Staff reports, The Examiner
2008-01-18 08:00:00.0
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BALTIMORE -

The storm that dumped several inches of snow across the region Thursday snarled traffic, caused several car accidents and downed power lines.

Winter weather advisories were issued for Baltimore City and Baltimore, Carroll, Howard, Harford and Anne Arundel counties, according to the National Weather Service.

“There were tons of accidents, but the vast majority involved only minor property damage,” said Cpl. Mark Shawkey, spokesman for Anne Arundel police.

A one-vehicle crash, for instance, closed Route 450 at Rutland Road in Anne Arundel around 1 p.m., state police said. State police in Carroll also reported many vehicle crashes.

Traffic was slowed in Baltimore County on Interstate 95 north near Interstate 695 and Interstate 895 north, state police said.

By midmorning, snarled traffic throughout Baltimore City caused major backups on Interstates 83 and 95.

The 41st Street Bridge was closed and a late-morning crash on the southbound Jones Falls Expressway brought traffic to a standstill for more than an hour.

Despite the conditions, Baltimore City officials said they were prepared.

“We have 54 plows on the road, and we’ll be receiving additional trucks from other jurisdictions within the hour,” said Deputy Mayor Andy Frank at a midafternoon news conference.

Charlie Gischlar, spokesman for the State Highway Administration, said power lines came down on I-95 south of Route 198 in the early afternoon.

At the peak of the snowstorm in midafternoon, more than 1,500 pieces of equipment had been deployed across the state, he said.

In outlying counties, like Howard and Carroll, the roads were a “mess” as people left work early to beat the snow.

“We [had] accidents all over the county,” said Kim Sikalis, a Howard dispatcher.

“The entire county is completely a mess. ...”

The winter weather also affected area schools.

Baltimore City and Baltimore and Carroll county schools closed early. Anne Arundel and Howard were letting students out early because of exams and Harford students had a scheduled day off.

Staff Writers Luke Broadwater, Stephen Janis, Josh Kowalkowski, Sara Michael, Dorothy Rowley and Matt Santoni contributed to this report.