Snow

Unlike Wednesday's snowstorm that failed to materialize amid forecasters' dire predictions, the Blizzard of '93 roared into Maryland the weekend of March 13-14 with a wallop, dumping a foot of snow on Baltimore while raking the state with almost hurricane-like winds before racing northward into New England. The cyclonic storm was born over the Gulf of Mexico on March 12, and at its maximum, it extended from Canada to Central America. It bore down on Cuba, where it killed 10, and then turned its ferocity on the East Coast.

The longer snowflakes were kept at bay, the faster the wisecracks started coming in on Twitter and Facebook. "I remember when I was a kid in the 70's and they predicted storms accurately 7 days in advance," Havre de Grace resident Jason Falkenstine tweeted. "It would be nice to have an apology from meteorologist for being totally wrong," Baltimore resident Jason Sellers wrote. Meteorologists offered a mea culpa for predictions of Baltimore's biggest snowfall in two years.

March snowfall is not uncommon in the Baltimore area, with 2 inches on average during the month. But some storms have dumped much more than that -- though it is typically wet snow that disappears quickly. March storms in 1942, 1892, 1962 and 1993 rank among the 20 heaviest snowfalls on record for Baltimore, according to National Weather Service data. An 8-inch snow fell in mid-March 1858, the heaviest of that winter season. But it was described as "light. " "In a very short time, the streets were in fine condition for sleighing, and the jingle of the bells was heard in every direction," according to Sun archives.

Schools and government offices aren't the only things closing down in anticipation of today's snowstorm. Here is a partial list, continually being updated, of cultural and commercial institutions shutting down for the day. The American Visionary Art Museum is closed. Tonight's Hesperus Cine-Concert at An Die Musik Live has been postponed. The Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum and Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards are closed. The Baltimore Museum of Art is closed.

Several closures have been announced in Carroll County due to inclement weather on Wednesday, March 6. Carroll County Public Schools and offices, including the Central Office, are closed today, March 6. Gerstell Academy in Finksburg is closed. Carroll Community College and its Mount Airy Center are closed today. All classes and activities are canceled. Students should check Blackboard for instructor information. McDaniel College is closed through 11 p.m. Wednesday. All undergraduate and graduate classes are canceled, and Wednesday evening's performance of the play, "The Sleep of Reason," is also canceled.

It was supposed to be both winter's last blast and Baltimore's first significant snowfall in two years, but stubbornly warm air took the "snow" out of Wednesday's snow day for many Marylanders. While weather forecasts had the region preparing for the worst - as much as a foot of heavy snow causing potentially hundreds of thousands of power outages - what it got was little more than a nasty day of slushy rain, though several inches of snow stuck north and west of the city. Yet heavy winds toppled a tractor-trailer on the Bay Bridge, shutting the span down in both directions for about four hours.

As anticipated, Wednesday night's annual showdown between UMBC and top-ranked Maryland at Byrd Stadium in College Park has been postponed indefinitely because of the snowstorm blanketing the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. area, and a makeup date is unlikely. Retrievers coach Don Zimmerman and Terps coach John Tillman discussed the situation earlier Wednesday morning, and both universities canceling classes Wednesday aided the decision to call off the contest. “We know how important it is to the kids, and I'm sure Coach Zim would like to play it, too,” Tillman said.

Much of the predicted snowstorm that closed local schools and put highway crews on the alert Wednesday failed to materialize in Harford County. Predictions for snow accumulations fluctuated as the late-winter storm system, known as Winter Storm Saturn, approached the Mid-Atlantic region. The storm left much of the Eastern Seaboard with wet and heavy snow, power outages, flooding and major traffic accidents, although Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region escaped with mostly mixed rain and snow, and high winds, according to Weather.com.

Expectations of a storm to bring the heaviest snow in at least two years for the region have been dialed back as the National Weather Service has canceled its winter storm warning. High winds and wet roads remain a concern. Check here for live blog updates on conditions and forecasts. 4:36 p.m.:  Weather service meteorologists are no longer expecting any meaningful wintry precipitation Wednesday night, lifting the winter weather advisory for much of Central Maryland. Concerns remain over high winds in the Baltimore area and dangerous conditions along the coast, however, with rough surf and some rescues needed.