Heavy Snow, Caroline
- When
- January 20, 4:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
- Where
- Caroline forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 38.872, -75.832 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow in Maryland, January 20, 2000
A pair of low pressure systems, one that moved from the Northern Plains into western Pennsylvania before dissipating and a second one that developed near Wilmington, North Carolina the morning of the 20th produced a steady, heavy snow across the Maryland Eastern Shore. This was the first widespread accumulating snow of the winter season.
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
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.
A pair of low pressure systems, one that moved from the Northern Plains into western Pennsylvania before dissipating and a second one that developed near Wilmington, North Carolina the morning of the 20th produced a steady, heavy snow across the Maryland Eastern Shore. This was the first widespread accumulating snow of the winter season. The low intensified, but moved offshore relatively quickly. This prevented substantial accumulations from occurring. Snow began during the predawn hours on the 20th and fell at a steady rate throughout the day. Snow ended during that evening. Accumulations throughout the Eastern Shore averaged between 4 and 6 inches. All Eastern Shore schools were closed on Thursday (the 20th), a few were also closed on Friday. Minor fender benders occurred and several vehicles drove into ditches, but no serious injuries were reported. Accumulations included 6 inches in Easton (Talbot County) and Centreville (Queen Anne's County), 5.5 inches in Elkton (Cecil County), 5.0 inches in Goldsboro (Caroline County) and Chestertown (Kent County).
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
5 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Snow, Cecil
- When
- January 20, 4:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
- Where
- Cecil forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.562, -75.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Kent
- When
- January 20, 4:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
- Where
- Kent forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.236, -76.096 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Queen Annes
- When
- January 20, 4:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
- Where
- Queen Annes forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.038, -76.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Talbot
- When
- January 20, 4:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
- Where
- Talbot forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- 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
- Heavy Snow in Delaware, January 20, 2000
- Cold in South Carolina, January 20, 2000
- Heavy Snow in New York, January 20, 2000
- Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, January 20, 2000
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Virginia, January 20, 2000
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Maryland, January 20, 2000
- Winter Storm in North Carolina, January 20, 2000
- Heavy Snow in New Jersey, January 20 to 21, 2000
- Heavy Snow in New York, January 20 to 21, 2000
- Heavy Snow in North Carolina, January 20, 2000
- Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, January 20, 2000
- Heavy Snow in Ohio, January 20, 2000
More
Every storm in Maryland in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Maryland, January 2000
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: 5130304, 5130305, 5130306, 5130307, 5130308.