Great looking weather for the next couple of days. A warm front approaches tomorrow which should shift our winds to the SE and our temperatures will moderate. Then the warm front quietly moves through and we move to the low to mid 60′s on Thursday but a cold front comes through late Thursday and rain chances increase. Now, that front gets hung up and an area of low pressure will wander across the boundary from the SW and rain chances return for Saturday before we dry out for Sunday. If we were cold enough, then this would be a perfect snow scenario again, but the Thursday night cold front doesn’t have enough cold air associated with it.On This Date In History: We had a big snow last weekend and you know what, late season storms often are the most potent snow makers. It’s because often as you head toward spring, you get more systems grabbing Gulf or Atlantic moisture and because it’s still winter, cold air still is able to work in, though not as frequently as the earlier months. But in the earlier months, typically, there isn’t as many opportunities for oceanic moisture to help set up a good snow scenario. On this date in 1888, New York City received some 40 inches of snow in what is known as the Great Blizzard of 1888. Hundreds were killed. Telephone lines were down and the city was paralyzed for several weeks as snow drifted to great levels. For a time, communications with Boston had to go through London! These days, we have the infamous “brine solution” and of course plows and salt trucks and we take things for granted. These guys couldn’t even get ahold of Boston and we get upset when our cable goes out.
On this date in 1831, Clement Studebaker was born in Gettysburg, PA. He and his brother Henry created a wagon building business and became the largest wagon and carriage maker in the world. Much of their success came from their sales to the Union Army during the Civil War. With the advent of the automobile, the company became a successful independent company and during WWII, they found success making amphibious vehicles, trucks and aircraft engines as well as affordable family sedans. But, unlike the Civil War, WWII had another side to it. After the war, the government subsidized the transformation of plants for the big 3 automakers and independents like Studebaker found it hard to competitor. In the mid 1950′s, it merged with Packard but that ventured failed in 1958. Like a Phoenix, Studebaker rose again in 1959 only to finally close for good in 1966.
World War II was not as kind to the Studebaker Brothers as the Civil War had been. History did not repeat itself and now the Studebaker is on the ash heep of history. Clement though had no clue about his company’s demise. He died in 1901, well before the horseless carriage became a part of his company’s legacy.
