Palouse Country Blizzards Miss Tri-State Area; Showers And Snow Flurries Predicted
Winter, which has been threatening to materialize in full force with a downpour of snow in the Tri-State area, still was merely threatening here yesterday. Blizzards struck the Palouse country, but this vicinity was more fortunate. The expected snow flurries in higher altitudes were spasmodic up to midnight last night, and for the most part melted as they struck the ground.
But cold rain showers fell over the area during the afternoon, and many a resident glanced skyward last night with the remark, “It looks like snow.”
Many air travelers were delayed yesterday because of bad weather elsewhere.
Howard Hess, Nezperce flier, was grounded last night at Tekoa because of a blizzard. He was flying a friend, Harley Faber, to Spokane so Faber could catch an airliner for Bellingham, where he attends Western Washington College of Education.
Empire Air Lines flight 6, Spokane to Lewiston, was held past its normal departure time of 2:55 p.m. at Spokane to make connections with a Northwest plane delayed by storms enroute from Seattle. Empire’s flight 6 accordingly had to bypass the Moscow-Pullman airport because it was growing dark and that field has no landing lights. It flew non-stop from Spokane to Lewiston, arriving 23 minutes late at 4:35.
Several Moscow-Pullman passengers who had missed flight 6 were brought here later on the return trip of a special Empire plane which had flown to Moscow-Pullman earlier in the day. It had carried a load of Washington State college and University of Idaho students, returning to school after spending Thanksgiving at home.
Grangeville reported a trace of snow on the ground last night at 10. The temperature at that time was 41. Grangeville’s maximum yesterday was 44, the minimum 18.
A light drizzle began falling here at 1 p.m. and continued until 5:15. A few snowflakes were seen mixed with the rain, but they melted instantly.
Genesee had snow between 2 and 3 p.m., but it also melted on reaching the ground. The temperature there at 6 last night was 40.
Headquarters reported weather conditions as cloudy and calm at 3 p.m., according to the Camas Prairie Railroad Co. dispatcher’s office. There was no snow. The temperature was 30.
At Nezperce yesterday afternoon, citizens stood in a cold rain, whipped by a bitter northeast wind, to watch a fire that damaged the Lewis county courthouse building. No wind was recorded at Lewiston by the weather station. Travelers reported encountering a cold wind last night, however beyond the top of the Lewiston hill spiral highway.
“Mostly cloudy with scattered showers” is the weather bureau’s prediction for Lewiston, Clarkston and vicinity today and tomorrow. Snow flurries are expected at higher altitudes.
Yesterday’s maximum at the city pumping plant downtown and the weather station at the Lewiston airport was 42. The weather station registered a low reading of 24, the pumping plant 27. Precipitation measured .02 of an inch downtown and .01 at the airport.
This story was published in the Nov. 26, 1951, edition of the Lewiston Tribune.
