The Winter That Wouldn't End: Snow & Icy Conditions Make For A Messy March Monday
TOWSON, Md. (WJZ) --Marylanders are in the middle of another serious winter hit from Mother Nature.
Derek Valcourt has more on the impact the storm is having in Baltimore City and Baltimore County.
Though snowfall totals weren't what many had originally anticipated, it still added up to the ultimate grin-and-bear-it kind of day.
"I'm done. I hope this is the last one," said Valentine Kowalewski.
For shovelers, this was not the worst of the season.
"It's light. It's fluffy. The last one we had was real wet, real heavy. This here is pretty much a breeze," said Bill Weber.
But the freezing rain that fell first caused the most problems.
"Just waiting for spring to come," said Justin McCallister.
Covered cars are just the tip of the iceberg.
That layer of ice under the snow caused plenty of fender benders.
"I came over here to pick up a friend of mine who hit a curb with her car and got a flat, so I'm switching her tire for her down the street. We're just tired of this weather," said Doug Gardner.
Crews say the rain that fell Sunday prevented them from pre-treating the roads.
The city and county started salting as soon as the rain changed over.
"Last week we had 50 to 60 degree weather. Now all of a sudden we get 5 to 8 inches of snow and cold weather, 8 degrees. This is crazy, especially the first part of March," said John Ochs Jr.
Plows quickly cleared some of the major arteries. Most everyone was glad to see them on side streets—ven if they sometimes make cleanup a little trickier.
"They dump an enormous amount of snow right in front of my driveway. It gets solidified and icy, and it takes hours and hours and hours to shovel it out," said Marian Rutigliano.
It's the price of tougher winter that has many waiting for the warm up.
"A lot of people are rushing summertime. I'm just saying enjoy this while we have it because it will be gone before you know it," said Lance Knowles.
So far this winter, the Maryland State Highway Administration spent $114 million on snow removal. SHA's budget for snow removal this year is $46 million.
In the winter of 2010, the year of Snowmaggedon, SHA spent just under $125 million and used 369 tons of salt.
Related Link: School Closings & Delays
Motorists can plan their route in advance by dialing 511 from a land line or mobile phone for traffic, weather alerts and road conditions.
Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot has declared a Code Blue in Baltimore for Sunday through Wednesday.
Baltimore's homeless and seniors are among the most vulnerable populations in extreme cold weather. During the Code Blue alert, emergency shelters will operate with overflow capacity and workers will conduct outreach for vulnerable residents.
Residents can report cold-related issues during the Cold Blue Alert by calling 311 anytime between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. and 410-396-3100 after hours.
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