Maryland, 1998

Cold in Maryland, March 11 to 13, 1998

March 11 to 13, 1998 · NWS LWX · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

A series of cold fronts ushered in only the second arctic air mass of the winter of 1997/98. The unseasonably cold air, arriving on the heels of a mild and wet February, may have caused some damage to peach crops in Maryland orchards, especially on the coastal plain.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 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
$18,000
Events
14

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 LWX wrote it up.

A series of cold fronts ushered in only the second arctic air mass of the winter of 1997/98. The unseasonably cold air, arriving on the heels of a mild and wet February, may have caused some damage to peach crops in Maryland orchards, especially on the coastal plain. The combination of mild and moist conditions earlier in the winter not only led to accelerated bud growth, but may have decreased the resistance of fruit trees to the hard freeze. In addition to the possible peach damage, early blooming plums and some apricots sustained moderate to heavy damage.The coldest morning, March 13, produced temperatures as low as the low to mid teens across the northern tier of the state. Minimum temperatures on the 11th and 12th averaged in the upper teens to lower 20s; daytime maxima held in the 30s on the 11th and 12th, with some areas (mainly higher terrain over far northern and western sections) failing to rise above freezing for the first time since January 1.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Allegany

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Allegany forecast zone

Cold/Wind Chill, Washington

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Coordinates
39.604, -77.814 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Frederick

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Frederick forecast zone
Coordinates
39.472, -77.398 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Carroll

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Carroll forecast zone
Crop damage
$3,000
Coordinates
39.563, -77.022 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Baltimore

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Northern Baltimore forecast zone
Coordinates
39.443, -76.616 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Harford

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Harford forecast zone

Cold/Wind Chill, Montgomery

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Montgomery forecast zone
Crop damage
$3,000

Cold/Wind Chill, Howard

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Howard forecast zone
Crop damage
$3,000

Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Baltimore / Baltimore (C)

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Southern Baltimore / Baltimore (C) forecast zone
Coordinates
39.367, -76.614 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Prince Georges

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Prince Georges forecast zone
Crop damage
$3,000
Coordinates
38.830, -76.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Anne Arundel

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Anne Arundel forecast zone
Coordinates
38.994, -76.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Charles

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Charles forecast zone
Crop damage
$3,000
Coordinates
38.474, -77.013 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, St. Mary'S

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
St. Mary'S forecast zone
Crop damage
$3,000
Coordinates
38.216, -76.529 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Calvert

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Calvert forecast zone
Crop damage
$3,000
Coordinates
38.535, -76.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill
Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Maryland in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Maryland, March 1998

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5633239, 5633240, 5633241, 5633242, 5633243, 5633244, 5633245, 5633246, 5633247, 5633248, 5633249, 5633250, 5633251, 5633252.