An EF-1 tornado touched down in Howard County on Wednesday, March 11, as severe storms moved through parts of Maryland, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Following a storm survey, the agency determined the tornado briefly touched down in Cooksville between 7:06 p.m. and 7:07 p.m. During that time, the storm produced maximum winds estimated at 90 mph. The tornado measured about 100 yards wide and traveled roughly 0.4 miles, the NWS said.
Storms in Maryland
Parts of Maryland saw strong storms and gusty winds on Wednesday as a cold front moved in after several days of record-high temperatures.
In Frederick and Carroll Counties, the National Weather Service determined that straight-line winds caused damage with speeds ranging from 60 to 75 mph, with some locations such as Woodsboro reaching 90 mph.
Storms moved through Baltimore City on Wednesday evening after the city recorded a high temperature of 85 degrees earlier in the day.
After the storms passed, temperatures across the state dropped into the low to mid-30s by midday Thursday.
Spring-like temperatures to snow
On Thursday, following the storms, Maryland saw a light accumulation of snow, leaving residents surprised by the sudden shift in weather.
“You could ride around in Maryland and probably find four different weather patterns,” said Darryl Payne with the LRW Traffic Control System. “The weather gonna be, what weather gonna be.”
Payne and his crew were out Thursday helping Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) remove fallen trees and restore power following the storm.
“I’ll be glad when spring actually springs, because this is cold, I’m done with it,” Payne said.