The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-12-15
LONG DEFERRED sEAsoNABLE
WEATER FINALLY ARRIVES.
EARTH MANTLED BY SNOW
Large Area Of Northwest Storm Gov.
ered-visitation Proves Time.
ly and Welcome.

f/Uuless Old Sol and the frisky Chi
| nook form a combination during the
interim, those who subscribe to the
popular belief connecting a "green"
Christmas and a we'll visited grave
yard need not be uneasy. More snow
than has fallen in a number OF years
now covers the entire eastern part OF
! the state and for the first time in
many seasons complaints OF dry
! ranges are not heard.
About the middle of last week indi-
cations for a storm were decidedly
favorable and for several days it blus-
tered and threatened, without, how
1 ever, getting down to real work. Then
the clouds opened their gates and
snow began to descend. Gently at
first, as though merely trying itself,
gradually gaining confidence as the
hours Went by, until finally it gave
promise of developing into one OF
those storms Of which old settlers
like to talk as having occurred dur
ing the winters before the railroad and
tenderfeet arrived with their attendant
decentralization. Friday and Saturday
it showed and Sunday it showed more,
while all the time the heavens looked
like sheets of lead and the sun hid his
face completely. A cold, cutting wind
from the east accompanied the preci-
| pitation and it began to look as though
| the long deferred hard winter had set
| in in earnest. Toward Sunday evening
the sky became a little clearer and the
wind died down. The mercury con-
tinued to hover about the line that di-
vides actual frigidity and the more
genial temperature usually prevalent
here, as though undecided which way
to go. 1t reached the freezing line
and reained there, but the abysmai
depths that some feared were not at
tanned and no damage was done. Yes
terday the visitor from the borean
regions gave up the contest and some
thing like the customary weather OF
this favored locality again prevailed.
The sun came out bright and strong
anu promise was given that the storm
was at an end.
Il Unlike ordinarily, it seems that less
snow fell i'm the higher attitudes to
the southwest. Thus, in the vicinity
of Red Lodge the fall lacked several
inches of the depth attained here,
while the storm was also of shorter
duration. Sunday was clear and fair
there and the sun shone brightly the
greater part of the day. In the coun-
ties to the north the storm was more
severe than in this part Of the state,
more snow falling there, while the
cold was also greater. In the extreme
eastern part of the state the fall OF
snow was lighter, but the temperature
lower. Across the Dakota line, as
uSuc1l, LAO WOebCAOA w C%o NOAu0A eSAO 9
terrific wind prevailed for several
days, notably during Friday. Saturday
i and Sunday. On this account rail
road traffic was greatly interfered with
and all trains arrived from that direc
tion hours behind their schedules.
Proves a Benefit.
Coming at the time it did and end
ing as it did, the storm proved o1
actual benefit to the stockmen, those
having animals on the range. The
snow of short time before had about
!. disappeared and the need of moisturt
was beginning to be felt once more
Although the fall was great enough
to cover the earth to a depth of abou
foot or more, according to locality
still it was not great enough to inter
fere materially with grazing AM
stockmen were made happy by it's arri
val.
II Il Verified Predictions.
prnhohIv novt tn the man who ha