Winter Storm and Damaging Winds in Maryland, March 3 to 4, 1999

A low pressure system moved from West Virginia to Pennsylvania on the evening of the 3rd. This system produced sustained winds of 25 to 40 mph from the afternoon of the 3rd through the morning of the 4th. The strong wind forced the closure of the Bowie Freeway Airport and required officials to post high wind warning signs on Chesapeake Bay bridges. A cold front associated with the system moved through during the early evening and produced a line of thunderstorms that brought heavy rain, small hail, and wind gusts in excess of 55 mph. Washington County reported downed trees and power lines, and 2,000 power outages. In addition, a horse was struck by lightning near Hancock. Frederick County reported downed power lines and 1,600 power outages. Carroll County reported numerous branches and some trees down near Taneytown. Loose lumber was blown off a deck, sheet metal roof panels on a barn were torn off, and a chimney cap was blown off near Owings Mills in Southern Baltimore County. A church near Glen Burnie in Anne Arundel County reported shingles and facing blown off and a few trees and power lines downed, disrupting power for nearly 1,000 residents. After the cold front passed, temperatures dropped rapidly and rain turned to snow across Western and North Central Maryland. Allegany County received between 2 and 9 inches of snow, Washington County received 5 to 6 inches, Frederick County received 2 to 6 inches, Carroll County received 5 to 6 inches, Northern Baltimore County received 2 to 5 inches, Harford County received 2 to 3 inches, and Montgomery County recorded 1 to 4 inches. The combination of winds and snowfall in excess of one inch per hour across Western Maryland led to nearly blizzard conditions. Several road had to be closed temporarily, including Interstate 68 from Frostburg to the West Virginia border and Interstate 81 near Hagerstown. The significant snowfall also led to several traffic accidents during the morning of the 4th, including two collisions that closed Route 15 north of Thurmont, a 20 vehicle collision at the intersection of U.S. Route 340 and Maryland Route 17 near Brunswick which closed the road for 2 hours, and an overturned tractor trailer on Interstate 70 near the State Police barracks. In addition, several tractor trailers became disabled on Interstate 68 and 81, and several cars became disabled on Braddock Mountain along Interstate 70.