PAGE SIX
THE BEND BULLETIN, BEND, OREGON 1
SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, !950
Central Oregon "Blizzard of 1950" Leaves Picture Trail
When the 1950 Blizzard Struck
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Leaning into the blizznrd, with not another person visible on Wall
street, is Gifford Briggs. Drifting snow was whipped over building
tops. '
Here is a Wall street scene, and it was taken in Bend, Oregon, not in New York. The picture was taken after 26 inches of snow
blanketed Bend earlier Jhis week, following two storms one a blizzard. Piles of snow in the center of the street were removed later
1 In the day.
Bend Old Timers Recall Deep
Snow of Over 30 Years Ago
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Old timers agree that central Oregon's "great blizzard of
1950", an event of the past week, was a spectacular storm,
but they will not concede that it equals the storm of December,
1919, when four feet of snow blanketed Bend. But, regardless
of the opinion of early-day residents of Bend, the blizzard of
1950 was worthy of news mention and pictures:
Appearing on this page are some of the pictures taken by
"Bulletin photographers in the past 10 days. A few of the
pictures present blizzard scenes, others show the deep snow
that followed the high winds of the past week end.
High Winds Drift Snow
One of the pictures on this page is a view of the Ste Charles
hospital grounds taken when a roaring wind whipped across
Bend and lifted clouds of powdery snow into the sky. Wind
whipped trees illustrate the ferocity of the storm.
Pictures here deal with two entirely different storms one
marked by winds of near hurricane velocity and the other by
perfectly calm conditions. Of the two storms, the blizzard was
the more spectacular. Following that disturbance, snow
earlier this week fell for some 15 hours, with scarcely a breath
of wind noted. It was in that quiet storm that snow massed
on top of houses, balanced on fences, draped itself on trees
and covered much of central Oregon "with a silence deep and
white". That fall of snow created some pf the scenes pictured
on this page.
Snow Removed From Streets
In the fierce storm of 1919, snow piled into drifts on Bend
streets and remained there for days. Motorized snow removal
equipment somewhat changed the picture in the storm of
1950, with hundreds of tons of snow hauled away from down
town streets. In 1919, there were few cars on the streets of
Bend. In the 1950 storm, cars were stranded in many parts of
town, and some parked out over night in zones of drifting
snow were nearly buried.
Officially ending the "blizzard of 1950", a roaring ehlnook
wind whipped over the Deschutes basin this week, as a warm
mass of air from the south pushed against a stubborn cold
front. "
Deschutes County Courthouse in Winter Setting
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January Storm Cloaks Bend with Ermine
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Shown here is the Deschutes county courthouse In an unusual setting, under deep snow that blankets lava and covers cars. This picture
was taken following the heavy snow of the present week. At the right Is a car practically hidden by the deep snow. Note that the flag is
at half most In honor of Alrf orce General H. H. Amok!.
For some 15 hours early this week, snow piled up in Bend, without a breath of wind noted. The snow massed on
ot striking beauty. Here Is one ot tne scenes, tne nome 01 mr. ana mra. nenntm v-ruicKsnanK (lormeny ine
, Drake road.
trees and created scenes
Longballa residence), on
Deschutes River Covered With Ice
Snow Decorates Trees
Blizzard Whips Hospital Grounds
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Bend's Mirror pond was frozen from shore to sho e In places after the temperature dipped below
zero in the recent storm. Waterfowl congregated in the limited open water. Some of the birds are
pictured here. Walter G. Peak is feeding the ducks.
Snow that lazilv fell for some 15 hours created many scenes of strik
ing beauty In Bond. Here are some trees in Pageant park with limbs
laden by snow.
This picture of the St. Charles hospital grounds was taken from the shelter of the Bend ro hall a
blizzardous winds whipped over the hospital grounds. Note the tree at the left bendlne before the
snow-laden wind.