With snow still covering the ground from last week's storm, the Baltimore area's plea to nature for mercy was partially answered yesterday, as the region woke up to an icy landscape that caused headaches for commuters and travelers, but few serious accidents.
Ice accumulated on roads, trees and utility lines, knocking out power to thousands. It also delayed or canceled flights at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, disrupted the morning commute, and closed -- or postponed the opening of -- most schools.
As temperatures rose, flooding became a problem in areas where drainage pipes were blocked by snow.
But mostly minor accidents were reported in the metropolitan area, even in the storm's early hours, despite low temperatures and heavy rain.
"We lucked out," said Maryland State Police Sgt. Thornnie Rouse. "In the Baltimore area we had mostly rain. You had a few slick spots on overpasses. But the Beltway was pretty smooth."
With ice accumulations of a quarter- to a half-inch, the storm hit Carroll, Frederick, Montgomery and Washington counties hardest, said Dewey Walston, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The heaviest precipitation passed through the area by 1 p.m., he said.
Meteorologists are forecasting a warmer end to the week, with temperatures climbing above 40 degrees through Sunday.
But this morning could bring renewed problems as low overnight temperatures freeze standing water.
Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. spokeswoman Sharon Sasada reported 6,700 customers without power in Carroll County, 5,000 in Baltimore County, 2,000 in Anne Arundel, and 700 each in Harford and Howard counties.
Most of the problems in Carroll were caused by ice-covered tree limbs falling onto power lines, said Steve Unglesbee, a BGE spokesman. The state police barracks in Westminster was forced to rely briefly on a backup generator for electricity.
Carroll road crews applied about 700 tons of salt, starting at 3 a.m. But neither the schools nor county government opened for business. Schools also were closed in Baltimore, Arundel and Howard counties. They opened late in Baltimore City.
And the storm did more than close schools in Arundel -- it forced officials to reschedule a public hearing on school scheduling.
By late morning, state police in Carroll reported being swamped by calls for traffic accidents and downed wires and fallen branches blocking roads. Asked to identify a particular problem spot, Cpl. Dennis Hooper of the state police said, "Oh my gosh, pick a road."
At BWI, about three-quarters of the morning flights were delayed or canceled, stacking up passengers through the afternoon. Light rail service was suspended between Hunt Valley and Timonium between 9:15 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. because of ice on the overhead power line.
"We still have some [buses] only driving on main roads due to particularly slippery conditions on the side roads, which is a carryover from the snow last week," said Maryland Transit Administration spokesman Frank Fulton. The second storm exacerbated those conditions, he said.
The state sent road crews to begin coating the roads with salt and liquid magnesium at midnight yesterday, and about 2,000 employees worked into the evening to prevent a nighttime freeze.
"In this instance, where the temperatures are low and the pavement is cold, you can't take any chances," said State Highway Administration spokeswoman Kellie Boulware.
In Baltimore County, officials estimate salting roads costs $44,000 an hour -- more than double the $16,000 an hour it costs the county to plow snow. "This is an expensive deal," said David F. Fidler, a spokesman for the county's Public Works Department.
Howard County police had responded to 14 auto accidents as of yesterday afternoon, a moderate number, they said.
The storm prompted some concern about the school calendar: Many districts have used up three snow days between last week's storm and yesterday's. Winter doesn't begin until next week, but Baltimore City schools have only one snow day left, said spokeswoman Vanessa C. Pyatt.
"I was really surprised when my mom told me school was canceled," said Erin Moore, a 15-year-old who attends Wilde Lake High School, as she sat in The Mall in Columbia's food court yesterday. "It's good that we got to sleep but if school's going to be canceled, it might as well be for something big."
The Sun's Carroll County bureau, staff writers Stephen Kiehl, Julie Bykowicz, Laura Loh, Jason Song, Tanika White and the Associated Press contributed to this article.