates should they become necessary.

For updates, stay tuned to local media outlets, the Sussex County EOC Web site, at www.sussexcountyde.gov/emergency-preparedness, or follow along on Twitter, at twitter.com/sussexde_govt.

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Media calls should be directed to EOC spokeswoman Debra Jones at (302) 855-7801 or Sussex County Chief of Public Information Chip Guy at pio@sussexcountyde.gov.