Located along the deep canyon of the Upper Sacramento River, Dunsmuir, Calif., was an important railroad depot, first for the Central Pacific, and later the Southern Pacific Railroad. Dunsmuir winters can be heavy and hard, with snows that compromise the railroads.
The winter of 1890 was a good example. Sixteen feet of snow shut down the railroad for more than a month and a half.
The winter of 1936-37 delivered more record snowfalls, making it difficult to keep the railroad or nearby highways open. Many of Dunsmuir’s stores dug snow-tunnel entrances, and snow was shoveled by hand onto flat rail cars that hauled away 180 carloads of snow.
The winter of 1949-1950 was just as severe. Storm after storm hit the canyon, piling up more than 16 feet of snow that paralyzed the town and railroad. Dump trucks loaded snow on flat cars headed north to the Willamette Valley, where the snow melted in the warmer climate.
During the winter of January 1952 another snowstorm hit Dunsmuir and the surrounding region. To keep the railroad open, steam rotaries cleared the tracks, barely keeping ahead of the continuing snowfall.
Source: "Past Winters in the Canyon!" Dunsmuir Railroad Depot Historical Society. Dunsmuir Railroad Depot Historical Society, 29 Jan. 2016. Web. 7 May 2016.
