Snowstorm Startles Area

By Paul W. Valentine October 11, 1979

A freak early autumn snow storm pounced on Washington yesterday, smothering some areas in up to four inches of snow, snarling commuter traffic, snapping tree limbs and triggering power outages in many suburbs. ... The snow, accompanied by temperatures in the low 40s and upper 30s, was the earliest in any autumn this century and the second earliest in the 108-year-old records of the National Weather Service here. ... "It's unbelievable," said weather service forcaster Joe Cefaratti.

Dozens of schools closed in Mongomery, Prince George's and Fairfax counties after power outages cut heat and light to school buildings Thousands of school children went home early. Others, locked out of their homes, wandered through neighborhood shopping centers or stayed with friends until their parents could pick them up.

More than 72,000 homes and businesses in the Washington suburbs plus 80,000 more in the Baltimore area lost power for varying periods during the day. ... The heating oil and gas distributors were flooded with distress calls from thousands of homeowners unable to start their furnaces as the first cold snap of the season hit Washington along with the snow.

In the mountains west of Washingotn, conditions were worse. Ten to 15 inches of snow in Shenandoah National Park clogged roads, downed power lines and stranded several hundred campers temporarly. ... Chief Ranger Larry Hakel estimated 10 to 20 percent of the trees in the park would suffer limb damage from the heavy snows. "They're just breaking by the hundreds," he said. ... Cities in western Virginia were hard hit. Harrisonburg had up to 10 inches of snow, Staunton eight inches and Front Royal 5 inches.

{snip}

The earliest recorded snowfall in the Charlottesville area came in 1979

The Daily Progress staff Oct 11, 2017



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The Oct. 11, 1979 edition of The Daily Progress reported on the effects of a freak snowstorm that fell on Central Virginia the day before, dumping more than 3 inches of snow on Charlottesville - the area’s earliest recorded snowfall.

“Trees and branches, heavy with fall foliage and wet snow cut through power lines, leaving as many as 80 percent of the residents in Charlottesville and Albemarle County without power.

‘It was snowing like cats fighting-fast and furious.’ Nelson County Sheriff William M. Harrison observed. ‘I’ve never seen anything like this, not this early.’ Accompanied by rare thunder and lightning, the heavy, wet snow kept schools from opening in Culpeper and Madison Counties and sent children home early in Charlottesville and surrounding counties.”

Meanwhile, on the Downtown Mall, Johnny Williams, owner of The Nook, and several waitresses braved the power outage and “kept the coffee brewing and the egg sandwiches moving to the handful of customers who came in out of the cold. One waitress held a flashlight over the grill so they could all see what they were doing. ‘The stoves in front and back are gas, so we’ll be in good shape,’ said Williams, still cheerful despite the difficult conditions. ‘We’ve got a lot of extra good bean soup in the back, and I’m going to fix up a big pot for lunch.

‘The Farmer’s Almanac said we were going to have a mild winter,’ said one chuckling customer in the background. ‘Didn’t say anything about fall, though.’”

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