Harford County Public Schools students who returned from a nearly two-week winter break this week picked up an extra day of vacation Tuesday when schools were closed for the first snowstorm of 2015.
The snow began falling between 5 and 6 a.m., and an estimated 2 to 3 inches covered Harford County by Tuesday afternoon.
The opening of schools was initially delayed, and then the school day was canceled as HCPS officials continued to evaluate weather conditions, Jillian Lader, manager of communications, explained in an email.
"As the weather intensified, we determined we would close schools to ensure the safety of our students," Lader wrote.
Harford Community College was also closed Tuesday. Nancy Dysard, spokeswoman for HCC, said the decision to close the campus "was based on the same reasoning" the public school system officials used.
County and municipal government offices were open for business, however, and state and county road crews were out early salting and plowing the local highways.
State Highway Administration crews pre-treated state-maintained roads in Harford County Monday in anticipation of the storm.
"The pre-treating really did remarkable work," SHA spokesman Charlie Gischlar said. "I was watching the snow hit the pavement and melt."
Crews were out again before sunrise Tuesday, and they worked through the day treating roads, Gischlar said.
Traffic conditions were still rough during the morning rush hour, though. Rich Gardiner, spokesman for the Harford County Volunteer Fire & EMS Association, noted a number of auto accidents, which only involved property damage to vehicles, had taken place.
"If you need to be on the road, keep your eyes sharp and safe distances," he wrote on the Association's public information page on Facebook.
Gardiner also reported a "multi-vehicle collision" on I-95 near the Route 24 interchange that involved a tractor-trailer truck and slowed down southbound traffic on the interstate.
Gardiner said via text message that the accident was "minor," but "just enough to impact traffic."
Temperatures were in the low-to-mid 20s, and SHA's Gischlar noted the salt can lose its effectiveness in temperatures below 20 degrees. He said mixing brine with the salt helps in those situations, though.
"These temperatures are so cold that, between our rounds, you could hit a slick spot," he said.
Gischlar explained that traffic can get snarled when drivers "spin out" in slick road conditions, and other motorists slow down to look at the crash.
"What that does is cause major delays, and our equipment gets stuck in that very same traffic," Gischlar explained.
He encouraged motorists to drive below the posted speed limit during the storm, especially along roads at a higher elevation, such as a highway overpass, that are wet.
"If it looks wet, assume that it's icy, and slow down to maintain control of your vehicle," Gischlar said. "This is winter, so anything has a chance to freeze."
Harford County Department of Public Works crews also started treating roads around 5:30 a.m., and they got a visit from new County Executive Barry Glassman, county government spokeswoman Cindy Mumby said.
She said crews spent the day salting roads and clearing snow.
"After the [snow] event's over, there will likely be another salting of the roads," Mumby said. "It depends on what they see out there and what the conditions are."
There is a 20 percent chance of snow Wednesday, and temperatures are expected to dip to 9 degrees that night, according to the National Weather Service website. Thursday is expected to be clear and sunny, but cold with a high temperature of 20 degrees.