Notes
This Cross and Dimmitt postcard shows how deep the snow got on the Columbia River Highway in the winter of 1921-22. A note says they used dynamite to clear the road, though I see plenty of shovels in the background.
The winter of 1921-22 distinguished itself with a prolonged stretch of bitterly cold weather. Samuel Blythe proclaimed it the most severe weather he had seen since he arrived here in the 1870's. Here's a report from The Hood River Glacier about clearing the highway. Here's a follow on report describing the difficulties at Shell Rock Mountain.
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Comments
We really don't have any reason to complain about Hwy 84 ice closures today :)
Dale Nicol on 12th January 2017 @ 7:17am
Well, I don't know about winters that far back personally. All I know is I am tired of this winter and we are not to the middle of January yet.
I am won
Wondering if this isn't at least partly drifted snow? Would dynamite make such perfect cuts in the snow?
A little bit of humor on a very cold, nasty wintery Hood River day.....Is that a drone up there in the sky, a space ship or a lost eagle......
Also, it looks like down there by that car, there might be a tunnel on the right by that sign?
charlott on 12th January 2017 @ 7:19am
I' guessing this snow bank is from an avalanche given the lack of snow on the rocks above.
Rick on 12th January 2017 @ 8:03am
I haven't read the HR Glacier article yet, but I assume this is a solidly packed drift with maybe some avalanche snow added.
When I was a kid, during a snowy winter with strong east winds at the west end of the gorge, we would get a solidly packed 20 foot high drift on the road in front of our house. It was probably at least fifty feet long. When the storm was over the county would bring in a big snow blower and I remember him sitting there for several days working his way through the drift. The fields would be bare of snow. The east wind picked it up and piled it into that drift.
That hasn't happened there for a long time and for quite a few years the Gorge hasn't had the cold, the abundance of snow and days of strong east wind.
The old timers used to say a nor'easter would last three days, but it seems to me some of those lasted five days.
L.E. on 12th January 2017 @ 8:43am
The Glacier article describes it as "Glacial".
It took about 4 weeks of concerted effort to open up the highway.
Arthur on 12th January 2017 @ 9:03am
Hey!! What are these guys doing on my street today?😎
Judy on 12th January 2017 @ 5:40pm