A winter storm occurred across the Eastern Shore from the late afternoon of the 1st into the late afternoon of the 2nd. About eight to twelve inches of snow fell across the region and caused a death in Queen Anne's County. A snow emergency was in effect for the state from the 1st into the 4th. The combination of strong winds and heavy snow made travel difficult at best and made it tough for road crews to keep thoroughfares opened. There were many fender benders and vehicles that slid off roads. Numerous accidents were reported. The Mid-Atlantic AAA responded to 2,600 calls for assistance throughout their region. All schools as well as many county and municipal offices and businesses were closed on Monday March 2nd. many meetings were postponed. Schools did not reopen until the 3rd in Cecil County, 4th in Talbot and Queen Anne's County and the 5th in Kent and Caroline Counties.
The one weather related death occurred in Queen Anne's County. A 79-year-old man was found dead from hypothermia at about 730 p.m. EST on the 2nd on Dill Farm Road off of White Marsh Road. His wife was found inside the Sports Utility Vehicle that became stuck in a ditch for a second time. The vehicle apparently became stuck on Clannihan Shop Road at about 230 a.m. EST on the 2nd near Lieby Road. A snow plow driver pulled the vehicle out of the ditch. Shortly after 7 a.m. EST, the vehicle was spotted in about the same area. The husband apparently left the vehicle looking for help. It was assumed that the heavy falling and drifting snow disoriented him. His body was found across the fields from Clannihan Shop Road. The wife was treated for hypothermia.
Precipitation began as a mixture of rain and sleet across the lower Eastern Shore and just plain snow elsewhere during the late afternoon of the 1st. The mixed precipitation changed to all snow by the start of the evening of the 1st and fell heavy at times during the evening and overnight as gravity wave bands of heavier snow moved through the region. Snow of generally lighter intensity fell during the day on the 2nd, before it ended during the late afternoon.
In Cecil County, a tanker truck filled with liquid propane overturned on a snow covered road near Elkton at 10 a.m. EST on the 2nd. This caused the evacuation of about 15 homes. They returned by 6 p.m. EST that evening. In Queen Anne's County, in addition to the weather related death, a 47-year-old woman was injured after she slid into another vehicle on Maryland State Route 301. Wind restrictions were in effect on the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge across Chesapeake Bay until the afternoon of the 2nd. In Caroline County, 28 accidents were reported. In Talbot County, Easton Airport was closed from 10 p.m. EST on the 1st through 2 p.m. EST on the 2nd. State Police responded to 41 weather related accidents. Fifty vehicles became stuck in ditches along a thirty-one mile stretch of U.S. Route 50 between Easton (Talbot County) and Vienna (Dorchester County). The cold weather that followed caused a pipe to burst in a school in Trappe (Talbot County).
Snowfall totals included 12.2 inches in Royal Oak (Talbot County), 11.0 inches in Chestertown and Millington (both Kent County), 10.3 inches in Centreville (Queen Anne's County), 9.0 inches in Galena (Kent County), 8.8 inches in Ridgely (Caroline County), 8.5 inches in Stevensville (Queen Anne's County), 8.0 inches in Elkton (Cecil County), 7.5 inches in Easton (Talbot County), 5.5 inches in Denton (Caroline County) and Saint Michaels (Talbot County) and 5.0 inches in Port Deposit (Cecil County). For some places this was the heaviest single snow event since February of 2003.
The winter storm was caused by a nor'easter that moved east of the region. The nor'easter low pressure system moved from the Georgia and South Carolina border at 7 a.m. EST on the 1st to about 150 miles east of the southern New Jersey coast at 7 a.m. EST on the 2nd. It was passing through the Canadian Maritimes during the morning of the 3rd. Heavy snow bands associated with the gravity wave occurred during the pre-dawn hours on the 2nd when most of the heaviest snow fell.

Winter Storm in CAROLINE, MARYLAND
From 01-MAR-09 15:30:00 to 02-MAR-09 17:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in TALBOT, MARYLAND
From 01-MAR-09 15:30:00 to 02-MAR-09 17:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in QUEEN ANNES, MARYLAND
From 01-MAR-09 16:00:00 to 02-MAR-09 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in KENT, MARYLAND
From 01-MAR-09 17:00:00 to 02-MAR-09 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in CECIL, MARYLAND
From 01-MAR-09 18:00:00 to 02-MAR-09 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter