Baltimore, Maryland, does experience snow and is susceptible to various winter weather events. Located in the Mid-Atlantic region, the city sits in a transitional climatic zone, often placing it on the border between cold air masses to the north and warmer, moisture-laden systems moving up the coast. This location ensures that winter precipitation is a regular feature of the season, even if the total accumulation varies dramatically from year to year.
Average Seasonal Accumulation
The city’s official weather station at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) provides the definitive data for the region. The average seasonal snowfall for Baltimore is \(19.3\) inches, based on the 1991-2020 climate normals. This average places Baltimore in a moderate snow belt, receiving more snow than locations further south but significantly less than others inland. This figure stands in contrast to Western Maryland, which can see seasonal totals exceeding \(100\) inches. Baltimore’s coastal position keeps its average accumulation modest, but year-to-year variability is high.
Typical Snowfall Timing
The primary snow season for the Baltimore area runs from December through March, which are the months most consistently cold enough for frozen precipitation. January and February typically account for the largest share of the seasonal total, often featuring the most organized winter storms. The average date for the first measurable snowfall (\(0.1\) inches or more) usually occurs in December. Snowfall in the fringe months of November and April is rare. The likelihood decreases sharply outside of the core winter months, and the season’s last snowfall typically takes place in March before temperatures rise consistently above the freezing mark.
Historical Snowfall Records
Baltimore has experienced significant, record-breaking storms throughout its history. The largest single-storm snowfall event on record occurred in January 2016 during Winter Storm Jonas. This massive system dropped \(29.2\) inches of snow at the BWI station, paralyzing the region. The record for the snowiest winter season is held by the winter of 2009–2010, with a seasonal total of \(77.0\) inches. This extreme total was largely due to a series of powerful nor’easters that struck the Mid-Atlantic in quick succession.
Geographic Factors Influencing Snow
Baltimore’s snowfall totals are heavily influenced by its geography, particularly its proximity to large bodies of water. The Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay exert a moderating effect on temperatures, often keeping air just above the \(32\) degrees Fahrenheit freezing point near the coast. This frequently causes storms to deposit heavy, wet snow or even switch to rain, limiting total accumulation. The city often sits on the “rain-snow line,” where a slight shift in a storm’s track or a minor temperature fluctuation can mean the difference between a major snowfall and a minor rain event. The Appalachian Mountains help trap cold Canadian air masses in the region. When this trapped cold air combines with abundant moisture supplied by the warm Atlantic Gulf Stream, the conditions are set for significant snowstorms.