Historic Colorado Storm Remembered After 8 Feet Of Snow Falls In Italy

DENVER (CBS4) - A heavy snowstorm buried parts of Italy last week with one village reporting over 8 feet of snow in less than a day.

Reports from Capracotta, about 3 hours east of Rome, say 100.8 inches of snow fell in roughly 18 hours.

Nearby Pescocostanzo reported 94.5 inches of snow from the storm.

The heavy Italian snow event exceeds two other extreme snowfalls documented in the 1920's.

On February 14, 1927 a storm was reported to have dropped 90.6 inches of snow on Mt. Ibuki, Japan.

On April 14-15, 1921 a major winter storm slammed the Front Range of Colorado's Rockies.

It left a blanket of snow behind that was measured in feet.

In Silver Lake, not too far from Boulder, 75.8 inches was measured in just 24 hours.

That event still holds the record for the most snowfall in a 24-hour period in the United States.

According to the Colorado Climate Center Silver Lake's total grew to 87 inches in 27.5 hours and 95 inches in 32.5 hours.

While only 10 inches of snow fell in Denver from the storm, winds around 50 mph created drifts as high as 7 feet in the city.

The heavy snow caused extensive damage to trees, utility poles and buildings.

Meteorologist Chris Spears writes about stories related to weather and climate in Colorado. Check out his bio or follow him on Twitter @ChrisCBS4.