Strong Storms Stymie Students

Halloween would not be complete without dark storms and evil spirits, and today's expected hurricane-like weather should provide more than enough howling wind and drenching rain.

Yesterday's blistering cold and rain was caused by a "wild, wild storm in the Atlantic...probably one of the worst storms we've seen in the Atlantic since the 1978 Blizzard," according to yesterday's New England Weekend Weather forecast. The telephone forecast service predicted even harsher weather conditions today.

The Accuweather telephone forecast said yesterday that a "powerful ocean storm will affect our area over the next few days, causing high winds, coastal flooding and beach erosion." Winds gusted over 30 miles per hour yesterday in the Boston area, and may reach 60 miles per hour along the coast today, the service's recording predicted.

The combination of chilly temperatures and high winds can cause problems--big and small--for unsuspecting students.

"The worst thing that happened is that the radiators came on and melted our phone," said John Aboud III '95.

Many students lamented the frequent fluctuations that seem to characterize Boston weather patterns.

"It's a pretty sudden change, especially after such a nice day on Sunday," said Kevin Chang '93.

The effects of miserable weather aren't all bad--some students were able to find silver linings around the dark clouds lurking above.

"I've enjoyed seeing all the stylish scarves," Aboud said. "It's quite a fashion parade out in the Yard. I guess it's cold chic."

But the wind, rain and cold caused definite problems for some of Harvard's athletic teams yesterday.

"You can't throw the ball," said John S. Castle '95, a quarterback on the freshman football team. "Your hands get really cold and stiff. The ball, for some reason, gets 50 times harder."

Castle explained that the cold can interfere with a quarterback's concentration, and the gusting winds can make passing extremely difficult.

Cold weather can also make things difficult for receivers, Castle said.

"The ball feels like it's made out of steel. It'll just rip your hands when you catch it," he said.

The high winds forced the first-year men's crew team to practice inside the Weld Boathouse, according to lightweight rower Friedrich K. Walter '95. The strong winds would have caused the boats to shake, disrupting the rowers' timing, Walter said.

"When the wind hit the water, you could see the ripple of the waves," he said