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Marylanders Try To Stay Warm In Record-Breaking Cold

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Temperatures in Baltimore have plummeted, breaking a more than 100-year-old record. Tuesday morning, a low of four degrees was recorded at BWI.

Derek Valcourt has more on the problems caused by the frigid cold.

When the sun rose Tuesday morning, drivers woke to a mess.

"And it's really hard to get to work when the windshield is all iced up," said Emma Gerstein.

Ice on just about everything made for a treacherous and slow commute.

At four degrees, everything freezes--leading to more than a few crashes and even single car accidents.

"You just don't know if it's ice or if it's wet. That's the bad part," said Jerry Biles.

In fact, local hospital emergency rooms report more injuries from car accidents and people who have slipped and fallen on the ice.

"I think the worst is in the mornings when people are getting ready to go to work. We've had a lot of people hit a patch of ice, whether it be at the Metro or getting out of their car in their driveways, slip with lots of back pain and back strain," said Dr. Bahareh Aslani, Sinai Hospital.

The single-digit temperatures have also had plumbers up to their elbows in work. Countless frustrated homeowners are dealing with frozen or bursting pipes.

"I was very concerned today that my pipes were going to freeze throughout the house," said one.

Pipes break underground, as well. City crews reported three water main breaks Tuesday morning, including one on Cold Spring Lane. There are concerns that more could rupture as the ground thaws and shifts.

The sunshine Tuesday did a number on many of the roads that were a mess in the morning. The problem is that anything that melted is expected to refreeze overnight. Drivers heading out Tuesday night and Wednesday morning should take it easy.

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