Tom Meunier, Chief of Highways in Howard County, makes final preparations to plow the county’s 1,048 miles of roads. Meunier pores over a map showing the 4,121 roads in the county, each designated by priority. Clearing snow emergency routes is paramount. The priority of other roads is indicated by color: primary (red), secondary (yellow) and residential (green).

Meanwhile, highway workers at the Howard County Central Fleet Dayton Shop prepare the trucks to hit the roads — making repairs, filling with salt and sand, and putting chains on the tires. The County has about 125 pieces of equipment, such as 10-ton dump trucks, pick-up trucks, and loaders. The County is stocked at 11 locations with about 20,000 tons of salt and 36,000 gallons of magnesium chloride (de-icer), which helps the salt work at lower temperatures. In all, about 150 county employees will clear the roads during and after the storm.

Later in the day, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan signed an Executive Order declaring a state of emergency in Maryland, effective January 22 at 7 a.m.

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