he >> and this is wbal-tv 11 news in high-definition. >> the blizzard of 2010 is one for the record books. it will not soon be forgotten.

i am dawn hamilton. >> i am mindy basara. marshall airport is closed until monday afternoon. but their real problems on the road today, including a six-mile -- there were real problems on the road today, including a six-mile back. they're still working to clear that. we have live coverage tonight. will be live with the latest -- kim dacey will be live with the latest. >> let's check in with the weather center. >> the sun finally broke through around 5:00 this afternoon. that was nice. let's look to the numbers. we were forecasting 20 to 30 inches of snow. a lot of the numbers were closer to the 30 topside of the estimates.

oak ridge -- elkridge had 28. these are unofficial numbers. the weather service is still trying to figure out how much snow fell in baltimore. it was enough to close the airport. the snowiest february 5 was yesterday. the snowiest february 6 is an unofficial total of 17.5. we will see what they come up with. if that turns out to be the correct number, that would tie for the second biggest snowe of all time here in baltimore with a total of 26.5 inches. the jury is still out. the weather service is working on the numbers. we will bring you a forecast that is better for a while. then a kind of goes downhill again.

we will have more on that coming up. >> the situation was updated a few hours ago. people should plan to be off the road for a couple of days. >> those who did not heed the advice had to be rescued today. kim dacey joins us from the highway operation center with the latest. >> the biggest situation this afternoon was the situation on 95. the writ two jackknifed tractor- trailer's with a six-mile back. those have been moved. the road is open. the governor is here to give us a live update. what was the biggest problem? why did it take so long to clear it? >> what had nothing to do with it. -- luck had nothing to do with it. when you have 30 inches of snow, there was no way for the crews to get to the front of the bottom at. we had two bottlenecks.

we were able to clear the first one by 10:30 a.m. then we had two jackknifed tractor-trailer. with 30 inches of snow on each side, pulling those out of a lot of time. we had broken equipment we had to rescue. it is starting to flow again. you can see the front of the column starting to flow. on another screen, we have the back of a column sitting there like it is a parking lot if anyone is listening to this or has a relative calling you, people need to conserve their fuel. stay in your cars. do not abandon your cars. conserve fuel. in normal conditions, it would take about an hour to clear out a six-mile backup. this will probably take a couple of hours. the front is starting to move. some cars still can get stuck

and have to be pulled through. we've already done a lot of standing and salting and a trouble spot. the roads are going to become more treacherous even though the snow has stopped. all the salt put down when the temperatures were higher to melt the snow, now the temperatures are down below 25 degrees, that water is going to freeze up and become solid blocks of ice. the roads are going to be more treacherous in the next two days than they are now. we're going to give our crews some rest tonight so they are not at jeopardy of falling asleep behind the wheel. we're going to start giving them spells. we're going to push more lanes of traffic on 695 and other

places the best we can through the night. we will all be dealing with the situation of low temperatures, icy roads for the next couple of days. >> thank you so much for joining us, governor o'malley. the best advice is to stay off the road. that is the latest year live from hannover for wbal-tv 11 news. >> can you imagine sitting on the highway for six hours. that is goodbyes to staff the roads. many communities are places where people walk around a lot. >> we saw people walking their dogs and cross-country skiing in the snow today. kate amara joins us live from hampton. we understand you have come across the new mayor. >> this was not planned. we have a convoy of a city trucks going by as we stand here with mayor rawlings-blake.

what a sight to see. mayor, you have not been in office even 24 hours when you were hit with the first crisis. we are looking at 30 inches. how is the response been so far? >> it has been fantastic. we have great cruise out there. -- we have great road crews out there. we have someone shop not to do it too good because they wanted to be off on monday. we're all working together. the national guard, the governor has been great. we are making progress. >> in the years i have been here, this is one of the most possiblassable i have seen the roads. is it that you have had the right number of trucks and staffing? >> we have done a lot of things right. we have the trucks. we have gps.

we're using technology to make sure we're getting the main thoroughfares clean. >> one of the big concerns across the state is getting emergency responders out if the roads are not clear. you have had hundreds of calls. you said you have been able to respond to everyone. >> we had over 600 to fire and police last night. we're looking for the same volume this evening. we will be able to handle anything that comes up because we're fully staffed. please be careful. a lot of people are out your walking. please be careful. wear something bright so that cars can see you as they're moving around. if you do not need to be out, do not go out. we need the roads to be clear so that first responders to get to the call. >> you were born and raised in baltimore. i know you have seen storms like this when your kid. does this bring back memories? >> definitely. i think it was 1979 when we had a big snowstorm. we all got snowed in at my

mother's -- grandmother's house. we had a big party. my daughter had a blizzard slumber party. i am missing out on the fund. it is pretty fun at this note center -- it is still pretty fun at the snow center. 311 is the number to call. we will save 911 for true emergencies. we have resources available. give us a call. >> good luck with the first crisis as mayor of baltimore. that is it from here. a lot of people are walking. be careful. where bright clothing. walk against the traffic so that you can see cars coming on. the snow may have stopped, but the roads are slippery. you do not have the ability to stop as well as you would if the pavement were drawn. we will be checking in with you throughout the hour.

back to you in the studio. >> this is john sherman. you can feel how cold it is getting. the temperature has dropped over the last couple of hours. a few hours ago, the sun was shining for the first time today. it was not so bad. not anymore. it is really getting cold. the wet spots are going to get hard and freeze overnight. one of the biggest problems is going to be the lack of sidewalks space. over here, they have done some work. they have carved out the sidewalk. that has been able to keep people out of the street. that is one of the rear of spots in town where you will find the side wall carved out. -- that is one of the rare spots

in town riva finest's sidewalk -- or you will find the sidewalk carved out. there is no where to put the snow. you clean it out and there's no where to put the snow. all of these are supposed to be parking spaces but there's nowhere to park. it is going to be a rough couple of days all over town. when you do get the snowplow, the question is where to put it. the answer right now is there is no good place to put it. >> that is not one to melt any time soon. >> they could make those large snow mountains that last until july. the heavy snow is taking down trees power lines. >> many pg customerse are in the dark. 7300 and baltimore county. more than 3000 in howard county. more than 2500 and baltimore city.

>> bge workers of the warehouse have loaded up supplies in case the heavy snow and wind it takes them more electric lines this weekend. hundreds of local employees are on standby. linemen from louisiana and kentucky are travelling to our region right now. >> while they're hoping for the best and gearing up for the same damage in 2006, bge adds that you should never assume they know that your power is out. call them to report the outage. >> bge is urging customers to gather these items in case your power fails. they suggest onstocking up on flashlights, batteries, blankets, and non-personal food

-- non-perishable food. >> if you have any tips on how to make it through the blizzard, share them with us. we have a lively discussion on our web site. it is our live wire blog. we would also like for you to share pictures and videos. it is all on wbaltv.com everything you need is at the top of the home page. >> it seems the worst has passed through baltimore. the snow has stopped. >> annapolis is beautiful any time, with the snow, it is gorgeous. a lot of people are walking by. it looks like the sidewalks are clear. we will have more coverage coming up. stay with us. >> snowmageddon is what one top official a

>> you are looking at a live picture from washington, d.c. >> i bet they have very good snow removal. >> a tree branch cracked and fell on top of a motorcade vehicle with press people inside. no one was injured. >> brian moore has the latest on the blizzard and its effect on the mid-atlantic area. >> it is one of the biggest lizards to ever hit the mid- atlantic region. snowfalls measured 8 feet from new jersey to ohio. >> we may have to bring in trucks to haul away. >> baltimore was in the bull's- eye, buried under more than two feet. to the south, the capital was crippled. even the postal service waved

the white flag. the president's motorcade took a hit from the snow-covered branch. the president and chief suggested a nickname for this storm. >> snowmageddon. >> hundreds of thousands were without power. snow collapsed this small building and the roof of this building in virginia. most train service ground to a halt. 4-wheel drive rules of the road. those without the hp paid the price. some feared better than others. -- sounded better than others. some saw the silver lining from this storm, a snowball fight to tell their grandchildren about. the blizzard of 2010 is the last for the record books. some major roadways may not be possible until tuesday.

that is the eve of the next predicted storm. brian moore for wbal-tv 11 news. >> there is more of snow in the forecast. >> he has been here for a long time. >> the son did break through in baltimore. -- the sun did finally break through in baltimore. the sun has set and the temperatures are dropping rapidly. there is some snow on the lower peninsula. that is rapidly leaving the area. there is more snow that is out of the range of the reader. the low pressure is positioned off virginia beach. it is pulling away and dragging the storm with it. we are beginning to see some breaks in the clouds. we will have a break for a couple of days. the weather will be quiet.

it will only last republic days. there's something else on the west coast that will visit us in the middle of the week. i will talk about that in a few minutes. >> if you are in an emergency situation and need medical supplies, you can give the maryland emergency management agency a call. here are the local numbers for nema. >> the national weather service has issued a list of safety tips. stay off of the roads is first. >> if you have to drive and become stranded, and do not walk away from your car. do not walk away and less h

-- do not walk away and less help is nearby. have flashlights with extra batteries. do not forget to check on your elderly neighbors. make sure that your pets have plenty of food and water and shelter. they cannot be out in weather like this. >> all day long, you have been posting pictures on the website. here are some from downtown baltimore. >> this is from westminster presbyterian church. that is where the grave of edgar allan poe is located. it is covered in snow. it is kind of eerie. >> it is pretty, itoo. you can make a great snowman with over two feet of snow. >> this was taken and in today from fayette and greene streets. there are some great fe-- picture opportunities out there.

>> send them to us. >> go to wbaltv.com here is a look at what is still ahead. >> there was a light at the end of the tunnel. i am kate amara. find out what people did to deal with cabin fever today. >> the temperature keeps dropping. the work continues. more live coverage. head. >> would continue to get updates. we will have the

>> welcome back. people are getting around. well inflict -- people are getting around pretty good on foot. >> and that some people have cabin fever -- i bet some people have cabin fever and wanted to get out no matter what. >> other than the 40-second

delay, we had a great view of what was going on. >> i can hear you. it is great. >> you are alive. how are things going there? > -- you are live. >> it is cold. other than that, everything is fine. last night, while the snow was still falling, you get about that much snow on your windshield and then try to turn on the windshield wipers and they would not go. the snow was very heavy. you had to scrape it off. as you get into it now, it is everywhere. it is so heavy to trudge through. it is very difficult. this is all supposed to be parking places.

he has been working on the parking lot for better than an hour. he has the snow piled up about 10 feet high. he keeps sculpting that hill. i want to show you what will happen tonight as the temperature drops. all of this slush is starting to freeze because it is cold. these roads are going to be getting more treacherous as the night goes on. let's go to kate amara in ham den. >> we do not have her right now. we had some difficulty with the idea. let's go to kim dacey at the state operation center. >> we have been here all afternoon getting updates on the road situation. the big story is to stay off the

road through the night. the state of emergency was declared yesterday morning by the governor. the mellon national guard has been called in. -- the national guard has been called in. -- the maryland national guard has been called in. >> we're working alongside law enforcement and emergency personnel. we are providing transportation. we're also transitioning into a recovery operation. >> as you move forward, what will you be doing? >> we have gotten requests for loaders and dumpers to get rid of the snow. we're helping with the snow removal. we will be working with law enforcement and emergency personnel. i know everyone is looking forward to going to the super bowl, but please be cautious.

your street may be fine but you do not know the condition of the roads at your destination. stay off the roads if you can. it will still be treacherous. >> that is good advice. thank you for joining us. state highway officials, the governor, and other people from the state have been here since early this morning. some have been here since yesterday to make sure that things go smoothly. stay off the roads. do not go out if you can avoid it. do not get stranded. that is it from hanover. kim dacey for wbal-tv 11 news. >> because of the blizzard, we're having special extended coverage. >> we will be on the air until 7:00 tonight. the nightly news will appear in its entirety at 7:00. do not go away. we will be right back.