January 24

Hello Eastport

1. Major Snow/Ice Storm Is Coming Tonight. The weather forecasters are predicting a major storm, but as it is for snowstorms in the Annapolis area, it is hard to predict how much snow and, in this case, the mix of snow and ice. The forecasters are also predicting freezing temperatures for a week after this storm, meaning that the snow and ice will stay around for a while. This storm will be disruptive.  

2. City Has Been Preparing: The City staff has worked all week preparing for this storm:

• Mayor Littmann has been leading the effort to ensure the city’s response is on point.

• The Office of Emergency Management has been leading coordination with all city departments.

• The Emergency Operations Center is at an “enhanced” level as staff monitors weather conditions and response.  

• The Annapolis Call Center is operational throughout this event for non-emergency questions related to the winter storm and City services. Annapolis residents can call 410-260-2211. For emergencies, dial 9-1-1.

• Public Works had more than 1000 tons of salt and 11,000 gallons of brine on hand and began brining the streets Friday - the goal is to hit as many streets as possible. Annapolis has 27.9 miles of snow emergency routes, 19.6 miles of snow connector routes and 45.5 miles of other smaller streets.

• The City’s Snow Emergency Response Plan includes 41 vehicles and five contractors available for snow plowing.

3. State of Emergency:  As of noon today, Mayor Jared Littmann declared a State of Emergency in Annapolis to ensure access to critical resources during both the response and recovery phases of the storm. On Friday, Gov. Wes Moore declared a State of Emergency for Maryland. At the City’s request, the State of Maryland has provided two units of the Maryland National Guard with high-clearance vehicles to assist the City specifically with transportation as needed due to the storm. These units will always be accompanied by City employees.

4. Phase II Snow Emergency: The City has three levels of snow emergency declarations. The city will declare a Phase II Snow Emergency as of 8:00pm tonight which means:

• No parking on Snow Emergency Routes. Vehicles must be moved.  

  • Four City-owned garages (Park Place, Knighton, Gotts, and Mills Hillman) are free for residents after 4pm Saturday.

  • Because parked cars are one of the biggest challenges for snow crews, vehicles that remain on Snow Emergency Routes after 10pm on Saturday may be towed at the expense of the vehicle owner.  

• Plowing and cleanup take longer because of the need to plow and REMOVE snow

• Cleanup timeline: Snow Emergency Routes cleared by 30 hours; Connectors by 42 hours; Tertiary by 66 hours

5. Please Clear Sidewalks: This is about Eastporters being Eastporters. PLEASE shovel your sidewalks; if your neighbor is not home or needs some neighborly help, please shovel your neighbor’s sidewalk. Shoveling throughout the storm as well as at the end will make the challenge less daunting.

• Annapolis City Code requires property owners to clear adjacent public sidewalks (including sidewalks in the side and rear of properties) of snow and ice within three hours after snow or sleet has stopped falling (or by 11 a.m. following an overnight snow event). In 2025, the Annapolis City Council passed an ordinance that increased the fine for noncompliance to $100 per day.  

• The City’s effort to use contractors to shovel sidewalks is focused on routes for children to get to school. It is not designed to replace, and does not have the capacity to replace, our neighborly responsibility.  

• But Eastporters don’t need the City to tell us to be good neighbors – that is what makes Eastport such a great place to live. Please help your neighbors.  

6. Refuse and Recycling Pickups: Monday’s trash and recycling pickups have been cancelled. At this time, expect Monday to shift to Tuesday and Tuesday to shift to Wednesday.    

7. City Council Meeting postponed: Monday’s meeting has been postponed until next Monday, 2/2/26, at 7:00pm.

8. Best Info Resources:  

• Prepare Me Annapolis: Stay informed of city alerts by downloading the Prepare Me Annapolis app on your phone, click on "Be prepared," then scroll down to "snowstorms and extreme cold" to get real-time alerts and information.  

• Annapolis Snow Information: For information on Annapolis’ general policies for snow, plowing, and declarations of snow emergencies, visit www.annapolis.gov/730/Snow-Information.

• Track Snow Plows: The City of Annapolis uses SnowPaths, an online tool that provides real-time GPS tracking of snow plowing and road salting operations during winter storms. The interactive, mobile-friendly map shows when roads were last serviced and highlights priority routes.

• Power Outages: Baltimore Gas and Electric has informed City officials that they are prepared to handle potential outages due to icy conditions from the storm. Report outages by calling 877-778-2222, texting OUT to MYBGE (69243), or visiting the “Report an Outage” portal online: bge.com/outages/experiencing-an-outage/report-an-outage

• Report an Issue in Annapolis: Report infrastructure problems such as potholes, water main leaks, downed trees that block roads or sidewalks, blinking traffic lights or more through the City’s service request portal, which allows users to submit concerns and track their status in real time, or call 410-263-7970, during regular hours (8:30 am to 4:30 pm); after hours, weekends, or on holidays, use the 24-hour line, 410-224-2140.

• Snow Information: For information on Annapolis’ general policies for snow, plowing, and declarations of snow emergencies, visit the Snow Information page on the City’s website: annapolis.gov/730/Snow-Information.

Stay safe, Frank