clarinews@clarinet.com (United Press International) (02/03/90)
Gusty winds and thunderstorms hammered Texas and snow fell over much of the northern half of the country Friday, but a Pennsylvania groundhog assured the nation that spring is just around the corner. Scores of anxious weather watchers trekked to Punxsutawney, Pa., for the 103rd annual appearance of Punxsutawney Phil, the legendary weather-predicting groundhog of western Pennsylvania. Phil emerged from his burrow at Gobbler's Knob Den and did not see his shadow. According to legend, that means spring is near. Had he seen it, it would have meant six more weeks of winter, according to true believers. Phil's fans contend he is never wrong. Wideespread cold and snow prompted the NWS to post winter storm advisories for parts of the Northeast, the southern Rockies, the Midwest, the central Plains and the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Up to 10 inches of snow covered Arizona's White Mountains and the snow continued to fall, forecasters said. The storm also spread snow into New Mexico. Snow fell across western Pennsylvania, upstate New York and into New England. Four inches of snow fell over upstate New York cancelling classes for school children and forcing the Saratoga harness racing track to close for the day. Another foot of snow was forecast through the weekend. A winter storm brewing in the Midwest brought snow to Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota. Snowfall was heaviest in northwest Missouri where up to 4 inches was forecast. In the Plains, winter storm watches for snow and sleet were in effect for Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle. Snow also fell the Dakotas. In the Northwest, snow fell from the Cascade and Olympic mountains of Washington into Idaho. Strong Chinook winds gusting to 50 mph whipped up ground snow and closed roads in north central Montana, authorities said. Strong thunderstorms battered the southern half of Texas for a second day Friday. No serious injuries were reported except for an electric company worker in Austin who was electrocuted early Friday when he tried to repair a 7,200-volt line atop a utility pole. In the south Texas town of Cotulla, as many as 100 structures suffered damage from the high winds Thursday and up to 50 people were driven from their homes, authorities said. Thunderstorms moving through southeast Texas spawned several tornadoes in the Houston area late Thursday, damaging a trailer park and knocking out power to about 24,000 homes. One twister tore the roof off a mobile home and damaged eight other homes in a trailer park, a police dispatcher said. The storm knocked out power to about 10,000 homes in Austin Thursday night and Friday morning. Heavy fog at Houston's Intercontinental and Hobby airports halted all landings for a period Friday morning, but takeoffs were unrestricted. The fog reduced visibility was 1,200 feet at Intercontinental and 1,000 feet at Hobby. Fog also delayed flights at Dallas' Love Field. Temperatures hovered around the freezing mark across much of the nation's midsection and New England, but dipped into the teens and single digits in northern areas of North Dakota, Michigan and Maine. Unseasonably warm temperatures into the 60s stretched from the southern Plains into the Middle Atlantic states. Readings in the 70s warmed the South and temperatures climbed into the low 80s in southern Florida. Temperatures were in the 60s in southern California and in the 40s in northern California and the Northwest.