Ice Storm in Maryland, December 1, 2019

Name: Ice Storm in Maryland, December 1, 2019
Start: 2019-12-01T00:00
End: 2019-12-01T19:00
Location: Maryland

December 1, 2019 · NWS PBZ · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Low pressure crossed from the Upper Midwest into the Great Lakes on December 1st. This pulled a warm front across the Upper Ohio Valley region, generating rain across much of the region.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 10
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

Low pressure crossed from the Upper Midwest into the Great Lakes on December 1st. This pulled a warm front across the Upper Ohio Valley region, generating rain across much of the region. Due to easterly upsloping wind, cold low-level air was able to remain trapped along east-facing slopes of Garrett County, leading to a prolonged period of freezing rain. Over a quarter inch of ice accretion occurred on trees. Dense fog combined with the freezing rain to create conditions which contributed to many traffic accidents in the county, resulting in a number of injuries.

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 Nov 30, 11:04 PM EST, 56 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 30, 11:04 PM EST, 56 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 30, 1:01 PM EST, 10 hours 59 minutes before

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Event by event

1 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Garrett

When: December 1, 12:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where: Garrett forecast zone
Injuries: 0 direct, 10 indirect
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Garrett County Emergency Management reported over a quarter inch of ice accretion on trees, with ice still accumulating as of the report at 12:15 PM. The EM also reported that the freezing rain and fog were contributing factors to 29 separate collisions involving 58 cars. The crashes backed up traffic for 5 to 6 miles, with the interstate closed for 4 hours, between 12:30 PM and 4:30 PM. Ten people were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

What these are

Ice Storm: Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Maryland in 2019 Every state in 2019 This day in weather history Warnings in Maryland, December 2019

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: 869508.