City of Annapolis Crews Continue Work on Snow Cleanup Amid Persistent Freezing Temperatures and New Predictions for Additional Snowfall
ANNAPOLIS, MD - The City of Annapolis continues to address the impacts of Snow Storm Blair, which dropped more than 9 inches of snow on Annapolis on Monday, January 6 - the heaviest snowfall for the City in more than eight years. Cleanup efforts have been hindered by ongoing sub-freezing temperatures, a rare weather phenomenon for our area, and one that doesn’t allow the snow to melt with deicing agents. As a result, melting snowpack during the day and icy conditions overnight will continue through the weekend. This pattern may begin to break on Monday, January 13, when the high temperature is forecast to be around 40°F.
MORE SNOW: Overnight tonight (Friday) into Saturday, another round of snow showers may arrive with a total expected accumulation of 1 to 2 inches. At this time, areas south of Annapolis are expected to see more accumulation. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Charles, St. Mary’s and Calvert counties, and a Hazardous Weather Outlook for the entire Chesapeake region, including Annapolis.
PLOW OPERATIONS: The Annapolis Department of Public Works (DPW) crews continue to plow and treat roadways, including tertiary (neighborhood) routes. As of Thursday evening, crews have deployed 300 tons of salt. Due to the amount of snowfall and sustained nature of unusually cold temperatures, some side streets and especially dead-end streets have snow-pack on the road surface that refreezes overnight. DPW crews worked in continuous 12-hour shifts from Monday through Wednesday, resuming normal operations on Thursday.
While DPW crews have continued salting operations throughout the week, some access has been restricted on smaller side and dead-end streets. Crews will return to ensure all problem areas are salted no later than Monday, January 13. Please be aware that the amount of ice that can be melted per pound of salt decreases with temperature, and snow removal equipment is not effective in clearing ice (we use rubber blades because of the nature of our roads). Residents should report icy roads directly to DPW dispatch through the “Report a Problem” portal: https://portal.iworq.net/ANNAPOLIS/new-request/700/3528.
As of 5 a.m. Friday, January 10, DPW reports that:
- Emergency Snow Routes are cleared, salted, and are being maintained.
- Secondary (connector) Roads are passable and being maintained and improved.
- Tertiary (neighborhood) Roads may remain icy; residents should use caution while driving or walking on these roadways.
Please note: Roadways have been plowed to a passable standard, which is defined as “ensuring at least one travel lane be accessible with a front-wheel drive car, even if the street has some snow covering the asphalt or if there is snow-pack on the road surface.”
Given current road conditions, drivers are asked to allow extra time to stop, extend following distance between vehicles, and be aware that conditions may not be suitable for all vehicles. If you must travel, please slow down and exercise caution. Remember that black ice can be especially dangerous because it is nearly invisible to drivers, especially on bridges and overpasses where cold air is able to cool the road surface from above and below.
SIDEWALKS: Clearing snow and ice from sidewalks is the responsibility of the adjacent property occupant or owner. Note that this includes sidewalks on the sides or back of a property. City staff are actively communicating with property owners to remind them and enforce penalties if they do not clear sidewalks. City staff from Public Works and Recreation and Parks are assisting in highest priority areas where the property owner has not cleared the snow and ice or a property owner cannot be clearly identified. Please be aware that some roads and sidewalks in Annapolis belong to the State of Maryland or Anne Arundel County. We are actively working with the State and County to address issues. Again, warmer weather on Sunday and Monday should help improve conditions.
BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR: Please check in on elderly and vulnerable neighbors; shovel your sidewalks; and clear snow away from fire hydrants including a path from the hydrant to the street so that firefighters can easily access it if needed.
STAY INFORMED:
Alert Annapolis – This system allows the City to send out automated telephone messages, text messages, or emails quickly and efficiently in the event of an emergency. The brief message will provide information on the emergency and any important instructions. To sign up for Alert Annapolis, please go to the following site https://alertannapolis.civicready.com/ or text “ANNAPOLIS” to 38276.
Prepare Me Annapolis Mobile App – This free app from OEM provides real-time alerts and information for Annapolitans to be prepared in any type of emergency. Prepare Me Annapolis is available, free of charge, on both the Apple Store and Google Play.
Visit the City on social media at: www.Facebook.com/CityofAnnapolis and www.instagram.com/cityofannapolismd.
