Winter Storm, Cecil
- When
- January 27, 4:00 AM EST to January 28, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Cecil forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 39.562, -75.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Maryland, January 27 to 28, 2009
A frontal boundary was draped from the southern Mid Atlantic region southwestward to the northern Gulf of Mexico. An area of low pressure developed along this front across the lower Mississippi Valley late in the day on the 27th.
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 frontal boundary was draped from the southern Mid Atlantic region southwestward to the northern Gulf of Mexico. An area of low pressure developed along this front across the lower Mississippi Valley late in the day on the 27th. The storm system then moved northeastward and tracked near the Ohio River Valley during the morning of the 28th. As the storm continued to track northeastward, it strengthened as it moved into New England during the early evening hours of the 28th. An associated cold front then swept across the Mid Atlantic region during the early evening hours of the 28th.
A cold air mass ahead of the system allowed for snow to overspread the area generally from south to north during the morning of the 27th. As milder air then worked in especially above the surface, the snow mixed with sleet and pockets of freezing rain at times during the night of the 27th. The temperatures slowly climbed to freezing toward daybreak on the 28th, then the precipitation began to taper off during the morning of the 28th. The combination of the frozen and freezing precipitation along with initially cold air, created a high impact event and produced very slippery travel.
Some snowfall totals included; 2.5 inches in Stevensville (Queen Anne's County, 1.8 inches 2.4 miles southeast of Easton (Talbot County), 1.7 inches 1.4 miles east-northeast of Greensboro (Cecil County), 1.7 inches 0.7 of a mile southeast of St. Michaels (Talbot County) and 1.0 inch 0.3 of a mile north-northeast of Bellevue (Talbot County). Ice accumulations in Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne's counties were around one-quarter of an inch. Due to a quicker changeover to plain rain, there was less icing in Caroline and Talbot counties.
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 Jan 27, 3:55 AM EST, 5 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 27, 3:55 AM EST, 5 minutes before
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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 27, 3:19 AM EST, 41 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ 319 AM EST TUE JAN 27 2009 NJZ001-007>010-012-015-PAZ054-055-060>062-067>069-281000- SUSSEX-WARREN-MORRIS-HUNTERDON-SOMERSET-MIDDLESEX-MERCER-CARBON- MONROE-BERKS-LEHIGH-NORTHAMPTON-CHESTER-MONTGOMERY-BUCKS- 319 AM EST TUE JAN 27 2009 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 PM EST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NEW JERSEY...NORTHERN NEW JERSEY...NORTHWEST NEW JERSEY...EAST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA AND SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER STORM WARNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER STORM WARNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NJZ013-014-020-026-027-281000- WESTERN MONMOUTH-EASTERN MONMOUTH-OCEAN-COASTAL OCEAN- SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON- 319 AM EST TUE JAN 27 2009 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 12 PM EST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. DEZ002>004-MDZ012-015-019-020-NJZ021>025-281000- KENT-INLAND SUSSEX-DELAWARE BEACHES-KENT MD-QUEEN ANNES-TALBOT- CAROLINE-CUMBERLAND-ATLANTIC-CAPE MAY-ATLANTIC COASTAL CAPE MAY- COASTAL ATLANTIC- 319 AM EST TUE JAN 27 2009 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL DELAWARE...SOUTHERN DELAWARE...NORTHEAST MARYLAND AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. DEZ001-MDZ008-NJZ016-281000- NEW CASTLE-CECIL-SALEM- 319 AM EST TUE JAN 27 2009 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 12 PM EST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN DELAWARE...NORTHEAST MARYLAND AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER STORM WARNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER STORM WARNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NJZ017>019-PAZ070-071-281000- GLOUCESTER-CAMDEN-NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON-DELAWARE-PHILADELPHIA- 319 AM EST TUE JAN 27 2009 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 12 PM EST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER STORM WARNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER STORM WARNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ANZ430-431-450>455-281000- DELAWARE BAY WATERS NORTH OF EAST POINT NJ TO SLAUGHTER BEACH DE- DELAWARE BAY WATERS SOUTH OF EAST POINT NJ TO SLAUGHTER BEACH DE- COASTAL WATERS FROM SANDY HOOK TO MANASQUAN INLET NJ OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM MANASQUAN INLET TO LITTLE EGG INLET NJ OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM LITTLE EGG INLET TO GREAT EGG INLET NJ OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM GREAT EGG INLET TO CAPE MAY NJ OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE MAY NJ TO CAPE HENLOPEN DE OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE HENLOPEN TO FENWICK ISLAND DE OUT 20 NM- 319 AM EST TUE JAN 27 2009 ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM WEDNESDAY TO 6 AM EST THURSDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS AND DELAWARE BAY WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
3 winter storm, 2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Kent
- When
- January 27, 4:30 AM EST to January 28, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Kent forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 39.236, -76.096 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Queen Annes
- When
- January 27, 4:30 AM EST to January 28, 9:00 AM EST
- Where
- Queen Annes forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 39.038, -76.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Weather, Caroline
- When
- January 27, 6:30 AM EST to January 28, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Caroline forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 38.872, -75.832 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Weather, Talbot
- When
- January 27, 6:30 AM EST to January 28, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Talbot forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 38.749, -76.179 (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.
- 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
- Ice Storm and Winter Weather in Texas, January 27 to 28, 2009
- Winter Storm in Kentucky, January 27 to 28, 2009
- Winter Storm in Texas, January 27 to 28, 2009
- Winter Storm in Pennsylvania, January 27 to 28, 2009
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Delaware, January 27 to 28, 2009
- Winter Storm in Ohio, January 27 to 28, 2009
- Winter Storm in Pennsylvania, January 27 to 28, 2009
- Winter Storm in West Virginia, January 27 to 28, 2009
- Heavy Snow in New York, January 27 to 29, 2009
- Winter Storm in Kentucky, January 27 to 28, 2009
- Ice Storm and Winter Storm in Kentucky, January 27 to 29, 2009
- Ice Storm in Virginia, January 27 to 28, 2009
More
Every storm in Maryland in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Maryland, January 2009
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: 152050, 152051, 152052, 152053, 152055.