Maryland, 1997

Heavy Snow in Maryland, February 8, 1997

February 8, 1997 · NWS PHI · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

The heaviest snow of the winter season for most of the Maryland Eastern Shore fell throughout the day on the 8th. Snow started just before sunrise on the 8th and fell at a fairly steady clip throughout the day.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS PHI wrote it up.

The heaviest snow of the winter season for most of the Maryland Eastern Shore fell throughout the day on the 8th. Snow started just before sunrise on the 8th and fell at a fairly steady clip throughout the day. The snow ended during the evening hours. Accumulations were fairly uniform and averaged 4 to 6 inches across the Eastern Shore. The highest accumulations were associated with a band of heavier snow that passed over Queen Anne's County and northern parts of Talbot and Caroline Counties. Since this snow fell on a Saturday, the number of accidents was reduced.The low pressure system responsible for the heavy snow initially formed in the western Gulf of Mexico on the 7th. By the morning of the 8th, there were three separate centers, over Georgia, western North Carolina and near Cape Hatteras. These combined into one by the afternoon of the 8th. The low though moved fairly quickly out to sea. By 7 a.m. EST on the 9th, it was already about 525 miles eastnortheast of Salisbury. While its storm track placed the band of heaviest snow across Delmarva and Southern New Jersey, its fast movement prevented heavier accumulations from occurring.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Caroline

When
February 8, 5:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Caroline forecast zone
Coordinates
38.872, -75.832 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Cecil

When
February 8, 5:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Cecil forecast zone
Coordinates
39.562, -75.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Kent

When
February 8, 5:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Kent forecast zone
Coordinates
39.236, -76.096 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Queen Annes

When
February 8, 5:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Queen Annes forecast zone
Coordinates
39.038, -76.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Talbot

When
February 8, 5:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Talbot forecast zone
Coordinates
38.749, -76.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Maryland in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Maryland, February 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5594516, 5594517, 5594518, 5594519, 5594520.