Colorado’s infamous snowball ban: The real story behind the myth
Picture a Colorado winter afternoon with kids laughing and snow flying, then a record-scratch moment: technically, that snowball fight might be illegal. According to NPR’s 2018 coverage, “Severance prohibited throwing ‘stones, snowballs or any other missile or projectiles’ at people, buildings, trees or any other property.” This article examines how a nine-year-old boy overturned one of Colorado’s most infamous “weird laws,” and why the myth persists despite the truth being far more charming than the legend.
Where these ordinances originated
Several Colorado municipalities, including Severance and Aspen, maintained local codes banning the throwing of “missiles or projectiles.” These rules weren’t crafted to eliminate winter joy. They were public safety ordinances designed to prevent property damage and injuries from dangerous objects. Snowballs simply fell within the legal definition. The Coloradoan documented how these municipal safety codes emerged from standardized templates adopted across small towns, creating unintended consequences that would persist for generations.
A fourth-grader takes on city hall
Dane Best, a nine-year-old student at Severance Elementary, discovered the local ban during a class field trip to the town hall in 2018. He prepared a presentation arguing that children deserved the right to snowball fights. The Severance Town Board responded with a unanimous vote to repeal the prohibition that December, generating national headlines. Research from the Denver Post reveals how Dane even threw the first legal snowball immediately after the historic town meeting, cementing his place in Colorado civic folklore.
Separating fact from fiction
Colorado maintains no statewide prohibition against snowball fights. Some municipalities and homeowner associations have ordinances prohibiting the possession of dangerous objects within city limits, which can technically encompass snowballs when aimed at property, vehicles, or individuals. Enforcement is rarely initiated unless an injury, property damage, or sustained complaints arise. Many towns have modernized their codes to specify “dangerous projectiles,” explicitly exempting snowballs from this definition. Analysis from USA Today demonstrates how these nuanced local regulations create confusion that internet trivia lists eagerly exploit.
Historical context behind boilerplate safety clauses
Small towns adopted standardized public safety codes throughout the early twentieth century, based on model ordinances that prohibited “stones, snowballs, or other missiles.” These represented boilerplate safety provisions copied across hundreds of American communities. They aimed to protect windows and prevent injuries, not eliminate childhood recreation, yet the antiquated language endured. Municipal code archives maintained by the Colorado State Archives reveal how these forgotten provisions remained in effect decades after their practical relevance had disappeared.
America’s catalog of forgotten prohibitions
The snowball narrative illustrates how small-town ordinances often persist long after they have become obsolete. Similar examples include prohibitions against throwing Frisbees in parks, whistling after midnight, or dancing on Sundays. Many remain technically enforceable but dormant, representing quirky artifacts of overly cautious governance. Features from the Atlas Obscura catalog dozens of these obsolete American laws that persist because municipal code revisions remain labor-intensive and are often given low priority.
Why the legend persists
The “no snowballs” rule endures because it perfectly captures an absurd image: snowy Colorado paired with draconian restrictions on childhood fun. Internet lists and trivia accounts rarely update when laws change, so even after the 2018 repeal of the Severance Act, the myth persists unchanged. Fact-checking databases like Snopes continue tracking these persistent legal legends, documenting how outdated information spreads faster than corrections. The authentic story proves more delightful than the legend: Colorado never outlawed snowballs statewide, but it took a determined nine-year-old to ensure no town ever could again.
The takeaway
Colorado doesn’t ban snowball fights across the state. Severance repealed its local ordinance in 2018 thanks to Dane Best’s campaign. Most “no snowball” prohibitions stem from outdated or misunderstood projectile ordinances that predate modern municipal code revisions. So pack that snow and take your best shot, just aim away from windows, vehicles, and anyone who might not appreciate your competitive spirit.
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