Huskies Don't Let a Little Snow Bother Them During Winter Workouts
With snow pelting Husky Stadium, University of Washington football players seemed good-natured about this weather intrusion on Wednesday as they traveled — some shirtless — between winter workouts in Dempsey Indoor and the warmth of their locker room.
They could laugh it off because it was only February. Lie in the snow and flap their arms a little. Later head for a hot shower.
The worst they had it all last season was a brisk, extra windy November game night against Oregon State, where field-goal attempts largely were inadvisable and passes repeatedly were blown off target in the Huskies' hard-pressed 24-21 victory.
There was a chance some of the younger guys on this team have never seen snow before. Or for a native Hawaiian such as Zion Tupuola-Fetui, he could maybe count on one hand how many times he's encountered the white stuff.
Weather-wise, these current Huskies generally have been fairly lucky in avoiding extreme elements mixed with their football over the past decade.
Hey, they ended this past season after Christmas in the mild winter conditions of central Texas, beating the University of Texas inside the temperature-controlled Alamodome.
To commemorate the snow-covered stadium in Montlake, we take the opportunity to remind everyone of the three worst weather games involving the Huskies over the past 40-plus years, home or away.
WILD WEATHER DAYS
1981 — The UW welcomed a Marcus Allen-led USC team into Husky Stadium and into what were described as hurricane gusts. The 520 bridge across Lake Washington was shut down, making fans scramble to find a way to the game. The Huskies took advantage by using an end zone fumble recovery by the late Fred Smalls and a pair of field goals to pull out a 13-3 victory. Nearly 12,000 people who had purchased tickets stayed home.
1985 — The Huskies and Washington State met in the Apple Cup during Seattle's worst snow storm in 40 years. Eight inches of snow had to be removed by two Zambonis plowing it and 6,000 pounds of fertilizer melting it. The Husky Stadium toilets froze over and wouldn't flush all game long. The UW came out a 21-20 loser in the treacherous conditions.
1992 — In Pullman, the UW and WSU played in what were described as the worst weather conditions ever for an Apple Cup, still to this day. There was overnight snow, temperatures in the low 30s and inds around 20 miles per hour. The Cougars better acclimated themselves to the difficult elements, taking a 42-23 victory over the Rose Bowl-bound Huskies.
While the current weather blast through Montlake won't affect the outcome of any football game and proves to be just a momentary distraction, Kalen DeBoer is probably enjoying himself, considering his background, as to where he lives and coaches.
A South Dakota native, DeBoer spent 15 years playing and coaching in Sioux Falls, which is a city currently getting hit as hard as any as a big storm rocks much of the country.
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