This day in history: Spokane was closing in on snow record; Columbia River dam proposed

From 1975: Spokane residents were thoroughly tired of snow, but Mother Nature was not cooperating.

Another 3.2 inches of snow fell in Spokane, pushing the winter of 1974-75 into second place for the snowiest on record.

The total so far was 83.8 inches. The all-time record was 93.5 inches in 1949-50.

The record was still within reach. Spokane typically had at least some snow in late March and April, and, as a meteorologist pointed out, “March isn’t over yet.”

(It remained in second, however, settling in at 89 inches at the end of the season. The record finally was broken 2008-09 at 97.7 inches.)

Snow had fallen throughout the region over the weekend throughout the region. Colville had 4 inches and Sandpoint had 5.

Unseasonable cold still gripped the region. The temperature in Spokane climbed to a high of 37, melting most of the snow, but that was 11 degrees lower than average for the date.

From 1925: A dam project at Priest Rapids on the Columbia River would employ 5,000 people and generate a massive amount of electricity.

“Aside from the power plant, which will be developed at the great plant, there will be enough water to irrigate 100,000 acres of land in that section of Washington,” said a Seattle banker in a talk to the Spokane Chamber of Commerce.

He said that the General Electric Co. planned to start construction on the project “before the snow flies next fall.”