Apparently Old Man Winter – Mother Nature is too kind to blame for this – didn’t get the memo that Summit (formerly known as Lectureship) moved from late February to September a couple years ago.
ACU was closed yet again Tuesday when another winter storm passed through Abilene, leaving great snowball fodder but making travel treacherous. Fewer snowmen and snowwomen appeared on campus this time; perhaps students are getting a little tired of this, or preferred to catch up on sleep lost from Sing Song preparations, or their gloves and Tom’s shoes haven’t dried out from the last snowfall. Either way, after today’s white stuff, this winter is officially the eighth snowiest on record in the Key City, or Friendly Frontier or whatever you prefer to call ACU’s hometown these days. We are inclined to call it Cold, Wet and Ready for Spring.
Here are the top 10 snowiest winters on record in Abilene. What do you remember about them?  You get extra points for details about 1st, 5th and 10th places:
1. 1918-19 — 18.4″
2. 1972-73 — 16.6″
3. 1995-96 — 15.3″
4. 1957-58 — 14.0″
5. 1894-95 — 13.2″
6. 1946-47 — 13.0″
7. 1982-83 — 12.2″
8. 2009-10 — 12.0″
9. 1955-56 — 11.7″
10. 1888 — 11.6″
Speaking of record statistics, the mid-1980s featured not only one of the whitest but downright coldest winters on the books. In south Abilene, Lake Kirby froze over and the old-style GATA Fountain on campus was not fit for bubbles nor baptisms nor birthday dunkings.  Jeff Nelson (’79), who was director of university events at the time, showed off his figure-skating skills to some chilly onlookers Dec. 20, 1983.