Marylanders shovel out from winter storm, focus on freezing temperatures

The entire state of Maryland was covered by a blanket of snow and ice on Monday, following the state's strongest winter storm in a decade. 

WJZ's team of community reporters has been scattered throughout Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Howard, and Harford counties, capturing how neighbors are braving the blistering temperatures. 

People across the state said this storm made removing snow and sleet a bigger task than they had expected. 

Howard County: "It's quite different"

On Monday, most Howard County roads, busy city streets, and main roads were cleared of snow, for the most part.

However, as of Monday afternoon, many neighborhood side streets had been untouched since the storm began.

"Shoveling sleet is not the same as shoveling snow," said Dean Randall, a Columbia resident. "It's quite different."

Neighbors spent much of Monday digging out their cars.

"You've got, what, five inches of snow or something about a one-inch crust on top of it, and you keep falling," Randall said. "And sometimes you step in a spot, and then you slide to one side and slide to that side, and it's heavy, and I'm starting to feel my age."

"We are just going to have to just shovel out the snow and all stuff, them, all that," said Columbia resident Anthony Carmenat. 

Howard County's Department of Public Works' Bureau of Highways reported Monday that it continued its plowing operations of county-maintained (named) primary and secondary roadways overnight.

Howard County leaders urge residents to keep in mind that narrow streets, parked vehicles along the roadway, driveways, and cul-de-sacs and t-turnarounds, slow down the highway's snow removal process and can hinder its crews' ability to completely clear these roadways from curb-to-curb.

During a typical snowstorm of six to 12 inches, highway officials say the goal is to have the Howard County maintained road system cleared within 12 to 18 hours after the storm ends. 

 You can track Highways' progress via the County's Snow Plow Tracker website here.

Baltimore County: "Passable, not optimal conditions"  

Baltimore County Department of Public Works and Transportation said about 70% of roads were passable as of Monday afternoon. The county hopes to get all roads passable by Tuesday morning.

The county is responsible for about 2,700 roads, which include more than 8,000 lane miles.

"Passable, not optimal conditions. Not everyone's parking spots are plowed out. Passable roads," said Lauren Buckler, the director the county's DPW.

Crews have been working since Saturday, according to county officials. The bitter cold is also making it challenging to treat the roads because brine and salt solutions do not always work in extreme cold.

Baltimore County said trash and recycling pick-up will remain on a sliding schedule, meaning crews will come to your neighborhood one day later than normal.

The county also says DPW crews have responded to several water main breaks, which can prove challenging in the cold weather.

Harford County: "Pushing snow out of the way is a workout" 

Work crews slowly made their way through Bel Air neighborhoods on Monday, while car owners teamed up to clear off their cars, and everything around it.

"We had a shovel. We had a scraper. So, he was in charge of just shoveling all the snow around my car. I was in charge of scraping everything off the top of my car. We turned on my car, put on the defrost," said Zac and Emma, a newly married couple visiting Bel Air in Harford County. "The Apple Watch did make this a workout, so pushing snow out of the way is a workout."

According to the Harford County Government, the county plow crews have been working to clear the streets, but it's going to take some time. 

Harford County leaders asked that residents stay home if you can, to give crews room to work. 

If you lose power and need a place to go, the shelters in Edgewood and Bel Air South are still open as of Monday afternoon. 

To assist Harford County Department of Public Works in clearing county roads as quickly as possible, officials ask resident to refrain from parking in the street. If you must park in the street, please park on the even-numbered side.

More helpful information about Harford County snow removal can be found here.

Anne Arundel County: "It's only getting colder"

The City of Annapolis is in the process of cleaning up from the winter storm that dropped more than eight inches of winter precipitation in Annapolis. The Annapolis Department of Public Works' (DPW) plow crews plowed and treated 69% of city roads to a "passable" standard as of Monday afternoon. 

More than 600 hours of plow time were deployed on Monday, according to city officials. 

"I have a feeling it's going to be a while," a resident told WJZ as he worked to shovel out his car. "I thought, well, today off, maybe tomorrow, but it's a solid sheet of ice, and it's only getting colder."

DPW will continue plow and treat operations and will move some crews to removal operations, bringing in loaders to remove snow from intersections and narrow streets.

If your street has not been plowed, call 410-260-2211 to notify DPW crews.

Baltimore City: "I figured I'd get a start on it"

Several Baltimore City residents, including Julia Muller, picked up a shovel to move lots of snow and ice.

"All of the gyms are closed," Muller said. "So, I was like, 'Well, what am I going to do?' I figured I'd get a start on it."

While some chose to enjoy an extended fun weekend in Baltimore City, Ryan Spadaro grabbed his snowboard and visited a few hills around the city.

"The hills are a little bit a little bit shorter, but everyone's super nice. All the neighbors are out having a great old time," Spadaro said. "So yeah, just having a blast."

Local governments and work crews all over continue to slowly plow road, as their attention turns to freezing temperatures.

Parking is restricted along designated snow emergency routes, and approximately 202 vehicles have been relocated to clear the way for plow operations.

Snow crews have been working non-stop since the start of the storm, and operations will continue around the clock to make city streets passable, according to the Baltimore City Department of Transportation. 

Residents are also asked to be patient during this clean-up effort.

"Better just to stay safe. Stay home, get them, stay off the roads if you need to," Muller said. 

Snow removal teams have tirelessly plowed thousands of miles of streets and highways. However, their work is far from done and will take some time, especially with the arctic blast counties are experiencing.

But the message is the same in all nearby counties: stay home and give the crew room to do their jobs.

For intersections that include a State and County maintained roadway, the state takes precedence and has jurisdiction. For information about SHA roads and operations, visit this website.