Snowfall: The Snowstorm of 1960
The Barren River Area has experienced a few mild winters with little more than a dusting of snow. That was not the case in 1960 however, when a late winter snowstorm buried the region under snow from one to two feet deep. Heavy snow fell over the region, beginning late Tuesday evening, March 8th, and continuing through Wednesday morning. Based on a reported 2.39 inches of precipitation, the snowfall was estimated at nearly two feet in Bowling Green. Official records reported 21 inches of snowfall over the two days, with an additional five inches of snowfall over the following two days. Above freezing temperatures helped to melt some of the snow as it accumulated, so that snow depth on the ground was about one foot. Snowfall totals were somewhat lower in surrounding counties, with 16 inches recorded at Mammoth Cave National Park and in Glasgow, 15 inches in Russellville and Summer Shade, and 12 inches in Scottsville and Munfordville. Details of the snowstorm and its impacts were documented in Bowling Green's Park City Daily News. The snowfall shut down travel across the region. State police indicated that only a few major highways were open, but even those were treacherous. Local roads were impassable, and the airport at Bowling Green was closed. Only National Guard and emergency vehicles were able to get through, and several expectant mothers were transported to the local hospital. Schools and colleges were closed. Snow removal was difficult. Bowling Green Mayor R.D. Graham stated that the city was using "every piece of heavy equipment he was able to beg and borrow in the cleanup effort." Downtown businesses in Bowling Green did their best to stay open. Some manufacturers were forced to close. Residents were snowed in, while many travelers were forced to seek shelter in crowded hotels and other accommodations that were made available. Damage to carports and roofs, including the roof of a large warehouse, was reported. The timing of the storm helped to leave hundreds of Hilltopper basketball fans stranded between Lexington and Bowling Green. Nearly 500 students and fans were rescued by a special L&N Railroad "mercy train" and its regularly scheduled Pan American passenger train. The trains picked up fans stranded in Elizabethtown, Upton, Bonnieville, and Munfordville, and at other stops along the route. A Hilltopper victory over Miami University of Florida made the whole ordeal a little more bearable.
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