Snow

Victoria Pauliuc pushes her son Steven through the snow in an alley near their Main Street home in Hagerstown's West End on Thursday

Despite forecasts of up to three inches of snow overnight, Hagerstown saw almost none of the white stuff. Weather observer Greg Keefer's web site, i4weather.net , reported no measurable precipitation in Hagerstown on Thursday night or Friday morning. Flurries could be seen in the city at around 6 a.m., however, and there was a dusting of snow on some untreated surfaces. To the north, the National Weather Service reported no measurable snowfall in Franklin and Fulton counties in Pennsylvania.

A snow emergency declared Wednesday in the borough of Waynesboro was lifted at 8 a.m. Thursday, according to a news release. The emergency was declared at 3 p.m. Wednesday. Vehicles parked along certain sections of Main Street and South Potomac Street had to be moved off the streets by 5 p.m. that day. Vehicles not moved were subject to a citation and possible towing, the release said. The cost of towing will be the responsibility of the owner, the release said.

Hagerstown once again Monday dodged most of the snow that forecasters said could fall in the city. The National Weather Service said Sunday that 2 to 4 inches could fall in Hagerstown on Monday but only an inch of snow and ice ended up in the city, according to Hagerstown weather observer Greg Keefer's website at www.i4weather.net . Not only was the snowfall lighter, but it arrived in the region later than expected. The National Weather Service said light to moderate snow could begin between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. Monday, but it did not start until about 2 p.m. National Weather Service meteorologist Kevin Witt said the reason the snowfall started later was because of dry Northeast air moving through the area Monday that caused the precipitation to evaporate before it hit the ground.

Here is a list of tips from a page on the Maryland State Highway Administration's website at http://www.sha.state.md.us/index.aspx?PageId=242 if you need to drive in the snow. Allow extra time to get to where you are going. Keep in mind that four-wheel drive vehicles are just as vulnerable to slipping on ice as regular two-wheel drive vehicles. If your car begins to skid, take your foot off the gas pedal and immediately steer in the direction of the skid. Do not panic or slam on the brakes.

Sarah Walker of Frederick, Md., walks in the snow along the lake at Cunningham Falls State Park on Monday after a winter storm dumped several inches of snow in some parts of the area.

What is snow? Snow is frozen rain, but if one inch of rain falls, would that equal one inch of snowfall? John Newkirk, program manager at the National Weather Service forecast office in Sterling, Va., says no. The Sterling office, part of the NWS eastern region, provides weather information for Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. "Snowflakes are bigger," he says. The standard conversion is that every 1/10 of an inch of rain would translate into one inch of snow when it gets cold enough.

shappell@herald-mail.com Those hoping for an end to the wintry blast that has hovered over the area since Friday evening probably will be disappointed today as forecasters are predicting more snow and some freezing rain. Forecasters also say temperatures are not expected to climb above freezing until Thursday at the earliest. National Weather Service Meteorologist Andy Woodcock said light sleet and freezing rain were expected late Monday and early this morning. Today, there is a strong likelihood of up to 1/4 inch of freezing rain in parts of Washington County and beyond, Woodcock said.

Hagerstown and the surrounding area woke up Tuesday to a white Christmas, much of which had melted by the evening as another storm was expected to bring a wintry mix, including ice, that would make travel treacherous Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. On Christmas Day, the National Weather Service upgraded a winter storm watch for the region to a winter storm advisory, as up to two-tenths of an inch of ice accumulation is expected in the Hagerstown area and along the Interstate 81 corridor through Wednesday night, meteorologist Jared Klein said.

Maryland State Police announced that the snow emergency plans that went into effect at 5:30 p.m. Monday for Washington and Frederick counties were lifted by 8:30 p.m. When a snow emergency plan is in effect, all vehicles traveling on designated state snow emergency routes must be equipped with chains, snow tires or all-season radial tires. Vehicles parked on snow emergency routes are subject to being impounded.

Reports that Fredericksburg, Va., may be making a play to attract the Hagerstown Suns reached a fever pitch Thursday, when Suns majority owner Bruce Quinn was quoted in a Virginia newspaper saying he's going “full-speed ahead” with moving the team there. Quinn's comments appeared in The Free Lance-Star, which quoted him as saying he would move the team if the Fredericksburg City Council approves construction of a new multipurpose baseball stadium. In an email Thursday afternoon, Quinn told The Herald-Mail that he has not yet given up on getting something done in Hagerstown, “However, it's been like square-dancing in snow skis.” Hagerstown Councilman Lewis C. Metzner, who earlier this week hinted that the city might be close to forging its own deal to keep the Suns, said he was not surprised by the news.

Ah, what a beautiful spring. How I adore the buckets of snow and the sound of snow plows. I have to admit, it is a pretty snow. With spring break starting later this week and continuing through early next week, the students who attend Washington County Public Schools might spend their break making snow angels. Gymkana troupe If you are looking for a fun activity to attend this weekend, look no further than the ARCC at Hagerstown Community College. The Gymkana Troupe from the University of Maryland will perform Friday at 7 p.m. The troupe performs gymnastics and circus-like acts.

An early spring snowstorm that passed through the Tri-State area left up to 6.2 inches of heavy, wet snow in Washington County on Monday but caused few traffic problems, officials said. There were some power outages but those had been eliminated Monday night, according to FirstEnergy Corp. The National Weather Service listed some unofficial observations for snowfall totals in Washington County and deepest amount recorded was 6.2 inches in Maugansville. Rohrersville had 5.5 inches and Cavetown and Longmeadow had 4 inches, according to the NWS. Hagerstown weather observer Greg Keefer reported on his website at i4weather.net that 4.2 inches of snow fell in Hagerstown.

Spring Break is scheduled to begin Thursday for Washington County Public Schools, but it turns out students looking forward to that glossed over the possibility of another snow day. Schools were closed Monday in the county as 4.2 inches of snow had fallen on Hagerstown by 1:45 p.m., according to local weather observer Greg Keefer's website at i4weather.net . “We usually don't get snow this late,” Elizabeth Stell, 14, of Hagerstown, said....

Borough of Waynesboro property owners who fail to clear their sidewalks of snow within 24 hours of a storm ending are facing increased fees. Fines were $10. Now, under a borough council vote Wednesday, property owners could be issued either a $75 ticket or a $100 citation, the latter of which carries state-related fees on top of the $100. The borough council directed an ordinance to be written for adoption later. Council members indicated they want tickets to be the primary method of enforcement.

The first day of spring might be Wednesday, but Old Man Winter is expected to have his way Monday. Snow is expected to start moving into the Hagerstown area Monday morning, and the city could see 1 to 2 inches of snow from the system, according to the National Weather Service, A winter weather advisory is in effect for Washington and Frederick counties in Maryland; Franklin County, Pa., and Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan counties in West Virginia...

Hagerstown once again Monday dodged most of the snow that forecasters said could fall in the city. The National Weather Service said Sunday that 2 to 4 inches could fall in Hagerstown on Monday but only an inch of snow and ice ended up in the city, according to Hagerstown weather observer Greg Keefer's website at www.i4weather.net . Not only was the snowfall lighter, but it arrived in the region later than expected. The National Weather Service said light to moderate snow could begin between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. Monday, but it did not start until about 2 p.m. National Weather Service meteorologist Kevin Witt said the reason the snowfall started later was because of dry Northeast air moving through the area Monday that caused the precipitation to evaporate before it hit the ground.

Maryland State Police announced that the snow emergency plans that went into effect at 5:30 p.m. Monday for Washington and Frederick counties were lifted by 8:30 p.m. When a snow emergency plan is in effect, all vehicles traveling on designated state snow emergency routes must be equipped with chains, snow tires or all-season radial tires. Vehicles parked on snow emergency routes are subject to being impounded.

Snow that hit the Tri-State area Wednesday sent some people outdoors with shovels, but others found it created a winter playground. A group of Martinsburg, W.Va., residents took advantage of the situation by going sledding on the hill at Mt. Calvary Church of God in Clear Spring on Wednesday. “I've been doing it here since I was 7 or 8 years old,” Tony Harvey, 22, said. “It's really big, really steep, and it's really fast.” Harvey went sledding with his stepdaughter, Tahkoda Denton, 3, and her mother, Korrine Ashton-Denton.

Here is a list of tips from a page on the Maryland State Highway Administration's website at http://www.sha.state.md.us/index.aspx?PageId=242 if you need to drive in the snow. Allow extra time to get to where you are going. Keep in mind that four-wheel drive vehicles are just as vulnerable to slipping on ice as regular two-wheel drive vehicles. If your car begins to skid, take your foot off the gas pedal and immediately steer in the direction of the skid. Do not panic or slam on the brakes.