Maryland, 2000

Ice Storm and Winter Storm in Maryland, January 30, 2000

January 30, 2000 · NWS LWX · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

Cold air was in place east of the Blue Ridge Mountains on the 29th and 30th, keeping surface temperatures below freezing. Low pressure moved from the Lower Mississippi Valley northeastward to the Mid-Atlantic region early on the 30th, creating the perfect conditions for freezing rain across South Central Maryland, a mix of sleet and snow in North Central Maryland, and moderate snowfall from…

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
None recorded
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.

Cold air was in place east of the Blue Ridge Mountains on the 29th and 30th, keeping surface temperatures below freezing. Low pressure moved from the Lower Mississippi Valley northeastward to the Mid-Atlantic region early on the 30th, creating the perfect conditions for freezing rain across South Central Maryland, a mix of sleet and snow in North Central Maryland, and moderate snowfall from Carroll County westward. Ice accumulations between 1/4 and 1 inch coated roads, trees, and power lines in St. Mary's, Charles, and Calvert Counties. Electrical outages were reported as trees and branches weighed down by ice fell onto power lines. Disruptions affected 1700 customers in Prince George's and Charles Counties, 4000 customers in Anne Arundel County, 600 customers in Baltimore, 2200 customers in Calvert County, and 4100 customers in St. Mary's County. St. Mary's County officials had to remove 60 downed trees after the storm. A mix of sleet, freezing rain, and snow fell across Prince George's and Anne Arundel Counties. Snow and sleet accumulations in this area ranged from 1 to 3 inches. Elsewhere 3 to 10 inches of snow and sleet fell. Storm total snow/sleet accumulations included 4.0 inches in Baltimore and Bel Air, 2 to 3 inches at Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI), 1 to 2 inches in Annapolis, 7.0 inches in Gaithersburg, 1.0 inch in Oxon Hill, 9.3 inches in Westminster, 10.0 inches in Frederick, 7.9 inches in Hagerstown, 5.0 inches in Cumberland, and 5.1 inches in Frostburg. Several traffic accidents were reported across the area, including one wreck which claimed the life of a 45-year-old woman on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. One hospital in Anne Arundel County treated 25 people for car accident related injuries, 12 patients for slip and fall injuries, and 20 patients reporting heart-related problems, most likely due to shoveling snow. Passengers at both BWI and on commuter trains reported travel delays.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 winter storm, 3 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Allegany

When
January 30, 3:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Allegany forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Winter Storm, Washington

When
January 30, 3:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
39.604, -77.814 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Frederick

When
January 30, 3:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Frederick forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
39.472, -77.398 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Carroll

When
January 30, 3:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Carroll forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
39.563, -77.022 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Baltimore

When
January 30, 3:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Northern Baltimore forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
39.443, -76.616 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Baltimore

When
January 30, 3:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Southern Baltimore forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
39.367, -76.614 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Harford

When
January 30, 3:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Harford forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Winter Storm, Howard

When
January 30, 3:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Howard forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Winter Storm, Montgomery

When
January 30, 3:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Montgomery forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Winter Storm, Anne Arundel

When
January 30, 3:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Anne Arundel forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
38.994, -76.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Prince Georges

When
January 30, 3:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Prince Georges forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
38.830, -76.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Calvert

When
January 30, 3:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Calvert forecast zone
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
38.535, -76.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Charles

When
January 30, 3:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Charles forecast zone
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
38.474, -77.013 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, St. Mary'S

When
January 30, 3:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
St. Mary'S forecast zone
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
38.216, -76.529 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Ice Storm
Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5131338, 5131339, 5131340, 5131341, 5131342, 5131343, 5131344, 5131345, 5131346, 5131347, 5131348, 5131349, 5131350, 5131351.