Maryland, 2012

Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Maryland, October 29 to 31, 2012

October 29 to 31, 2012 · NWS PBZ · 2 events in 1 county or zone

The remnants of Sandy brought a variety of weather impacts to western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia, and Garrett county Maryland as the storm made landfall and interacted with a cold front essentially right over the region. Heavy rain and strong winds combined to cause downed trees and power-lines in the lower elevations.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 PBZ wrote it up.

The remnants of Sandy brought a variety of weather impacts to western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia, and Garrett county Maryland as the storm made landfall and interacted with a cold front essentially right over the region. Heavy rain and strong winds combined to cause downed trees and power-lines in the lower elevations. Meanwhile, the higher elevations experienced blizzard conditions, with snow amounts in excess of 2 1/2 feet reported at elevations above 2500 feet.

Rain began on the 26th as the cold front slowly crossed the region and then stalled over the Appalachians. This cold front then interacted with Sandy as the storm made landfall on the 29th. In general, rainfall from the front and remnants of Sandy averaged 2 inches across much of eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia, and western Pennsylvania. Amounts in excess of 4 inches were reported in and and around Pittsburgh and parts of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. However, due to dry antecedent conditions, only minor flooding was reported across the region.

The saturated ground did play in an important role later however, as the pressure gradient between the front and Sandy remnants strengthened. There were several reports of trees down and power outages across the lower elevations.

Cold air, wrapping around the system as it moved inland helped to change the higher elevations to snow early on the 29th. Snow accumulated rapidly, up to two inches per hour for much of the overnight hours on the 29-30th. Very low visibilities resulting in and indirect fatality in Tucker county. Snow amounts in excess of 2 1/2 feet were reported in Tucker and Preston counties in West Virginia and Garrett county, Maryland. Amounts of 8-12 inches were reported in the ridges of Fayette and Westmoreland county in Pennsylvania and even in portions of eastern Monongalia county in West Virginia. The heavy snow combined with the wind to down numerous trees and power-lines making those areas nearly impassable. The roof of a gas station in Terra Alta also gave way due to the weight of the snow. Almost 95% of residents in Preston, Tucker, and Garrett county were without power during the peak of the snow-storm, which outages lasting over a week in many locations.

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 Pittsburgh, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 29, 9:26 AM EST, 5 hours 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 29, 9:26 AM EST, 5 hours 34 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 29, 4:06 AM EST, 10 hours 54 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 29, 2:39 PM EST, 21 minutes before
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Event by event

1 blizzard, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Garrett

When
October 29, 3:00 PM EST to October 31, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Garrett forecast zone
Reported by
911 Call Center

Heavy Snow, Garrett

When
October 31, 4:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where
Garrett forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager

What these are

Blizzard
Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.
Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Maryland in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Maryland, October 2012

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 417772, 417965.