Evening star., 1949-01-31
Snow and SIeet
Sniar| Traffic.;
AirIines Quit
Foil Second Heaviest
Of Season Here;
More Due Tonight
Pictures on Page BIZ

Pictures on Page BIZ
HAYLIFT TRIPS Reduced to Stress
Saving of Human Lives. Page AS
Winter made a comeback in
the Washington area today with
an assortment of snow, sleet and
freezing rain that slowed work.
bound traffic and created the
seasons most treacherous driv-
ing conditions.
At midmorning the fall measured
inches, with Il inch of sleet cover
ing the 31a inches of snow that fell
between 1920 am. and 5:54 am. It
was the second heaviest fall of the
season.
1t was the mixture of sleet and
freezing rain. starting at 5:43 an,
that caused most of the trouble for
motorists, buses and streetcarS.
Packing into solid, icy surface,
it def1ed the efforts of snow plows
and brought warnings from trafic
officials that hazardous conditions
will contine this evening and to-
night.
More Due Tonight.
The Weather Bureau expected. q
bit more snow and sleet this eve
ming, ending about midnight. With
temperatures hovering about the
freezing mark ana expected to drop
to around 26 tonight, no likelihood
of a thaw was seen until tomorrow
when high of about "a degrees is
expected.
The slippery going was RESPONSE
BILE for several minor accidents, and
police reported finding one man in q
semiconscious condition, suffering
from severe frostbite.
He was identified as Stephen
Franklin Farmer, 40, of 2013 Kalo-
rama road NV. He was found at
$3.50 am. lying in an alley behind
HOO Seventh street NV. Taken to
Emergency Hospital. he was treated
for frostbite Of the hands, feet,
arms, legs and knees.
District schools remained open, but
those in Prince Georges, Montgom.
cry. Calvert and Charles Counties,
where children would have to 60 long
distances over dangerous roads, were
closed for the day.
School officials here said they had
received no requests from transport
ations companies to suspend classes
and that parents could use their own
discretion about sending children to
school.
- AAA Service Swamped.
Before o am. the American AL
tomobile Association was swamped
with 500 or 600 calls from motorists
either stuck in the snow or other
wise unable to move. It was the
heaviest demand of the season, AAA
officials said.
All commercial operations at Ma
tional Airport shut down at 2:30
am, and the outlook was for re-
sumption of service today only If
the weather moderated sufficiently.
Even so, it was unlikely that serv-
ice would be restored to the East,
for New York reported 8 inches Of
snow, turning to freezing rain.
The Weather Bureau said the
storm was part of one that blew
out of Texas across the Southern
and Middle Atlantic States and on
to Pennsylvania and New York.
The fact thatsa mass of warm air
moved up the coast caused the
snow to turn to sleet and then to
freezing rain, the bureau said.
1t was the first real snow and
ice storm of the winter for Mary
land. the territory from Balti-
more and Washington north and
west to Cumberland bore the brunt,
The snow ranged from 4 to 8 inches
and although main roads were open
they were packed with snow and
ice. making progress slow and dam
gerous.
Southwest Virginia Hit.
Southwest Virginia reported a
coating of snow and sleet from 4
to 6 inches deep.
Union Station reported trains
running as much as half an hour
behind on the average, and the
Liberty Limited, due in from Chi
cago at $50 am, was not expected
before II am. Many intercity buses
ran at least 30 minutes late.
Refuse Director William A. Kan
ten, in charge of snow-fightins
forces here, had his full complement
OF 1900 men either on the Job or
ready to 60 into action when con-
ditionS warranted.
Despite the use of so plows and
sanders. in addition to the Districts
equipment, Capital Transit Co. re-
ported its street cars and buses were
running at least Is minutes behind
schedule during the morning rush
period. But as to traffic In general.
there were few major tie-ups.
TRAFFIC officials here and State
police in Maryland and Virginia
advised motorists to keep of the
streets and highways when possible.
Sleet Cancels Initial Standings.
District snow fighting forces had
sufficient warning to put men to
work by l am. All available sand
trucks and most of the $50 plows
went into action, concentrating on
main streets and hills.
Most points were sanded before
Co. WIZ A TTTYEY5 Tar~ e