Maryland, 2003

Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Maryland, February 27 to 28, 2003

February 27 to 28, 2003 · NWS PHI · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Another winter storm affected the Maryland Eastern Shore and dropped heavy snow across southern parts of the Eastern Shore. Snow began during the afternoon of the 27th and continued into the early afternoon of the 28th.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

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.

Another winter storm affected the Maryland Eastern Shore and dropped heavy snow across southern parts of the Eastern Shore. Snow began during the afternoon of the 27th and continued into the early afternoon of the 28th. The heaviest snow fell during the night of the 27th. Accumulations ranged from two to seven inches with the highest amounts in Talbot County. Schools were closed and after school activities were cancelled. Specific accumulations included 7.0 inches in Easton (Talbot County), 6.5 inches in Stevensville (Queen Anne's County), 5.5 inches in Denton (Caroline County), 4.0 inches in Rock Hall (Kent County) and 2.5 inches in Elkton and Port Deposit (Cecil County). The low pressure system developed in the western Gulf of Mexico during the day on the 26th and moved northeast into Alabama the morning of the 27th and then well east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina by the morning of the 28th.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 27, 10:55 AM EST, 4 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 27, 10:55 AM EST, 4 hours 5 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 27, 5:45 AM EST, 9 hours 15 minutes before
DEZ001>004-MDZ008-012-015-019-020-NJZ001-007>010-012>027-PAZ054-055-
060>062-067>071-271245-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
545 AM EST THU FEB 27 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
PENNSYLVANIA...DELAWARE...THE NORTHERN MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE...AND
NEW JERSEY EXCLUDING THE FIVE NORTHEAST COUNTIES.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

A WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY FOR BERKS
COUNTY AND SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA (PA ZONES 60,67>71), FOR
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY - EXCEPT CAPE MAY COUNTY (NJ ZONES
9,10,12>22,25>27), NORTHERN AND CENTRAL DELAWARE (DE ZONES 1,2), AND
NORTHEASTERN MARYLAND (MD ZONES 8,12,15,19,20).

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

IOVINO

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 heavy snow, 2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Caroline

When
February 27, 3:00 PM EST to February 28, 1:00 PM EST
Where
Caroline forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.872, -75.832 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Queen Annes

When
February 27, 3:00 PM EST to February 28, 1:00 PM EST
Where
Queen Annes forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
39.038, -76.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Talbot

When
February 27, 3:00 PM EST to February 28, 1:00 PM EST
Where
Talbot forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.749, -76.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Cecil

When
February 27, 3:00 PM EST to February 28, 1:00 PM EST
Where
Cecil forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
39.562, -75.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Kent

When
February 27, 3:00 PM EST to February 28, 1:00 PM EST
Where
Kent forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
39.236, -76.096 (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.
Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Maryland in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Maryland, February 2003

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: 5346166, 5346167, 5346168, 5346169, 5346170.