Snow Emergency Plan Restricts Parking on Snow Emergency Routes and Permits Maryland State Police to Tow Vehicles

(January 21, 2016) – The Maryland State Police and Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) are proactively announcing that snow emergency plans will go into effect at noon Friday in advance of a potentially historic storm expected Friday and Saturday. The Statewide Snow Emergency restricts travel on all highways designated as a snow emergency route unless the vehicle is equipped with chains, snow tires or all season radials.  This includes commercial vehicles operating on hauling permits which are not valid during a snow emergency.

The snow emergency plan also allows the Maryland State Police to immediately tow any vehicles in the road or on the shoulder and restricts all parking on designated snow emergency routes. 

"It is important for all Marylanders to heed Governor Hogan's warning about the coming storm and to make every effort to refrain from travel through the weekend," Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel William Pallozzi said.  "Implementing the snow emergency plans in every county is an indication of the serious nature of this storm and the statewide impact it will have.  Our goal is to keep citizens safe and this is one of the many steps we will be taking to do that." 

Significant snowfall, high winds and treacherous driving conditions are expected from late Friday, all day Saturday and into Sunday.  If forecasts materialize as expected and more than two feet of snow fall, cleanup will extend into several days early next week.

“We are asking motorists to avoid travel during the storm and allow our crews the space needed to plow the roads,” said SHA Administrator Gregory Johnson. “Heavy snow and 40-50 mph winds are life threatening and we can’t stress enough that no one should choose to go out during the storm.  Our goal will be to keep one lane open and passable for emergency vehicles.”

Long haulers have the option to safely navigate to one of Maryland’s ridesharing lots in order to avoid travel during the storm. Ridesharing lots are located along the State highway system in most counties.

SHA maintains the numbered roads in Maryland’s 23 counties with the exception of toll roads (i.e. the ICC, I-95 north of Baltimore City, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Fort McHenry Tunnel etc.)  Click here to obtain information for county roads departments.

MD511 provides tools that you can use for traffic information, weather conditions, or traffic information.  Customers may also follow SHA on Twitter @MDSHA and “like” us on Facebook.