Winter Storm in Anne Arundel, Maryland

Low pressure off Cape Hatteras rapidly intensified late on the 24th and developed into a nor'easter which tracked northward along the Eastern Seaboard on the 25th. Very heavy snow and near-blizzard conditions were seen throughout the day east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, resulting in extremely hazardous travel conditions. Wind gusts of up to 45 MPH were recorded and several roads were drifted shut by blowing snow. Snow drifts of 4 to 5 feet were common. Numerous traffic accidents were reported and most airports and transit systems were shut down. A 74-year-old man found sitting next to a building in Annapolis died from hypothermia. Another man in Prince George's County died of a heart attack after shoveling snow. In Anne Arundel County, at least 5 people died from heart attacks after shoveling snow and 20 people were treated for back injuries. A pedestrian was killed in Baltimore County after slipping under a tow truck. One man in Howard County was treated for lacerations from a snow blower accident. Several people were treated for injuries sustained in car accidents and broken bones and sprains from slips and falls. The governor of Maryland declared a state of emergency as the storm battered the area. Snowfall totals ranged from about 1 inch in Central Washington County to 20 inches near the Chesapeake Bay. A new daily snowfall total of 10.3 inches was set at Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) on the 25th. Storm total snowfall included 14.9 inches at BWI, 17.0 inches in Annapolis, 16.5 inches in Hollywood, 14.0 inches in Westminster, 13.5 inches in Oxon Hill, 11.5 inches in Gaithersburg, 12.0 inches in Waldorf, 17.0 inches in Baltimore, 11.5 inches in Columbia, 14.0 inches in Bel Air, 9.0 inches in Frederick, 13.5 inches in Hagerstown, and less than 1 inch in Frostburg and Cumberland.