Maryland dug, scraped, clawed and hauled its way back toward a semblance of normal life - at least on main roads - as a break in the weather gave residents and workers an opportunity to remove snow without more falling on their heads.
Many secondary roads and neighborhood streets were still covered in snow - and might still be today and Saturday - after the second of two storms to pummel the state in a week added 20 inches or so in many areas. But interstates in the Baltimore area were fully cleared to the pavement, in some cases for the first time since Maryland's ordeal by flakes began late last Friday. State highway crews using front-end loaders and dump trucks were turning their attention to primary and secondary roads, seeking to restore lanes that remain blocked by hauling away high piles of dirty snow that plows can't budge.
Bit by bit, the situation improved. Power restoration around the state was making good progress: BGE said Thursday night that about 2,500 customers still lacked electricity. Baltimore- Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport will be back in full operation today, but public transit will still be limited. Schools remain closed, while the state, city and most counties reopen with liberal leave policies for today. The federal government said employees could report two hours late or take unscheduled leave.
In Baltimore, Mayor Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake asked city residents to be patient as crews deal with the after-effects of the twin storms. "Baltimore has never seen anything like this before," she said, describing it as a "difficult and inconvenient time for our citizens." But she stressed that "this city was safe during this historic emergency."
Police and fire responded to more than 1,500 police and medical emergency calls, plus two house fires, the mayor said. Though plows were redirected to major roads during the most recent storm, contractors using smaller Bobcats and backhoes were working on secondary roads, according to Transportation Director Alfred H. Foxx.
Some residents were unimpressed with the city's efforts. Andrew Timleck of Better Waverly e-mailed that "not one plow has showed its face" on Montpelier, Independence, East 30th, Mathews or Ellerslie streets. He wrote that residents are pulling together, but "being forgotten like this isn't acceptable."
The most serious problems on state roads remained in Frederick and Carroll counties, where high winds formed deep drifts across roadways. In southern Frederick County, on the roads to Brunswick and Harpers Ferry, W. Va., several dozen vehicles were stranded Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Emergency officials launched a rescue mission using Maryland National Guard and Maryland State Police, and by nightfall, authorities believed they had rescued all those stranded. Erin Holloway, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, said there were no fatalities or medical emergencies.
Maryland, which records 10 to 12 deaths on its roads in a typical week, also continued its remarkable streak of days without a traffic fatality into its seventh day.
There was a near-miss Thursday on the Beltway's outer loop near U.S. 40 when a tractor-trailer plowed into a State Highway Administration pickup truck flashing a signal for traffic to move over so snow removal could proceed. The SHA's James L. Flutka was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. The trucker, Robert D. Scolaro of Lakeland, Fla., was ticketed for failure to control speed to avoid a collision. The outer loop was closed about 30 minutes before two lanes were opened.
The heavy snow caused other problems, too. At the Mall in Columbia, a loud noise forced the evacuation of the Lord & Taylor store. Bob Frances, Howard County's building inspection chief, said a roof beam flexed slightly under the weight of the snow, but that he saw no danger. The store was to remain closed until at least noon today, according to Lori Rhodes, a Lord & Taylor spokeswoman.
State schools Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick gave a reprieve of sorts to schoolchildren, saying that she will ask the state school board to waive a requirement that students be in school for a minimum of 180 days a year. Grasmick has taken this step of waiving the statewide requirement only once - after the ice storms of the mid-1990s.
In Annapolis, all but a few dozen Maryland lawmakers reported for duty - but again had little to do. For the second day in a row, nearly all public hearings were canceled, leaving lawmakers with ample time to return e-mail and phone calls from constituents. The House of Delegates and Senate will convene at 11 a.m. today, but a full schedule of hearings won't resume until Tuesday.
House Speaker Michael E. Busch, an Anne Arundel County Democrat, predicted the "whopper" snowstorms wouldn't have a lasting impact on state government's work this year because they came early in the 90-day legislative session.
Mass transit will continue to be gradually restored today. The MARC Penn Line will run on a limited holiday schedule, but the Brunswick and Camden lines won't run.
Bus service, which began to come back Thursday, will continue to be restored with a goal of having all routes running, Maryland Transportation Secretary Beverley K. Swaim-Staley said. She added that the Baltimore and Washington Metros are expected to run to underground stops only. Mobility service for the disabled will be provided for dialysis patients only.
Light rail will run at 30-minute intervals. Jawauna Greene, a Maryland Transit Administration spokeswoman, said additional stations will open as the platforms, sidewalks and parking lots are cleared. Greene said the MTA will update its Web site, www.mtamaryland.gov, every hour with the latest information. Riders can also call 410-539-5000 or toll free 1-866-RIDE-MTA.
Though the Phase III ban on nonemergency vehicles on city streets was lifted, Baltimore remains in a Phase II snow emergency, meaning vehicles must be removed from snow emergency routes. Since the storms began last Friday, the city has towed or removed 514 vehicles, a Transportation Department spokeswoman said.
City public works officials announced that trash and recycling collections, which had been canceled through the end of this week, will resume Tuesday. Drop-off centers, however, will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today.
Gov. Martin O'Malley urged snowbound Marylanders to use the snowstorm as an opportunity to get to know their neighbors - and help those who need a hand digging out. But some residents didn't need a push from the governor.
In Baltimore's Oakenshawe neighborhood Thursday morning, a father of three managed to get his Honda Odyssey van out of its parking spot so he could take his two young sons sledding, but got stuck again as he tried to back down the street. Two other area residents, one a stranger, pushed and pulled until he was free.
An hour or so later, Wyman Park residents who in some cases did not know each other were also helping out cars stuck in snow. After several days of practice, such acts were coming naturally.
"People are getting tired of the repetitive nature of all this snow," said Daniel Krall, a 33-year-old illustration teacher at the Maryland Institute College of Art, "but they're definitely talking to each other more than usual. Most people can relate to having to share a common task - it's primeval."
In the suburbs, elected leaders were asking their constituents for patience too.
Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold said "100 percent" of the county's arterial and collector roads are passable, though some are still slushy or even snow-packed. About half the residential streets are passable, he said, but it will take at least a couple more days to reach all roads.
In Baltimore County, roads chief Tim Burgess said he was pleasantly surprised by how much snow county crews and contractors had been able to clear the day after the latest storm. He said the county had rented about 150 loaders to supplement its usual fleet of 300 plows, loaders and trucks.
All main county roads were at least partially cleared of snow, Burgess said, but he urged motorists to drive with caution.
"Keep in mind, a lot of them aren't fully open, they're partial lanes or lanes that end," he said. "I'm hoping by the weekend, everybody can go everywhere they want - maybe not quickly, but they'll get there."
County crews will be working into next week to reclaim snow-covered lanes, he said. "It's going to be a long operation." As for next week's forecast of more snow," Burgess said, "I refuse to look that far ahead." Carroll, Harford and Howard county officials said they were contending with wind that was blowing snow back onto plowed roads in some areas.
In Carroll, gusts forced crews to revisit plowed secondary roads and kept them from getting to neighborhoods, said county spokeswoman Vivian Laxton. Officials hope to start on them today, she said.
"It's going to be a day or more before some areas have been opened up," warned Bob Thomas, spokesman for Harford County Executive David Craig.
Howard County Executive Ken Ulman said he saw gusts Thursday afternoon blowing snow back onto plowed roads. He described the experience as "like driving through a car wash filled with blowing snow."
Baltimore Sun reporters Meredith Cohn, Larry Carson, Nick Madigan, Liz F. Kay, Julie Bykowicz and Liz Bowie contributed to this article.
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