BALTIMORE, Md. — Today is National Banana Bread Day, a comfort-food tradition that often follows extended time indoors. Across Baltimore and surrounding parts of Maryland, residents are emerging from days of snow, icy roads and disrupted routines, with kitchens once again becoming the center of activity.
Safety officials say that transition period deserves attention.
After a blizzard, most focus remains on travel conditions, school schedules and clearing sidewalks. Inside the home, however, conditions may have quietly shifted during the storm.
Brief power interruptions — common during heavy snow and wind — can cause refrigerators and freezers to fluctuate in temperature without obvious signs of malfunction. Even short outages, combined with repeated door openings, may affect perishable foods stored before or during the storm.
Items that appear normal can still be compromised if internal temperatures rose above safe ranges. Freezers that partially thaw and refreeze may not immediately reveal changes, increasing the chance that questionable food goes unnoticed.
Extended indoor time also means heavier appliance use. Ovens and stovetops may have operated longer than usual during cold weather, and temporary extension cords used during outages can remain in place after power stabilizes. In busy kitchen areas, these factors can increase fire and electrical risks.
Pets may face additional exposure as baking ingredients and leftovers become more accessible during prolonged indoor cooking sessions.
With National Banana Bread Day encouraging more time in the kitchen, officials recommend checking refrigerator and freezer temperatures, discarding questionable perishable items and removing temporary power setups that are no longer necessary.
As Baltimore transitions out of storm mode, safety experts emphasize that recovery involves more than clearing snow — it also includes reassessing the kitchen spaces that worked overtime during the blizzard.
