Maryland Eastern Shore, beachfront get big snow, wind gusts

January 29, 2022

Local News

SALISBURY, Md. (AP) — A winter storm dumped lots of snow and rushed high winds through Maryland’s Eastern Shore and its oceanfront by Saturday, making travel treacherous for motorists and challenging for road crews.

Snowfall totals neared or exceeded a foot in some portions of Worcester County, with Ocean City reporting 12 inches (30 centimeters) by Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

Wicomico and Somerset counties, which reported close to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of snow in spots, along with Worcester, were among several counties under blizzard warnings extending into Saturday afternoon or evening. Some additional snow was possible, while wind gusts in the region could reach 45 miles per hour (72 kph), according to the warning.

Southern Delaware and Accomack and Northampton counties on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, which also faced blizzard warnings, received several inches of snow, the weather service reported. Snowfall totals were much lower further inland, in places like Richmond, Virginia, Baltimore and Washington, as the nor’easter stuck to the coastline.

The governors of Maryland, Virginia and Delaware had all declared states of emergency before the storm that began Friday night and had prepped National Guard members to join the cleanup. Only “essential personnel” were allowed to drive on Delaware roads in two of the state’s three counties, under an order by Gov. John Carney. Elsewhere motorists were urged to stay off the roads.

Maryland State Police tweeted that troopers had received more than 670 calls for service and responded to 92 crashes as of mid-morning Saturday. There were no immediate reports of storm-related deaths and power outages were minimal.

Wind gusts in eastern Maryland made it difficult for snow plows to keep roads clear, as blowing snow could cover them again in minutes, the state’s highway administration said.

In Delaware, the highest snow accumulations were reported in places like Stockley, Dagsboro and Bethany Beach, which had 9 inches (23 centimeters) as of midday, according to state environmental monitoring machines. Further north, areas around Wilmington had 3 inches (8 centimeters) of snow.

A stretch of eastern Virginia from the Northern Neck south to Tidewater communities such as Norfolk and Virginia Beach received 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 centimeters) of snow before the storm left the region Saturday morning.

Temperatures in the region were expected to plunge into the high single digits and teens by Sunday morning, according to forecasts.