A retrospective of Denver’s biggest snowstorms as a significant winter storm approaches

DENVER – It was called Denver’s big snow. On December 1, 1913, the snow began to fall and did not diminish for five days. When all was said and done, more than 45 centimeters of snow accumulated on the streets of Denver. It was the biggest snowstorm recorded in the history of the city.

As the city prepares for what could be a significant winter storm, we look back on the biggest storms that have hit the Denver area.

This week’s storm is expected to move to the western part of the state from Tuesday to Wednesday, bringing a mixture of rain and snow. This precipitation will be at the forefront of what could become a very strong storm system for Colorado by the end of the week.

This storm is showing good potential to become a major snow producer for the mountains, foothills, I-25 corridor and the Eastern Plains by the end of the week. It is still too early for very specific snowfall estimates, but this could end up gaining an entry on the National Weather Service’s list of the top 24 snowstorms that hit the Denver area.

Here are the numbers for Tuesday. Denver’s 24 largest snowstorms (1881 to the present), as compiled by the National Weather Service:

1. 45.7 inches	December 1 to 5, 1913
2. 31.8 inches	March 17 to 19, 2003
3. 30.4 inches	November 2 to 4, 1946
4. 23.8 inches	December 24, 1982
5. 23.0 inches	April 23, 1885
6. 22.7 inches	October 20 to 23, 1906
7. 21.9 inches	October 24 to 25, 1997
8. 21.5 inches	November 26 to 27, 1983
9. 20.7 inches	December 20 to 21, 2006
10. 19.3 inches	January 29 to 31, 1883
11. 19.0 inches	April 24 to 25, 1935
12. 18.7 inches	March 5 to 6, 1983
13. 18.5 inches	March 20 to 22, 1944
14. 18.2 inches	April 17-19, 1920
15. 18.0 inches	April 19 to 20, 1907
16. 18.0 inches	March 31 to April 1, 1891
17.7 inches	November 19 to 21, 1979
18.3 inches	April 2, 1957
19. 16.9 inches	March 20 to 21, 1952
20. 16.8 inches	April 20 to 22, 1933
21. 16.5 inches	September 26 to 28, 1936
22. 16.0 inches	October 3-5, 1969
23. 15.9 inches	February 2-4, 2012
24 15.8 inches	April 26 to 27, 1972

The 1913 storm closed the city for days and it has not fully recovered for an entire month, according to the Denver Library Genealogy, African American & Western History Resources. City officials removed about six billion cubic feet of snow!

An article written by Brian K. Trembath on the library’s website states that the event caught the city off guard. It started with just a few inches a day, but on the fourth day, it started to dump, shutting down the entire tram system in the city.

“Fortunately, the other public services in Denver, including telephone systems, the power grid and the water system worked without any major problems,” wrote Tremboth.

Photos in the Denver Library file show how much snow fell and how the city handled what – unbeknownst to them at the time – would be the biggest snowstorm in the city.

People walk down a dug road in a residential street in Denver, Colorado, after the 1913 snowstorm. It shows snow-covered lawns and houses.

A huge pile of snow sits on a street near shops and the Hotel Metropole after the 1913 snowstorm in Denver, Colorado. A sign at the hotel says, “Hotel Metropole, Absolutely Fire Proof.”

View of men shoveling snow in front of the Denver Public Library in West Colfax and Bannock Street after the great 1913 snowstorm in Denver, Colorado. It shows horse-drawn carts, men and the Capitol building.

A snowman wears a hat sitting in the driver’s seat of probably a Ford Model T after the 1913 snowstorm in Denver, Colorado. Pedestrians walk along the sidewalk near snowdrifts.

View of the Denver City Tramway Company Lawrence Street tram in the great snowstorm of 1913 in Denver, Colorado. Shows the cars numbered, “95”, “(?) 85,” and “(?) 8”.

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