If you lived in the Mile High City during the early 2000s, you know the answer to one of this generation's greatest questions: Where were you during the blizzard of 2003? For me, I was stuck inside my entire spring break because of it (wah wah wahhhh) while others were flat-out trapped without electricity, stuck in their cars, or out trying to clean up the mess left behind by the unprecedented 31.8 inches of snow!
Even emergency vehicles had trouble navigating the snowy roads...
Let's take a quick look back at this unforgettable "storm of the century," (via a short video uploaded by YouTube user sshuzam) which brought with it nearly 3 feet of new snow from March 17th to the 19th:
Now I must ask you the question for the ages: Where were YOU during the infamous blizzard of 2003?
I think we'd all agree that the Mile High City is simply stunning. But, there's just something about the addition of twinkling lights and a little dusting of snow during the winter months that really brings out Denver's natural beauty even more. If you've ever had any doubt, these 10 jaw-dropping photos of Denver in wintertime will remind you that we really do live in a storybook setting, especially in the winter.
This view from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science is layered with snow-filled beauty. City Park is nestled in front of the Denver skyline with the unbeatable backdrop of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains, making Colorado in winter the perfect time to visit!
There's nothing quite like taking a stroll down the 16th Street Mall when it is glowing with twinkling lights during the holidays. We love winter in Denver!
If you have been blown away by the scenery at Red Rocks Amphitheatre during a summer concert, you should definitely check it out in the winter as well. It’s like a winter wonderland in Colorado!
Can you imagine having over 3.5 feet of snow accumulation in a matter of days? In 1913, this was a reality in Denver, and life in the city came to a screeching halt. After a blizzard swept over Colorado and other western states during the first part of December of that year, the snowfall in the Mile High City totaled 45.7 inches. That is a record that still stands strong today.
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This man has a big job ahead of himself as he works to clear a path to the Colorado State Capitol Building.
The snow began to fall on December 1st of 1913 and carried on for four days. On December 5, residents finally got out into the knee deep drifts to begin snow removal and answer the question of where do we put it all?
This blizzard truly stopped all the regular happenings of the city, as depicted by this picture of a snowed-in automobile at 15th and Stout streets.
Here you can see the accumulation of heavy, wet snow in the North Capitol Hill neighborhood that caused residents to have to walk to their destination by foot.
The nearly 200 miles of Denver's streetcar system was shut down including this streetcar which was trying its best to get free of the deep snow on 16th Street.
No one was getting anywhere around town very quickly with more than twenty streetcars stranded or derailed around Denver. These two streetcars were stuck in snow on 17th Avenue between Lincoln and Sherman streets.
Even though a Denver Post headline for December 5, 1913 read, "Mantle of Shimmering White Stops Activity And Everyone Jollifies," this blizzard caused huge concerns for residents both during and after the snow finally stopped coming down.
Citizens were dependent on coal for heat at that time, and many homes ran out with no way to get more for days on end. In addition, buildings that hadn't been built properly collapsed under the weight of the snow.
The city ended up hiring hundreds of men to shovel the sidewalks and streets of Denver, paying them $2.50 per day for their labor. These men were clearing a sidewalk in front of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on the corner of Colfax Ave. and Logan Street.
Although the Mile High City itself greatly experienced the setbacks of the blizzard of 1913, the mountain communities were hit even more harshly and it took weeks for normalcy to be renewed in those areas.
