Record Breaking (almost!) Snowfall

Maryland has seen a record amount of snow in the Baltimore area this winter; a total of 80″ so far at BWI-Marshall airport. In fact Baltimore’s snowfall is well ahead of the normally snowy cities of Buffalo (66″), Boston (35″), Cleveland (44″), and Chicago (45″)! But there is a town here in Maryland where more snow has fallen than the combined snowfall of Baltimore, Buffalo, and Boston…it’s Keysers Ridge in Garrett County. A weather observer out in Garrett County noted the Maryland State Highway Administration office in Keysers Ridge on I-68 has reported 225″ of snow so far this winter, and the snow is still falling. At the Wisp Ski Resort, a little farther west in Garrett County, 189″ of snow had been measured as of Wednesday morning. A chart on deepcreektimes.com showing winter snowfall for Garrett County going back to 1940 indicates the only two years when the snowfall topped 200″ were 1996 and 2003 and no year has topped the 250″ mark. However, with several weeks of the snow seaon to go that 250″ level seems within reach for the residents of Maryland’s westernmost county. Garrett County has long been known as the “Icebox of Maryland”, but this winter it is not only cold, but very snowy too…even by Garrett County standards!