Winter's First Snow Dumps 4 Inches

After a spring-like December, the four-inch snowstorm that blanketed the Yard yesterday has finally heralded the true arrival of winter in the Boston area.

Yesterday's snowstorm of the season has given hope to New England ski resorts and spawned the usual round of snowball fights among freshman.

"It was just like the Jets and the Sharks," is how Dianne M. Paulus '88, referring to the opposing gangs in the play/movie "West Side Story", described the snowball fight in Harvard Yard late Monday night. The fight attracted about 200 freshmen and lasted about two hours. one participant said.

It attracted the attention of Richard B. Cooperstein '88 who, in his pajamas. "Everyone kept pegging me," he said, "and you always get people back for something like that." So Cooperstein "whalloped some guy from Greenough."

"God only knows why Union people are in the Yard when it snows," he added.

Other enjoyed the snowfall in a more sedate manner. The snow covered banks of the Charles River seemed to be a good place to cross-country ski to Jeffery A. Halperin '86. The light powder-like snow was great for skiing because it was so slippery, he said.

Although eastern ski resorts are not having the greatest snow season the cold weather and this storm are lifting their spirits. A spokesman at the Killington ski resort, which received six to seven inches from the storm, said that all the mountains lifts-should be open by the weekend.

"Up until now the weather has been very erratic but now were able to make snow," he added.

Veteran Boston-area snow observer William P. Ryan was not so enthusiastic about the Monday's snowfall. As Cambridge Assistant Commissioner of Public Works, the man in charge of cleaning the streets and getting the city moving again after it snows, he had to put in his first late night of the season. But he called this week's storm a small one.

"The winter is off to a pretty good start," explained Ryan, who has been at this job for 31 years. "Once you get through December you begin looking foward to April 1."

Weather predictions are for more of yesterday's weather. The National Weather Service said the temperature should be in the mid-20's today dropping down to 5-10 tonight while remaining windy. Tomorow may be a little warmer.