Jim Kershner’s This day in history

From our archives, 75 years ago

The proverbial groundhog had little chance of burrowing through the snow in 1937. The town of Latah in southeastern Spokane County was particularly hard hit. In fact, it had been cut off from the outside world for four days and had run out of bread, butter and fresh meat.

Snowdrifts from 10 to 15 feet high had blocked all Union Pacific trains and all highway traffic.

“The only way to reach us is by airplane or dog team,” one Latah resident reported by phone. “We have snowdrifts right in the streets here five and 10 feet deep. I have been here 25 years and we have never had anything like this.”

A series of snowstorms had been accompanied by high, bitter winds. The entire region was attempting to plow its way through drifts.

Then, on Feb. 1, a chinook wind came swooping down from the north, causing an even more bizarre set of circumstances.

The postmaster at Colbert reported that the chinook winds hit the prairie flats near town and “rolled thousands of snowballs to the size of footballs.” The sight of these white spheroids marching in legions over fields was “the strangest snow sight” he had ever seen.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1653: New Amsterdam – now New York City – was incorporated.