Winter Storm in Maryland, January 25 to 26, 2004

Name: Winter Storm in Maryland, January 25 to 26, 2004
Start: 2004-01-25T21:00
End: 2004-01-26T11:00
Location: Maryland

January 25 to 26, 2004 · NWS AKQ · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Two to four inches of snow and sleet fell across portions of the Lower Maryland Eastern Shore. 8", and Hurlock in Dorchester county 3".

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 AKQ wrote it up.

Two to four inches of snow and sleet fell across portions of the Lower Maryland Eastern Shore. Some higher amounts included: Princess Anne in Somerset county 4.3", Salisbury in Wicomico county 3.8", Snow Hill in Worcester county 3.8", and Hurlock in Dorchester county 3". The snow and sleet produced very slippery roadways, which resulted in numerous accidents and school closings for a few days.

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 Wakefield, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 25, 4:37 PM EST, 4 hours 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 25, 4:37 PM EST, 4 hours 23 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 25, 5:26 AM EST, 15 hours 34 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
526 AM EST SUN JAN 25 2004

MDZ021>025-NCZ012-013-030-VAZ048-049-060>090-092-099-252125-
ACCOMACK VA-AMELIA VA-BERTIE NC-BRUNSWICK VA-CAROLINE VA-
CHARLES CITY VA-CHESTERFIELD VA-CUMBERLAND VA-DINWIDDIE VA-
DORCHESTER MD-ESSEX VA-FLUVANNA VA-GLOUCESTER VA-GOOCHLAND VA-
GREENSVILLE VA-HANOVER VA-HENRICO VA-HERTFORD NC-INLAND WORCESTER MD-
JAMES CITY VA-KING AND QUEEN VA-KING WILLIAM VA-LANCASTER VA-
LOUISA VA-LUNENBURG VA-MARYLAND BEACHES MD-MATHEWS VA-MECKLENBURG VA-
MIDDLESEX VA-NEW KENT VA-NORTHAMPTON NC-NORTHUMBERLAND VA-
NOTTOWAY VA-POWHATAN VA-PRINCE EDWARD VA-PRINCE GEORGE VA-
RICHMOND VA-SOMERSET MD-SOUTHAMPTON VA-SURRY VA-SUSSEX VA-
WESTMORELAND VA-WICOMICO MD-
526 AM EST SUN JAN 25 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN VIRGINIA...
NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND THE LOWER MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE.

.DAY ONE...TODAY...
A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT. SNOW...SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN
IS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ACCUMULATION OF SNOW AND
SLEET 4 TO 8 INCHES WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS FROM FARMVILLE TO
LOUISA...TAPPAHANNOCK AND SALISBURY. AREAS FROM SOUTH HILL TO THE
RICHMOND AND TRI CITIES AREA TO OCEAN CITY AND WALLOPS ISLAND CAN
EXPECT UP TO ONE QUARTER INCH OF ICE.  SEE WSWAKQ FOR MORE DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT SNOW...SLEET AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS.

NCZ014>016-031-032-VAZ091-093-094-096-097-100-252125-
CAMDEN NC-CHESAPEAKE VA-CHOWAN NC-GATES NC-ISLE OF WIGHT VA-
NEWPORT NEWS/HAMPTON VA-NORTHAMPTON VA-PASQUOTANK NC-PERQUIMANS NC-
SUFFOLK VA-YORK VA-
526 AM EST SUN JAN 25 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN VIRGINIA...
NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND THE LOWER MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE.

.DAY ONE...TODAY...
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT. SNOW...SLEET AND FREEZING
RAIN IS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PRECIPITATION IS
EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO RAIN TONIGHT. ACCUMULATION OF SNOW AND SLEET OF
1 TO 3 INCHES AND A LIGHT COATING OF ICE IS POSSIBLE. SEE WSWAKQ FOR
MORE DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT SNOW...SLEET AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS.

NCZ017-102-VAZ095-098-252125-
EASTERN CURRITUCK NC-NORFOLK/PORTSMOUTH VA-VIRGINIA BEACH VA-
WESTERN CURRITUCK NC-
526 AM EST SUN JAN 25 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN VIRGINIA...
NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND THE LOWER MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE.

.DAY ONE...TODAY...
SNOW AND SLEET IS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PRECIPITATION
IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO RAIN OVERNIGHT. ACCUMULATION OF SNOW AND
SLEET UP TO 2 INCHES IS POSSIBLE. SEE SPSAKQ FOR MORE DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

07

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Dorchester

When: January 25, 9:00 PM EST to January 26, 11:00 AM EST
Where: Dorchester forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 38.423, -76.083 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Inland Worcester / Except X E Worcester

When: January 25, 9:00 PM EST to January 26, 11:00 AM EST
Where: Inland Worcester / Except X E Worcester forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 38.217, -75.297 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Maryland Beaches / X E Worcester

When: January 25, 9:00 PM EST to January 26, 11:00 AM EST
Where: Maryland Beaches / X E Worcester forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 38.217, -75.297 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Somerset

When: January 25, 9:00 PM EST to January 26, 11:00 AM EST
Where: Somerset forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 38.080, -75.853 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Wicomico

When: January 25, 9:00 PM EST to January 26, 11:00 AM EST
Where: Wicomico forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 38.369, -75.631 (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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Maryland in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Maryland, January 2004

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: 5382462, 5382463, 5382464, 5382465, 5382466.