Winter Storm in Maryland, January 9, 1997

A winter storm spread a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain across portions of western Maryland during the daylight hours of the 9th. Three to 5 inches of snow and sleet fell over the western Piedmont and Potomac highlands before precipitation changed to freezing rain.The event was the result of subtropical moisture rapidly overrunning a dome of cold air, causing a period of moderate snow and sleet. A secondary wave of low pressure developed along the North Carolina coast, locking cold air in place over inland areas.Precipitation had an immediate impact on the morning commute, causing numerous fender-benders and several accidents. Two indirect deaths occurred in Washington Co (MDZ003) when a couple was killed near Hagerstown after their late-model sedan collided head-on with a pickup truck. A man was struck by a careening car in Cumberland (MDZ002) along federal highway 220. Another notable accident involved a Georgia-Pacific transport trailer and a trash hauler in Frederick Co (MDZ004). This accident briefly shut state route 85 when nearly 100 gallons of diesel fuel spilled into Ballenger Creek.The changeover to mixed precipitation, combined with widespread road treatments, allowed for a more benign evening commute. Residential roads remained treacherous until the following day, when afternoon temperatures rose well above freezing.