Snow Emergency

Fewer than 48 hours after being sworn as Baltimore's new mayor, Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake found herself grappling with her first citywide emergency - a snowstorm that dumped 2 feet of wet, heavy snow on city streets, paralyzing travel, snapping trees and collapsing at least two roofs. Rawlings-Blake, who until Thursday had been City Council president, showed she could be a quick study in mayoral leadership. She monitored the storm and worked the telephones at the city's bustling emergency operations center until 1 a.m. Saturday, then returned by midmorning for a briefing on what had happened overnight.

The day after Christmas morning commutes are flowing smoothly with just one traffic incident reported throughout the greater Baltimore metro area. A disabled car was affecting traffic on the Interstate 695 outer loop just before the Jones Falls Expressway in Baltimore County but it was cleared up by 8:45 a.m., the Maryland Department of Transportation reported. The Maryland State Police declared precautionary "snow emergencies" for Allegany and Garrett counties at 8:15 a.m. Once a snow emergency is declared, state law requires that drivers take certain precautions including no parking on roads and streets designated as snow emergency routes and the required use of chains or snow tires, which includes all-weather tires, the Maryland State Highway Administration website said.

Correctional officers stuck in maximum-security prisons for 24 hours at a time during last month's record snowfall, along with other state workers, are seeking double pay for their work while the state of emergency was in effect, a provision their union says is in its contract. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 92 filed several class-action grievances last week on behalf of its members who are considered essential employees, including hospital workers and some state highway workers who plowed after 28.2 inches of snow fell.

The problem: A West Baltimore street is now a snow emergency route. The back story: Patricia Hall has been living — and parking — on North Bentalou Street for more than 30 years. Over those decades, she said she and her neighbors have weathered snowstorm after snowstorm, and vigilantly shoveled drifts to allow pedestrians to pass. That's why she was surprised when, in December, her granddaughter pointed out new signs declaring her block part of a "snow emergency route.

If the rear of the car skids to the right, turn the wheel into the direction of the skid (to the right). If the rear of the car skids to the left, turn the wheel into that direction (to the left). This will correct the direction the car is heading and bring you back to your original course.Snow emergency plansStage 1 requires all motorists to use state-approved all-season radial tires, snow tires or chains.Stage 2 requires all motorists to avoid parking on snow emergency routes as well as the requirements of stage 1.

This winter's first snowfall of some significance hit the Baltimore metropolitan area early today, forcing schools to be closed in several surrounding counties and snow emergency plans to be put into effect.The National Weather Service said the snow was expected to be the dry type and a warming trend tomorrow would melt most of it.In Baltimore, where up to 3 inches of snow is forecast, the Department of Transit and Traffic placed its snow emergency plan into effect at 6 a.m.Later today, when snow was expected to turn to freezing rain or sleet, driving conditions in the city were expected to be hazardous.

I am indeed warmed to see good neighbors shovel each other out of a snowy bind; it's such a great example of the good side of our city. But likewise I am infuriated to see non-neighborly citizens blocking empty parking spaces with chairs and other detritus. The practice is illegal for obvious reasons. It increases snowbound traffic as citizens circle trying to find parking, and it gets in the way of city officials trying to clear the streets. I am especially dismayed to see spots "saved" on snow emergency routes -- spaces that are supposed to remain clear for the snow plows.

To Baltimore Transportation Director Al Foxx, snow is a four-letter word in more ways than one. But yesterday Foxx had two other four-letter words to let city residents know that his department is ready to battle the wintry adversary: blue salt. At a downtown news conference yesterday, Foxx announced that 1,000 tons of blue salt would soon be at his department's disposal for a test run in designated neighborhoods when snow hits. The colorful salt won't make the snow melt any faster than regular salt, but Foxx hopes it will pre-empt criticism from residents complaining that their snow-covered streets have not been salted.

The budget-buster snow has Sykesville officials amending figures, shuffling funds and trimming expenses.An infusion of federal money, promised for snow removal on emergency routes, would help ease the crunch."

A winter storm carrying sleet and freezing rain hit Maryland last night with five Maryland counties putting snow emergency plans into effect and salt trucks hitting main roads throughout the Baltimore metropolitan area. Forecasters predicted freezing rain will continue through this morning's rush hour, resulting in slick streets and traffic headaches. According to the National Weather Service, the storm was the leading edge of a weather system that dumped snow, sleet and freezing rain from Texas to Missouri yesterday and approached Maryland from the southwest.

High winds and blowing snow were complicating the morning commute for some residents around the Baltimore region. Baltimore County activated its snow emergency plan, which means no parking is allowed on designated snow emergency routes and only cars with snow or all-weather radial tires are permitted on the roads. Most state roads were passable for the morning rush, said Maryland State Highway Administration spokeswoman Lora Rakowski. "As the sun comes up, roads are in good condition throughout most of the Baltimore area," she said.

Ryan Boddy was following instructions. After back-to-back snowstorms, Boddy dug out his wife's car on Calvert Street in Mount Vernon, a snow emergency route. Posted signs state cars would be towed from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. on the east side of the street, and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the west side, so he parked it on the east side the morning of Feb. 11. Still, he walked out a few hours later and found the vehicle had been towed. Boddy said he understood that this was an unprecedented storm and "it makes sense that they wouldn't have this down to a science."

It might look like a fabulous huge toy, but operating a truck to plow snow-covered streets and salt slippery roads is not child's play. "You've got to take it seriously. Somebody can get hurt," said Anne Arundel County public works employee Dereck Hopkins, who has 30 years' experience. Plowing and salting is not a matter of sitting back and driving on cruise control while pushing a bunch of buttons. It's a workout, Hopkins said during an early plow-and-salt run in between storms Tuesday.

A mong the stranger sights at the height of our snowstorm's second act might have been the couple - dressed in shorts and T-shirts - walking blissfully along Pratt Street. Love, or an abundance of spirits, apparently conquers all, including the elements. "They were hand in hand," recalled a smiling, almost disbelieving Reggie Coates, who watched the snow waltz that was captured on a surveillance camera and shown live on the big screen to delighted workers hunkered down in Baltimore's Emergency Operations Center.

I am indeed warmed to see good neighbors shovel each other out of a snowy bind; it's such a great example of the good side of our city. But likewise I am infuriated to see non-neighborly citizens blocking empty parking spaces with chairs and other detritus. The practice is illegal for obvious reasons. It increases snowbound traffic as citizens circle trying to find parking, and it gets in the way of city officials trying to clear the streets. I am especially dismayed to see spots "saved" on snow emergency routes -- spaces that are supposed to remain clear for the snow plows.

Fewer than 48 hours after being sworn as Baltimore's new mayor, Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake found herself grappling with her first citywide emergency - a snowstorm that dumped 2 feet of wet, heavy snow on city streets, paralyzing travel, snapping trees and collapsing at least two roofs. Rawlings-Blake, who until Thursday had been City Council president, showed she could be a quick study in mayoral leadership. She monitored the storm and worked the telephones at the city's bustling emergency operations center until 1 a.m. Saturday, then returned by midmorning for a briefing on what had happened overnight.

The problem: A West Baltimore street is now a snow emergency route. The back story: Patricia Hall has been living — and parking — on North Bentalou Street for more than 30 years. Over those decades, she said she and her neighbors have weathered snowstorm after snowstorm, and vigilantly shoveled drifts to allow pedestrians to pass. That's why she was surprised when, in December, her granddaughter pointed out new signs declaring her block part of a "snow emergency route.

If you watch local TV news, you know these people have come up with a new way to terrorize us with their weather coverage. The new way is this: If the snow doesn't come, play up the ice. Ice was the new Armageddon yesterday. So instead of showing footage of panicked shoppers descending on supermarkets for milk, bread and toilet paper after snow forecasts, the TV news showed us footage of traffic creeping along the interstates or cars skidding through stop signs. Instead of interviewing the usual breathless adults shoveling snow off their driveways and giggling kids sledding down snowy hills while enjoying a day off from school, the TV stations trotted out somber-looking highway crew supervisors and state troopers to testify as to the awesome killing power of ice. "There's nothing worse than ice," one highway official told a local newscast.

To Baltimore Transportation Director Al Foxx, snow is a four-letter word in more ways than one. But yesterday Foxx had two other four-letter words to let city residents know that his department is ready to battle the wintry adversary: blue salt. At a downtown news conference yesterday, Foxx announced that 1,000 tons of blue salt would soon be at his department's disposal for a test run in designated neighborhoods when snow hits. The colorful salt won't make the snow melt any faster than regular salt, but Foxx hopes it will pre-empt criticism from residents complaining that their snow-covered streets have not been salted.