If temperatures barely above freezing can be called a "warming trend," Marylanders should rejoice. For the next few days, temperatures across much of the state will reach a balmy 30 to 35 degrees, forecasters say.
At night, temperatures will dip into the teens. But daytime warming should help melt snow from the season's first storm -- and reduce the threat of bursting water pipes.
"Warming trends of 30 to 35 is no big deal," said Jose Marrero, a meteorologist at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. "But it is warmer than it has been."
Yesterday, two days after the storm left 4 inches to 10 inches of snow across the state, Marylanders bundled up, dug out and headed back to work and school in blustery, frigid weather.
But for many, one worry remained: What about my pipes?
"I just know that I'm going to come home and find my pipes frozen and my basement flooded and my furniture ruined," said Ralph C. Hall, who lives in a three-story brick rowhouse in the 1600 block of N. Bentalou St. in West Baltimore. "With these old houses, the pipes go in a minute."
Yesterday's high temperature was 25 in Baltimore.
Three days of subfreezing temperatures and strong winds caused pipes to burst in homes and buildings throughout the area. The entire Harford County school system closed, and a handful of Baltimore County schools were closed all day or closed early.
Most roads in the area were passable, although some icy spots were reported in rural areas.
Gerald M. Eller, Harford County's highway supervisor, said a half-dozen roads in the northern portions of the county -- five of them in the Jarrettsville area -- were closed so that crews could plow snowdrifts.
The State Highway Administration provided a huge snow blower yesterday to help relieve the problem, he said, adding, "We hope to get a second snow blower in operation tonight to help our crews win this battle."
Seven schools in the Hereford zone of northern Baltimore County were closed because of drifting snow and ice on some roads, said Rita Fromm, the schools' transportation manager. "The drifting just closed some roads," she said, adding that there were also visibility problems caused by blowing snow.
In Howard County, students at Patuxent Valley Middle School were sent home at 12:15 p.m. after the building's heat failed. The school was expected to reopen at its normal time today after repairs.
A heating unit broke down at a county government office building, and about 70 workers were evacuated because of a sour odor.
A pipe between the first and second floors in the Carroll Building in Ellicott City apparently sprang a leak when the building's temperature dropped during the weekend. When the heat came on yesterday morning, a fluid intended to prevent calcium buildup in the pipes leaked out, said Cecil Bray, the county's deputy chief administrative officer.
"It produced a strong smell," he said. "To let the smell out, we had to open up the doors and windows, so it was very cold in there, too. By the time it was going to get cleaned up, three-quarters of the day would have been lost anyway, so everyone was just sent home."
The heating unit was repaired and the building was expected to reopen today.
In Anne Arundel County, customers walking into the Hechinger store in the Southgate Shopping Center could buy some protection against the bad weather.
To the left were 80-pound bags of Vigoro Ice Melt selling for $15.50 apiece. To the right were 50-pound bags of ice melt selling for $9.99 apiece. The store sold out of kerosene space heaters and electric snow blowers over the weekend, said Jim Beachley, the store manager.
The main problem in Baltimore was frozen pipes. Vanessa C. Pyatt, a spokeswoman for the Department of Public Works, said her office has received 220 calls about water-related problems this year, most of them over the weekend.
"I could work from sunup till sundown and I wouldn't be able to answer every request I've gotten to fix someone's pipes," said Carl Everest, a plumber in South Baltimore. "I like staying busy, but this is unreal."