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the National Weather Service Baltimore-Washington Forecast Office *************************************** ... History of Big Winter Storms ... Now is the time to prepare for the upcoming winter season. Don't be lulled by the potential for a mild start to this winter season and get caught off guard when that first storm strikes. Winter storms are labeled "deceptive killers" because most deaths are indirectly related to the storm. About 70% of deaths occur in traffic accidents on slick roads. The rest are often attributed to heart attacks from overexertion while shoveling heavy snow or pushing a car from a snow bank, or from prolonged exposure to the cold. By getting prepared now and taking extra caution during winter weather, these deaths can be prevented. Noreasters..... The worst storms to impact the Baltimore-Washington and Appalachian Region in the winter are called "Nor'easters" because of the strong northeast winds that they produce. Along the coast, these storms can cause wind and water damage similar to some Category one hurricanes. The strong winds drive waves inland eroding beaches and flooding shorelines. Wind, rain, snow and ice continue to do damage inland. If arctic air is trapped over the coastal plain and the Appalachian Mountains, then heavy snows result with sometimes blizzard conditions. Forecasting these storms and what weather they will give DC can be difficult. The heaviest snow generally occurs in a band just 50 miles wide. To the east of that heavy snow, it changes to a mixture of ice and then rain and to the west of the band, snowfall amounts are significantly lighter. That means that by just moving the center of the storm 50 miles to the east or west will completely change the type and severity of the weather you receive. Historical Big Snowstorms in Washington, DC............ The biggest unofficial snow (before official records began) was in January 1772 when 36 inches (3 feet) fell in the Washington - Baltimore area. It has been called the Washington-Jefferson snowstorm because it was recorded in both of their diaries. The 10 biggest snowstorms of record in Washington, DC and Baltimore are
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Washington DC's normal winter snowfall is 17 inches, but just north and west of the city, the normal increases to 22 inches. This includes the Baltimore area. In the storms mentioned above, it is typical for areas to the north and west of DC to see 150% of that snowfall. Ice Storms ................... Because of the warm waters of the Gulf Stream just off our eastern shore, it is typical for the rain-snow line to right across Baltimore and Washington. When a storm strikes, southeast of the city often sees rain or a mixture of snow and ice turning to rain and areas to the northwest of the city typically gets more snow, sometimes mixing with ice (sleet and freezing rain). A total ice storm, however, is much less common. However, February 1994 proved that this region can get a big ice storms. The winter of 1993-1994 was one of the iciest winters on record. Repeated storms from January into early March produced between 19 and 23 days of icy precipitation over greater metropolitan area. The worst storm struck on February 10-11, 1994 just from Fredericksburg into Southern Maryland. Freezing rain caused a thick glaze of ice across trees, power and phone lines and roads. Travel was extremely hazardous. Trees and utility lines fell under the weight of the ice. Some people were left without power and heat for up to two weeks due to the extent of the damage. This storm warranted a Presidential Disaster declaration for a swath of devastation from ice that stretched from Tennessee to Delaware. Damage to Maryland was estimated at over $20 million. In February 1998, an ice storm hit Skyline Drive. Up to five inches of ice acculumated in some areas. So many trees came down that Shenandoah National Park had to be closed for up to two months to clear the debris! |