On this day 37 years ago, Mount St. Helens erupted and distributed ash across the northwest. These photos (by James Johnson and Chris Pietsch) appeared in the 1980 Gem of the Mountains yearbook with the accompanying text:

“On May 18, only one day after most of the graduating seniors and their relatives had left town, Mt. St. Helens erupted, depositing ash over parts of three states. States of emergency were called in Washington, Idaho, and Montana in the wake of the worst eruption of that volcano in almost 100 years.

Normal activity in the city of Moscow and at the University of Idaho was brought to a virtual stand still for three days following the blast. All roads out of town, except I-90 south to Lewiston were closed. Citizens were encouraged to stay indoors and businesses to stay closed. Most of the ash had been cleaned up by the time summer school began three weeks later, but dollar impact on the university could end up being as much as $600,000.”

To browse the 1980 Gem of the Mountains Yearbook, click here: http://lib.uidaho.edu/digital/gem/1980/