Winter Storm in Maryland, February 14 to 18, 2003

A complex storm system produced copious amounts of wintery precipitation across Maryland west of the Chesapeake Bay between the evening of the 14th and midday on the 18th. The first batch of precipitation fell between the evening of the 14th and the evening of the 15th in the form of light to moderate snow or rain. The second batch of precipitation fell between midnight on the 16th through midday on the 17th in the form of heavy snow or sleet. The third batch of precipitation on the back side of the storm fell between the evening of the 17th and midday on the 18th in the form of scattered snow showers. After the precipitation came to an end, record breaking snow and sleet accumulations were reported. Across western and north central Maryland, and the Baltimore metropolitan area, accumulations of mainly snow ranged from 20 to 32 inches. The highest amounts occurred across the north and west suburbs of Baltimore where a period of thunder snow produced snowfall rates up to 4 inches per hour on the 16th. Across the east and southeast Maryland suburbs of Washington D.C., accumulations of snow and sleet ranged from 12 to 20 inches. Across extreme Southern Maryland, accumulations of mainly sleet ranged from 7 to 12 inches. As a general rule, 1 inch of sleet accumulation is equivalent to 3 inches of snow. Therefore, areas that received mainly sleet during this massive winter storm received accumulations around two thirds less than areas that had all snow, even though they were impacted by the same storm system. As an example, Hollywood (St. Mary's County) recorded 7.5 inches of accumulation (almost all sleet) whereas downtown Baltimore recorded 24 inches of accumulation (all snow). Nicknamed the President's Weekend Snowstorm of 2003, this storm will go down in history as the heaviest snowstorm in the Baltimore region since records began in 1870. A total of 28.2 inches of snow was recorded at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. This massive storm took a heavy toll on residents, structures, transportation systems, emergency responders, businesses, livestock, and travelers. A state of emergency was declared by the governor of Maryland and people across the state were ordered to stay off the roads during the height of the storm between the morning of the 16th and the morning of the 17th. Roads were covered by deep snow and sleet and were nearly impassible. Almost every airport in the region was shut down on the 16th, stranding hundreds of travelers. Emergency personnel and those needing emergency transport had to be taken to their destinations in 4 wheel drives or military vehicles during the storm. Main highways were partially cleared by the 18th but it took up to 5 days to reach some secondary and residential roads. Area schools were closed up to a week after the storm ended. Heavy accumulations weighed down on buildings in the region and several structural collapses occurred. In addition, several injuries and a handful of deaths were attributed to the storm. The following is a list of damage and casualty reports by county that occurred as a result of this winter storm. In Allegany County, 15 structures fully or partially collapsed including several sheds, a church, and a business building. In Frederick County, 5 sheds or barns caved-in. Portable classrooms at 4 county schools collapsed. A meeting hall and a tennis court bubble were crushed. A 42-year-old man died from a heart attack after shoveling snow in New Market. A 12-year-old boy died from carbon monoxide poisoning in a snowbound car in Mt. Airy. In Carroll County, a barn collapse injured 50 cattle. A gas station canopy in Westminster fell onto 3 vehicles. A shed, greenhouse, and the roof of a car dealership also suffered structural collapses. In Montgomery County, multiple buildings collapsed including a bakery, grocery store, and a barn. A 4-year-old girl in Aspen Hill died from carbon monoxide poisoning in a snowbound car. A 51-year-old woman with a mental disability was found dead from exposure in the snow in Bethesda. In Baltimore County, a dozen structures including carports, a factory, and an office building collapsed. A man in his 20s died from carbon monoxide poisoning in a snowbound car. In Baltimore City, bus and commuter train operations were suspended during the storm. The historic B&O Railroad Museum roof collapsed, damaging priceless exhibits. Twenty four homes were condemned and two homes were demolished after suffering structural collapses. A 5-story building downtown had to be evacuated after support beams buckled. Five people (males ages 11, 12, 16, 20, and 55) died in the city from carbon monoxide poisoning in snowbound cars. Another 11-year-old boy was overcome by carbon monoxide but was resuscitated. A 64-year-old man died from a heart attack after shoveling snow. A 65-year-old woman was injured when an awning on her home collapsed. In Harford County, the roof of two homes, a sunroom, and a deck collapsed. A man in the community of Hunter's Chase suffered a heart attack after shoveling snow. A Bel Air man amputated a finger in a snow blower accident. In Howard County, a stable, warehouse, store awning, tennis bubble dome, greenhouse, and a shed collapsed. In Prince George's County, the roof of a toy store in Lanham collapsed and 9 people inside were injured. Three carports collapsed in Bowie, crushing 12 cars. A partial roof collapse was reported at a school in Cheverly. A man in his early 50s died of a heart attack after shoveling snow in Laurel. In Anne Arundel County, 4 people (including 2 men ages 60 and 64) died of heart attacks after shoveling snow. At county hospitals, eight people were treated for chest pains, 7 people were treated for shoveling injuries, 40 people were treated for slip and fall injuries, 4 people were treated for snow blower amputations, and 3 people were treated for exposure to the cold. A 66-year-old man in Glen Burnie died from carbon monoxide poisoning in his snowbound car. A 7-year-old boy was critically injured after sledding into the path of a car in Glen Burnie. A 60-year-old man in Pasadena was seriously injured when he fell off his roof while shoveling off snow. Two middle schools suffered partial roof collapses. Other buildings that suffered structural damage included a church, warehouse, athletic club, shopping center, mall, grain silo, awning on a house and a restaurant, garage, boat storage structure, and a grocery store. Eleven people were evacuated from weakened structures. In Calvert County, an auto shop roof collapsed in Owings. In Charles County, the roof of an educational building in Doncaster caved in. Other buildings across the county that sustained structural damage include an auto shop, warehouse, garage, and two stores.