Powerful Nor'easter Hits Md., Eastern Shore Under State Of Emergency
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A powerful nor'easter is moving up the east coast, bringing snow, ice, strong winds and rough surf with it, including to Maryland.
RELATED: SCHOOL CLOSURES AND DELAYS
Most Maryland counties are under some kind of weather advisory or warning, and many schools are closed or had a delayed opening Thursday.
A Blizzard Warning is in effect for parts of Maryland's Eastern Shore.
The warning covers Worcester County, Somerset County and Wicomico County. It began at 7 p.m. Wednesday and lasts through 6 p.m. Thursday. Heavy snow is expected, between 6 and 8 inches of accumulation, according to the National Weather Service.
For the Eastern Shore, "it's a rather big event," WJZ's Marty Bass says.
Maryland State Police said they had already responded to 51 vehicle crashes and 55 disabled vehicle calls by 8 a.m. Thursday, the majority of which were in southern Maryland and on the Eastern Shore.
Gov. Larry Hogan on Wednesday signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency in Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester Counties in anticipation of the snowfall.
"I urge all Lower Shore residents – and all Marylanders – to stay warm, stay safe, and avoid unnecessary travel. Freezing temperatures and heavy winds mean increased danger on our roads, even after the snow has stopped falling," Gov. Hogan said. "The state stands ready to offer any and all necessary resources to impacted counties."
A Winter Storm Warning, which went into effect at 7 p.m. Wednesday and will last until 1 p.m. Thursday, covers most of the rest of Maryland's eastern shore -- Kent, Queen Anne's Talbot and Caroline counties. Between 3 and 6 inches of snow could be seen there.
A Winter Weather Advisory, in effect from 10 p.m. Wednesday to 1 p.m. Thursday, has been expanded to include all of central Maryland, including the Baltimore and D.C. metro areas. Between 1 and 3 inches of snow is expected in some areas, though the further west you travel, the less accumulation is expected.
WJZ's Mike Hellgren and Mike Schuh are on the eastern shore this morning, which is the area of Maryland getting the worst of the storm.
"This area is the heart of this massive storm," Mike Hellgren says. He reports that Ocean City is experiencing whiteout conditions.
This is a picture taken from a boardwalk live cam.
Mike Schuh says wind is also a big problem in Easton. He says quite a few snow plows are out on Route 50, where there are cars on the road, although officials are asking that anyone who can stay home do so.
After the snow moves out of the area, "cold is going to become the story," according to Marty Bass. Highs through the weekend don't get out of the 20s.
Stay with WJZ for the latest First Warning Weather forecast.
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