Maryland Residents Get First Real Taste Of Winter

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Forget a white Christmas---many people across the northeast could be celebrating a white Thanksgiving!

Rick Ritter reports a good amount of snow has fallen in Frederick County.

Things have calmed down in Frederick, a place that saw heavy snowfall earlier. Even so, traveling from county to county, the roadways were far from good, to say the least. We saw several cars stalled out. Some pulled over because they didn't want to drive in these conditions. There were some minor accidents and state police say the worst is yet to come.

Slick roads, slow moving traffic and heavy snow. Mother Nature pounded parts of Maryland with a Thanksgiving storm.

"The worst possible moment, I feel like---the day when everybody is traveling," said Zach Cowsert.

In Hagerstown, cautious drivers backed up parts of stretches of I-70.

"We saw one car that went all the way through the median," said one woman.

While State Highway Administration gears up with dozens of snowplow trucks and 5,000 tons of salt.

Over in Frederick, the shovels are out as state police issue their state emergency plan.

"It's very heavy snow. It's obviously early in the year so it's a good, wet, heavy snow," said Cpl. Robert Giffin.

Urging travelers to stay off the roadways.

"That's gonna make it like a layer of ice underneath your car; it's much more likely to slide off the road and be involved in a motor vehicle collision," he said.

In Carroll County, it's the same story.

"Pretty slick out here in spots," said one.

Many are bracing for the worst.

"It's bad; it really is. They're driving like animals out there," said one.

But not letting the winter blast get in the way of their holiday plans.

Officials are worried about temperatures dropping overnight. They advise people traveling early Thursday morning---if they have to hit the road---or staying off the road altogether.

Mike Hellgren watched conditions in the city.

This was the kind of day when you didn't know if you'd need snow boots or an umbrella. It's currently rainy and windy. Roads are wet but they're moving well.

Cold and wet proved the two constants in and around Baltimore this Thanksgiving eve as snow turned to rain and back again.

"I don't mind that wet weather. It's the cold I'm worried about," said one.

"I'm really into snow. I'm like a three-year-old at heart," said one woman.

"It was snowing very hard at first but now it's changed back over to rain so I'm not sure what the outcome's going to be. I'm hoping for the best," said one.

From flakes in Owings Mills to wet conditions near Havre de Grace, Howard County to the Eastern Shore and more snow to the west. State Highway Administration officials prepared for it all.

"We are concerned about refreeze. We will have crews out patrolling and monitoring in case we do have a drastic drop in temperatures," said Kellie Boulware, State Highway Administration.

Many side streets have a coating of slush and the JFX was slick but moving. Many just wanted to stay inside on this busy Thanksgiving eve.

"I've got 'em all bundled up. I've got three blankets and this plastic thing," said one woman, who took her children outside..

"It's not too bad, really. It's not," said one.

It's nothing compared to the miserable winter the state suffered through last year, when the state spent $150 million on snow and ice removal. The budget is $51 million this year. For now---for some---cold weather fatigue has yet to set in.

"I love it," said one man. "I love it."

Maryland has some brand new monster snow plows. They didn't have to break those out Wednesday. They also didn't have to call out any of their contractors. Baltimore typically sees about eight winter storms every season.

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