{"id":28113,"date":"2026-02-21T21:22:04","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T02:22:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mdem\/?p=28113"},"modified":"2026-02-21T21:22:04","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T02:22:04","slug":"governor-moore-declares-state-of-preparedness-ahead-of-winter-weather-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mdem\/2026\/02\/21\/governor-moore-declares-state-of-preparedness-ahead-of-winter-weather-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Governor Moore Declares State of Preparedness Ahead of Winter Weather System"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>ANNAPOLIS, MD \u2014 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Governor Wes Moore today <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/governor.maryland.gov\/Lists\/ExecutiveOrders\/Attachments\/107\/EO%2001.01.2026.04%20Declaration%20of%20a%20State%20of%20Preparedness.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">declared a State of Preparedness<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> ahead of a potentially hazardous winter weather system that is expected to bring heavy snow across Maryland. The storm will likely affect roads and transportation centers and could cause significant snow accumulation and hazardous travel conditions in some parts of the state. Marylanders are cautioned to avoid travel if possible, to follow local forecasts, and to stay prepared for winter storm hazards.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cIn declaring a State of Preparedness for Maryland, I am directing the Department of Emergency Management to coordinate readiness efforts across state government in advance of the incoming winter storm,\u201d <\/span><b>said Gov. Moore.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u201cThe safety of Maryland families comes first. I am urging residents to prepare early, stay informed, and adjust plans, including postponing travel, as conditions change.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A State of Preparedness enhances the State\u2019s ability to respond swiftly and effectively to potential hazards and threats before escalating response, providing an easier path for information sharing and coordination. Multiple State agencies and departments including emergency management, transportation, law enforcement, and public health are coordinating to prepare for the storm.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Marylanders should prepare for travel disruptions as this storm moves through the region. At a minimum, most residents can expect delays and hazardous driving conditions, and impacts could become significantly worse depending on the storm\u2019s exact track and snowfall rates. According to the National Weather Service, the weather system is expected to significantly impact the region beginning Sunday afternoon to evening, bringing multiple threats that require heightened awareness and preparedness from Marylanders and those visiting our State.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Marylanders can expect the following during this weather event:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Snow Threat:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Beginning Sunday afternoon-evening, with peak impacts Sunday night into Monday morning.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Accumulating snow will impact the state on Sunday evening into Monday morning.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A hard freeze is expected Monday night into Tuesday morning.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Heavy wet snow combined with strong winds may result in isolated or scattered power outages on Monday.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Potential impacts include significant travel delays, closures, and threats to life and property.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Plan ahead to minimize impact on you and your family.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cMDEM is actively monitoring this storm and working closely with our state and local partners to prepare for potential impacts across Maryland,\u201d<\/span><b> said Maryland Department of Emergency Management Secretary Russ Strickland<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u201cWe are planning for the possibility of heavy snowfall and hazardous travel conditions. Marylanders should stay informed, make their preparations now, and be ready to adjust plans as conditions change. If you don\u2019t need to be on the roads, stay home, and always follow guidance from local officials.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Detailed snow and ice totals will be updated regularly on the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/lwx\/winter\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">National Weather Service website<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Preparedness Recommendations:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Stay informed by regularly checking weather updates from official sources and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">be sure to have a way to access local forecasts and warnings.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Have an emergency kit ready and a family emergency plan in place.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Heed all warnings and stay indoors during severe weather.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Check with local authorities for the latest information about public evacuation shelters.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Keep devices charged in case of power outages.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Know who to contact in the case of a power outage. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mdem.maryland.gov\/Pages\/Power-Outages.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Emergency phone numbers for utility companies can be found at mdem.maryland.gov.<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Follow Maryland Department of Emergency Management and regional National Weather Service social media accounts for localized forecasts.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Only use generators outdoors and never in a garage. The generator should be at least 20 feet away from the home and away from windows, doors, and vents.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For the latest information, please visit <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/lwx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">weather.gov\/lwx<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. To receive alerts, tips, and resources related to threats and hazards affecting or that may affect Maryland, text <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">MdReady<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to 211-631 or text <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">MdListo<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for Spanish.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For more information, residents may visit the Maryland Department of Emergency Management\u2019s website at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mema.maryland.gov\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">mdem.maryland.gov<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, follow the department\u2019s X (Twitter) feed at <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/mdmema\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">@MDMEMA<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, or follow the department\u2019s Facebook page at <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/links.govdelivery.com\/track?type=click&amp;enid=ZWFzPTEmbXNpZD0mYXVpZD0mbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTgwMTA0LjgzMTY1OTExJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE4MDEwNC44MzE2NTkxMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE2OTc1NjczJmVtYWlsaWQ9bWlrZS5kZW1raXdAbWFyeWxhbmQuZ292JnVzZXJpZD1taWtlLmRlbWtpd0BtYXJ5bGFuZC5nb3YmdGFyZ2V0aWQ9JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&amp;&amp;&amp;101&amp;&amp;&amp;http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MDMEMA\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">www.facebook.com\/MDMEMA<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Marylanders may also monitor power outages through the MdReady installable app and website: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mdready.maryland.gov\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">MdReady.maryland.gov<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">###<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ANNAPOLIS, MD \u2014 Governor Wes Moore today declared a State of Preparedness ahead of a potentially hazardous winter weather system that is expected to bring heavy snow across Maryland. The storm will likely affect roads and transportation centers and could cause significant snow accumulation and hazardous travel conditions in some parts of the state. Marylanders<a href=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mdem\/2026\/02\/21\/governor-moore-declares-state-of-preparedness-ahead-of-winter-weather-system\/\">&nbsp;&nbsp;Read the Rest&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":276,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-releases"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mdem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mdem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mdem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mdem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/276"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mdem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28113"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mdem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28113\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28114,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mdem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28113\/revisions\/28114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mdem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mdem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mdem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}