Montgomery County Expects 4-6 Inches of Snowfall Late Tuesday, Feb. 11, into Wednesday morning, Feb. 12
For Immediate Release: Monday, February 10, 2025
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for Montgomery County from 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 11 to 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 12. Heavy snow with accumulations between 4-6 inches is possible. Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning commutes are expected to be impacted.
Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) has begun pretreating County roads with salt brine, a mixture of salt and water, and will activate the Storm Operations Center (SOC) as of 10 a.m. on Tuesday. Crews will begin monitoring roadway conditions and responding as necessary. Cold temperatures will remain around freezing overnight and into Wednesday morning and snow is expected to turn to rain on Wednesday afternoon.
Roads, especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous. MCDOT urges residents to stay off roadways once snowfall begins. Those who must travel should proceed with caution, leaving plenty of room between themselves and the motorist ahead of them and allow extra time to reach their destination.
MCDOT’s Ride On bus service will operate on a regular schedule on Tuesday, Feb. 11, with possible changes depending on snow accumulations later in the day and on Wednesday morning, Feb. 12. Snow-related detours and delays are likely. US 29 Flash (Colesville Road/Old Columbia Pike) Bus Rapid Transit bus service may use 40-foot buses in place of Flash-branded articulated buses. Riders should check for information about service delays or detours online at RideOnBus.com .
What to Expect
MCDOT is responsible for clearing 5,300 lane miles of County roads, including 1,608 emergency primary routes and 3,700 residential roads. The department has approximately 165 in-house plows and a large number of loaders and other pieces of equipment for snow events. Heavier storms could require an additional 200 to 300 contractor trucks. MCDOT also has contract tree crews available for ice and windstorms to address downed trees and assist PEPCO with outages.
Emergency primary routes are cleared first to ensure emergency vehicles can respond. Once the snow stops and emergency roads are clear, plows begin clearing residential streets. Throughout the storm, plows may begin plowing residential streets and then be called back to retreat to emergency primary roads. Roads marked with numbered routes are State Highway Roads and are maintained by the State.
It is important to note that plowing is intended to make streets passable, not to clear them to bare pavement.
Residents may see snowplows driving through neighborhoods with plows raised; this is due to snowpack from freezing temperatures. The plows are able to push off any fresh snow once it accumulates to about three inches and in areas that have been broken up by salt application. However, plows are not able to sufficiently push off solid ice, especially in the evening and late-night hours when temperatures are at their lowest points. In these cases, MCDOT snowplow crews raise the plow, apply salt, allow it to activate and then return to push the ice off. This process may require several attempts.
Where to Get Updates
Visit the County’s Snow Information Portal to find snow-related information, such as who is responsible for clearing a roadway, track plow progress in their area and report a missed street. Before making clearing requests, residents are asked to wait until snow operations are announced as complete at the top of the snow information portal page.
Residents also can call the MC 311 call center for assistance by dialing 311 from within the County or 301-777-0311. Residents can also submit requests online at MC311.com The MC 311 call center hours have been extended from the typical hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday evening, Feb. 11, and reopening at 6 a.m. on Wednesday morning, Feb. 12. Requests coming through the MC 311 system are prioritized.
Residents can also sign up for Alert Montgomery , the County’s emergency alert system. Alert Montgomery sends messages by email and/or cell phone via text message.
Utilities
Impacts from the winter weather could also include downed wires and power outages. The power utilities serving Montgomery County include Pepco, BG&E and First Energy. All have downloadable mobile apps for reporting power outages. Or call:
- Baltimore Gas and Electric: 877-778-2222
- Potomac Edison/First Energy : 1-888-544-4877
- PEPCO : 1-877-737-2662
In case of water main breaks or leaks, contact the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) at 301-206-4002, by email to [email protected] or by using the WSSC Water Mobile App .
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What Residents Can Do
Clear Your Sidewalk
County residents are required to clear sidewalks alongside their properties within 24 hours of the end of a snowstorm. The path must be wide enough to accommodate pedestrians and wheelchairs. The County encourages everyone to help older adults or others who may not be physically able to shovel. When shoveling, please keep snow clear from fire hydrants and make a point to shovel hydrants out with a three-foot diameter around the hydrant. Find more information at montgomerycountymd.gov/safesidewalks .
Check on the Unhoused
Staff from the Department of Health and Human Services and community-based partners are reaching out to unhoused individuals and urging them to seek shelter. There are emergency shelters open. Residents concerned about the well-being of someone who is unhoused can call the 24-hour Homeless Information Line at 240-907-2688. Outreach partners will attempt to locate the individual and urge them to come indoors to a shelter. If someone is seeking shelter, call the Crisis Center at 240-777-4000.
Keep Pets Safe
Animals should not be left outside unattended. The Animal Services team is enforcing Executive Regulation 17-17, Anti-Cruelty Conditions for Dogs and Other Pets. If you see an animal left outside that appears to be in danger, call 301-279-8000.
For the latest snow-related updates, visit MCDOT’s Snow Information Portal and follow @MCDOTNow on Bluesky , Facebook , Instagram , Threads and X and subscribe to MCDOT’s “Go Montgomery!” newsletter.
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Release ID: 25-027
Media Contact: Emily DeTitta, 240-372-2282
For updates and link to press release, see here: http://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail.aspx?Item_ID=46557