The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1921-11-24
HEAVY FALL Of SNOW
OVERHEPPNER HILLS
Not In Recollection of the Oldest Inhab-
liant Has Such a Heavy snow Fall
Occuerred NO Early In the Season
Weather Has Been Mild.

Late Friday afternoon 1t began snow
ing at Heppner and it kept 1t up at a
lively rate until Sunday afternoon. A
total of about Il inches fell here. Sun
day night it began raining and has
rained Internationally nearly every day
since making a crust on the snow
which rendered moving about very un-
comfortable. The auto and bus traffic
of the city has been practically sus-
pended because Of the deep snow and
the roads have not been very well
broken leading to town from the coun-
try districts.
owing to the mild weather the snow
has been gradually melting and at the
present there is considerable siush. The
siowness with which the melting is GO
ing on has ueen "A splendid thing as II
has not caused the water to rise to
any considerable extent in the creeks
and the moisture Is soaking into the
ground where 1t is needed and will do
lot Of good. With big rise in will
low creek much damage might result
just at this time to the new concrete
bridges under construction. The work
on these has progressed nicely up to
the time Of the storm and none Of them
are in such condition that the false
work can be removed and the creek
channel Is pretty badly hampered by
the construction forms, so there is
ground for the fear OF damage to the
bridges and other property that might
result from food waters few more
days Of present weather conditions and
the danger should be over
From reports coming into Heppner,
the storm has been general east Of the
Cascade mountains and has raised
havoc generally with the operation of
railroads, telephone and telegraph sys-
tens. Trains are blocked on both sides
Of the Columbia river Big slides have
occurred on the O-W r. a. N between
Hood River and Portland, and through
trains are reported to be tied up at diff
ferent points along the line The Hepp-
i'i VI hllNH ~ All mas btCll Htlu mere
since Sunday as there was no connec-
tion on the main line. The mail went
out yesterday, however, on the work
train and we understand that passen-
gers will be taken out today as arrange
ments have been made to take them
through to destination II is expected
to be several days, however, before the
obstruction on the tracks beyond Hood
River have been cleared away so that
trains can get through to Portland.
The snow fall has been very heavy
throughout thte Columbia River basin
Three feet or more Is reported at The
Dalles while over Morrow county there
has been perhaps an average OF 1sl
inches, At Monument there was no
snow. so we have been informed by
parties getting in from there the past
day or so and they were surprised to
find such heavy mantle of snow here
1t is n very unusual storm for this
country at the time of year and II Is not
recalled by the Oldest inhabitant that
so heavy a fall of snow ever occurred
here SO early in the year. Twenty years
ago the county was visited by fall OF
snow to the depth OF about 5 inches
which fell q month earlier and laid on
but a few days, And we can recall that
in 1897 there came freeze-up about
Thanksgiving day and there was also
some snow, but nothing to compare
with the present storm, tho the weather
was much colder and much fruit and
vegetables that had not been gathered
were destroyed by the freeze.
This snowfall will Of great value to
the farmers as most of the moisture
resulting therefrom will be obsorbed III
the ground. The storm began with a
rain which soon turned to snow; there
was no frost in the ground and the
fields are In excellent shape to drink in
the water as the snow gradually melts.
Stockmen have plenty of feed and their |
herds and noclSs will not suffer, and
from present indications It will not be
many days until the ground Is bare
again. 1t is too early to expect much
winter weather but we are no prophet. |