Photos: Denver's ten biggest March-April snowstorms

Today's snowfall has certainly been a pain from a commuting standpoint. But it's nothing special in the history of Denver weather (so far), especially considering how often the city is clobbered by spring storms. According to data shared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, ten of the twenty largest-ever Denver snowfall totals took place in March and April. Look below to count down the top ten, complete with vintage photos and excerpts from news accounts dating back as far as the 1800s. Number 10: April 20-22, 1933 -- 16.8 inches From the Record Journal of Douglas County: "Prospects of bumper crops in northeastern Colorado have brightened as a result of a snow fall of from two feet to eighteen inches over that entire section recently." Number 9: March 20-21, 1952 -- 16.9 inches From The Examiner: "In 1952...a major snow storm produced north wind gusts to 35 mph and dumped 16.9 inches of snowfall on Stapleton Airport. The maximum snow depth on the ground was 13 inches due to melting." Continue counting down Denver's ten biggest April-March snowstorms. Number 8: April 2, 1957 -- 17.3 inches From the CSU Libraries collection: "Well, the winter weather took a day longer to reach us, but it certainly has! Here's a look at a car in similar surroundings in 1957.

"Stay warm!"

Number 7: March 31-April 1, 1891 -- Eighteen inches From the Fort Collins Weekly Courier:"Snow, snow, the beautiful snow. Surely we have enough snow to bring the wheat up, if only we could get a chance to sow it.

"We don't mind the snow, but we would like the weather to get a little warmer. We are tired of rubbing our ears and stamping our feet to keep from freezing."

Continue counting down Denver's ten biggest April-March snowstorms. Number 6: March 19-20, 1907 -- Eighteen inches From the Steamboat Pilot: "The marshal is doing some good work this week, cleaning the sidewalks of snow and ice and making trenches to lead off the snow water." Number 5: April 17-19, 1920 -- 18.2 inches From the Hugo Range Leader: "Mr. and Mrs. D.E. Calkins and little daughter, Miss Margaret...enjoyed the local-talent minstrel show.... Mrs. Calkins reports that her brother, Guy Henderson, suffered a loss of 80 head of cattle during the recent blizzard." Continue counting down Denver's ten biggest April-March snowstorms. Number 4: March 20-22, 1944 -- 18.5 inches From the Rocky Mountain News: "Although March brings the beginning of spring, wintry weather often rules the roost. Warm, moist air trying to make a return trip from its southern vacation clashes with the cold leftovers of winter. The result usually is not a peaceful one. Our record snowfall for the month of March is 32.5 inches in March 1944.... Even our 'normal. snowfall for the month is high at 12.8 inches." Number 3 -- March 5-6, 1983 -- 18.7 inches

From the Rocky Mountain News: "March of 1983 was a particularly snowy month, with 30.5 inches reported in Denver. From 15 to 25 inches fell in the Denver area during a single storm, with nearly 3 feet reported at Copper Mountain."

Continue counting down Denver's ten biggest April-March snowstorms. Number 2: April 24-25, 1935 -- Nineteen inches From the Record Journal of Douglas County: "River commissioner W.J. McAnelly of Fort Collins told Greeley residents recently they will have sufficient water this summer for all domestic purposes, including irrigation." Number 1: March 17-19, 2003 -- 31.8 inches From the Boulder Daily Camera: "One week after the 2003 snowstorm, the bills are starting to roll in.

"And they`re big ones: An insurance group estimates the storm cost $33.6 million in damages to homes and cars across the state so far.

"But the real cost of the storm includes so much that isn`t part of that figure: Large commercial building damage, lost productivity, revenue losses from business closings, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in snow removal and emergency services costs.

"The estimated cost for snow removal and emergency services in Boulder County alone tops half a million dollars."

More from our Lists & Weirdness archive: "Photos: Top ten scariest out-of-state license plates to see in a snowstorm."