Maryland First Snowstorm Means Hundreds Of Crashes Despite Roads Being Treated
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Maryland got its first snowfall of 2018 Thursday and brought slushy road conditions for morning commuters.
From morning rush hour through Thursday, sleet, snow, ice, and rain drenched central Maryland, delaying or canceling the school day in nearly every district.
More Than 400 Crashes Reported During Maryland's First Snow Day
"I have two teenage boys at home that eat me out of house and home," said Lisa Green with a shopping cart full of groceries. "And if they're going to be home all day, here they are."
Maryland State Police said they responded to more than 421 crashes as of 9 p.m. In Frederick, there was jackknifed tractor-trailer and an overturned firetruck.
Transportation officials urge drivers to use caution on the roads.
"I might get stuck for a couple of days, who knows," said Matthew Leduc. "I've got all-wheel drive but you can't trust it with the ice."
The State Highway Administration prepared for the snow Wednesday by filling up trucks and prepping for icy roads, giving every highway west of 95 a brine treatment.
"This is the kind of snow storm that allows us to kind of knock the dust off snow equipment for the year and get our guys in the groove and ready to go," said Gregg Slater of the State Highway Administration.
Still, the weather couldn't wait to dish out a taste of winter, just not the Thanksgiving appetizer Maryland expected.
Baltimore city schools remained open Thursday. The local teachers union was not happy with the decision and released the following statement:
"Baltimore City Public School's decision not to close schools early today is quite distressing. Snow and ice are covering the roads making the commute our teachers, paraprofessionals and students must travel extremely dangerous. Additionally, our students who walk to and from school will have to contend with traveling on icy sidewalks to get home.
In a letter sent to parents, BCPS explained that they have various departments, "check roads and outside conditions as well as monitor weather forecasts" in order to make a final decision about whether or not to close schools. Today's storm quickly transitioned from sleet and ice to snow by 8am giving Baltimore City Schools ample time to have their various departments assess the situation and make the decision to close schools early in order to ensure that all teachers, paraprofessionals and students would be able to get home safely.
While we want students to be in school, it is important that safety is a major consideration. If the safety of Baltimore City teachers, paraprofessionals and students is of utmost importance, than the District must think and act logically, especially on days when inclement weather is imminent."
For a full list of school closures and delays click here.
Seeing snow pictures? Post your photos to social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) using #BeOnWJZ. Note: The posts must be public so we can see them.
Stay with WJZ for the latest on this storm. You can see the full forecast on our weather page.
Follow @WJZ on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook
