Desigr.net

I've been cooped up in my house far too long, and I think the snow is finally getting to me! I've decorated a Munny doll, taken care of my hermit crabs, rearranged my bedroom, and entertained the notion of joining a derby league… all the while listening to the same album on repeat all week long. Something's not right up there anymore, I can tell you that much.

Who am I kidding, though? This snow is exciting, even if it is a huge inconvenience. I may be stuck in the house while I wait for this hurricane of snow to blow over, but that doesn't mean I can't stay in touch with the outside world.

Businesses and institutions have kept webcams for practically as long as the Web's been around. Usually they're a novelty item, but when it comes to weather conditions, they're an awesome tool for getting the big picture of how a system is affecting people beyond your own neighborhood. Every day we're watched by hundreds of public cameras, but we also share our tough times with these passive observants as well. Sometimes no one is watching, and sometimes everyone is. These cameras sometimes see things that their stewards never expected to capture. So, I figured I would take a look at some of the cams around Maryland, and see what some otherwise-forgotten cameras have been taking in during Mother Nature's fury.

• State highway traffic cameras

  

  Views of Baltimore-area highways provided by the State Highway Administration.

• Stevenson University gymnasium cam

  

  While normally for watching the construction progress of Stevenson University's new gymnasium, for the past week this camera has served as a window on the weather in Owings Mills, MD.

• A view of Greenspring Valley

  

  A nice view of Stevenson University's home campus, nestled in the middle of Greenspring Valley just outside of Baltimore. Definitely check out the time-lapse.

• Ocean City boardwalk

  

  The boardwalk of Ocean City, MD is covered in snow and ice, as seen from this camera above the boardwalk at North Division Street.

• The Kite Loft

  

  Another example of a webcam not originally intended for weather watching, this camera at Ocean City's Kite Loft shop provides a view out onto the Atlantic.

• Baltimore Harbor

  

  The snow as seen from Baltimore's harbor, atop the mast of The Living Classroom.

You can find some these and other cameras from around Maryland (or other states afflicted by Snowmageddon) on WeatherBug's InstaCam site.