Some folks desire sunny climate, others just like the rain. Nevertheless, there’s one thing uniquely enchanting about snow. Yearly all through the nation, snow blankets properties in a soothing, white layer that silences town sounds and signifies the start of the vacation season.
Whereas snow is pretty frequent throughout the northern U.S., some cities see a a lot bigger quantity than others, reworking into winter wonderlands. However which cities see essentially the most snow?
When you’re contemplating transferring to a brand new space however aren’t certain the place to decide on, we’re right here to assist. Whether or not you want heat, sunny cities year-round and are making an inventory of locations to keep away from, or love a chilly and snowy winter, Redfin has compiled an inventory of the snowiest cities within the U.S. that can assist you transfer with confidence. Learn on to be taught extra and uncover if certainly one of these cities is best for you.
How we measure the snowiest cities
For our functions of figuring out the “snowiest” cities, this listing will concentrate on cities that obtain the best common seasonal snowfall totals. Some cities might even see extra days with measurable snowfall however decrease common totals, so we received’t embody them.
Hold studying to see Redfin’s rankings of the snowiest cities within the U.S. with a inhabitants of 75,000 or extra.
What are the snowiest cities within the U.S.?
1. Syracuse, New York
Common annual snowfall: 127.8 inches
Document seasonal snowfall: 192.1 inches (1992-93)
The snowiest metropolis within the U.S. is Syracuse, NY. Syracuse can be the rainiest and one of many cloudiest cities within the nation.
Syracuse is so snowy due to its location close to the Nice Lakes, typically seeing robust lake-effect snowstorms. Lake-effect precipitation occurs when older air that enters the area from the west or northwest travels east over the comparatively hotter lakes, turning into heavy rain or snow. Syracuse is simply east of Lake Ontario, so it sees this sample regularly. The lake impact is way stronger and extra frequent within the winter as a result of bigger temperature distinction between the air and water.
Generally, lake-effect methods stall over the area, inflicting snowstorms that may cowl town in toes of snow inside a day. Due to this, Upstate New York is thought for a number of the heaviest snowfall on this planet. That is what prompted the biggest Upstate cities to compete for the Golden Snowball Award, which is awarded yearly to town that receives essentially the most snow. Syracuse has received the vast majority of the years relationship again to 1951, however Buffalo has received the previous three and at present holds the trophy.
Essentially the most snow Syracuse has seen in a single storm occurred in the course of the Storm of the Century in 1993, when 42.9 inches fell in two days.
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2. Erie, Pennsylvania
Common seasonal snowfall: 104.3 inches
Document seasonal snowfall: 166.3 inches (2017-18)
The small metropolis of Erie, PA is second on our listing. As one of many snowbelt cities, Erie sees most of its snow from lake impact storms off Lake Erie. Nevertheless, as a result of the chilly air that causes storms doesn’t cross as a lot of the lake as different cities like Syracuse (from Lake Ontario), snow is mostly lighter.
Regardless, the world does see robust storms: Lately, Erie was hit with over 5 toes of snow in the course of the holidays on account of a lake impact storm.
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3. Rochester, New York
Common seasonal snowfall: 102 inches
Document seasonal snowfall: 161.7 inches (1959-60)
Rochester is the third-snowiest metropolis within the U.S., once more because of the lake impact. Much like Syracuse, it receives an abundance of snowfall from Lake Ontario. Nevertheless, it’s positioned additional west than Syracuse, which means there may be much less alternative for chilly air to go over the lake, leading to decrease snowfall totals. Additionally just like Syracuse, Rochester is thought for extra frequent mild and reasonable snow, however it has seen many robust storms.
Essentially the most intense snowstorm within the metropolis’s historical past occurred from February 28-March 2, 1900. This storm dropped 43.5 inches of snow over 63 straight hours, inflicting the deepest snowpack Rochester has ever seen.
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4. Buffalo, New York
Common seasonal snowfall: 95.4 inches
Document seasonal snowfall: 199.4 inches (1976-77)
The final of the Upstate New York cities, Buffalo is the fourth-snowiest metropolis within the U.S. Like Syracuse and Rochester, Buffalo will get most of its snow from robust lake impact snowstorms.
Nevertheless, Buffalo is notorious for experiencing particularly intense and slender snow bands, leading to blizzards which may drop many toes of snow in a day. Essentially the most well-known snowstorm is the Blizzard of 1977, which dropped greater than 100 inches of snow in three days. Extra lately, the Christmas week storm of 2022 dropped over 4 toes of snow together with hurricane-force winds, inflicting widespread injury and disruptions.
So, whereas Buffalo could obtain much less common snowfall than its neighbors, it sees a number of the strongest storms and quickest snow accumulation. Buffalo’s one-day snowfall report of 33.9 inches is rivaled solely by Syracuse on this listing.
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5. Boulder, CO
Common seasonal snowfall: 92.8 inches
Document seasonal snowfall: 152.0 inches (2019-20)
Boulder, CO, the primary metropolis on our listing within the Rocky Mountains, is the fifth-snowiest metropolis within the nation. The keys to Boulder’s snowy winters are its elevation and site.
At 5,430 toes above sea stage, Boulder advantages from upslope movement, the place moisture from the east rises quickly over the steep Rockies and condenses into precipitation. As a result of frequently-cold temperatures, this precipitation typically falls as snow in the course of the winter. The colder air temperatures additionally result in extraordinarily lengthy snow seasons that final from September to June.
Moreover, despite the fact that it’s solely 30 miles from Denver, Boulder receives greater than twice the quantity of snow. That is primarily on account of Boulder’s pristine location within the shadow of the steep Flatiron vary. When winter storm methods hit the Flatirons, they drop enormous quantities of snow with a view to ascend shortly, most of which falls on Boulder.
Nevertheless, Boulder’s winters aren’t the freezing snowscapes some may anticipate. Whereas the world does get loads of snow, it not often lingers various days because of robust daylight and comparatively delicate temperatures. The common winter excessive is round 47°F, with 60°F days not unusual. In comparison with locations like Syracuse, the place the typical winter excessive is 34°F, Boulder’s winters are comparatively delicate (minus the dramatic temperature swings).
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6. Duluth, Minnesota
Common seasonal snowfall: 90.2 inches
Document seasonal snowfall: 140.1 inches (2022-23)
The sixth-snowiest metropolis within the U.S. is Duluth, MN. In the course of the lengthy winter, Duluth usually sees snow, and experiences extraordinarily chilly climate for months on finish. The truth is, Duluth is the fourth-coldest main metropolis within the contiguous U.S.
Duluth is exclusive in that it sits on the western aspect of Lake Superior, which might usually make it a drier metropolis. Nevertheless, Lake Superior is massive sufficient and much sufficient north for it to provide lake impact precipitation alongside all of its shores that may unfold far inland. That, mixed with different storms that blow by in the course of the spring and fall, make it a really chilly and snowy metropolis.
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7. Flagstaff, Arizona
Common seasonal snowfall: 90.1 inches
Document seasonal snowfall: 153.9 inches (1948-49)
Flagstaff is the seventh-snowiest metropolis within the U.S., receiving over seven toes of snow per 12 months on common. The town is especially snowy due to its excessive elevation (6,900 toes above sea stage) and proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Although town is comparatively far south, the altitude brings loads of chilly air and implies that any moisture transferring over the world will probably fall close to town.
Flagstaff advantages from an analogous phenomenon as Boulder, however moisture comes from the Pacific Ocean as a substitute of the Midwest.
Snow has been comparatively frequent currently, too. The 2022-23 season was the second-snowiest on report, and 2024-25 is beginning off robust; the native Arizona Snowbowl Ski Resort simply had its earliest opening day in historical past.
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8. Anchorage, Alaska
Common seasonal snowfall: 77.9 inches
Document seasonal snowfall: 134.5 inches (2011-12)
Surprisingly, Anchorage, AK, the northernmost main metropolis within the U.S., is simply the eighth snowiest. It is because Anchorage is surrounded by tall mountains and fjords, which causes a big portion of the frequent Pacific storms to dump most of their snow and rain earlier than they attain town. Nevertheless, town nonetheless receives loads of snow and supplies attractive vistas year-round.
Different Alaskan cities, resembling Juneau (87.6 inches) and Homer (100.6 inches), obtain extra snow than Anchorage on common, however are too small for this listing.
Lately, in the course of the present 2023-24 season, Anchorage totaled 133.3 inches of snow – the second-snowiest season on report. Snow fell as late as Might that season.
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9. Grand Rapids, Michigan
Common seasonal snowfall: 77.6 inches
Document seasonal snowfall: 132.2 inches (1951-52)
Grand Rapids, MI, is the ninth-snowiest metropolis within the U.S. Much like many different cities on the listing, town sees most of its snow from lake impact storms. Grand Rapids is simply to the east of Lake Michigan, which means if chilly air is blowing from the west or southwest, snow is prone to fall within the space. Nevertheless, these wind patterns often solely final for round 12 hours at a time, which means the area sees a lot decrease snowfall totals than the highest spots on this listing.
The biggest one-day snowfall ever recorded in Grand Rapids occurred in the course of the well-known Blizzard of January 26-27 in 1978. 16.1 inches of snow fell in 24 hours, with as much as 30 inches or extra in some localized areas.
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10. Worcester, Massachusetts
Common seasonal snowfall: 72.9 inches
Document seasonal snowfall: 132.9 inches (1995-96)
Final on our listing is Worcester, MA. Worcester is simply the fourth metropolis on the listing to not profit from the lake impact. As an alternative, the world sees most of its snow from Nor’easters, that are storms that end result from robust, chilly air from the northeast hitting the comparatively hotter waters of the Atlantic Ocean. These storms can produce very robust snowstorms throughout New England and even additional south.
The truth is, the January 2015 Blizzard, which was a Nor’easter, dumped 34.5 inches of snow – a single-storm report.
Apparently, Worcester receives practically 30 inches extra snow on common than coastal cities like Boston and Windfall. That is due to its inland location and proximity to increased elevation, inflicting decrease temperatures and extra winter precipitation.
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What’s the snowiest place within the U.S.?
The outright snowiest place in the USA is a tossup between Mount Rainier (Tahoma) and Mount Baker (Kulshan) in Washington State. These mountains obtain a median of 640–663 inches of snowfall every year, however have seen as a lot as 1,122 and 1,140 inches respectively – the best totals on this planet.
The mountains obtain a lot snow due to their excessive elevation and proximity to frequent moisture from the Pacific Ocean. One of many lowest-elevation ski resorts within the U.S., The Summit at Snoqualmie, additionally advantages from this sample. Late-season snow at increased elevations is very frequent.
How is snowfall altering?
There are three components needed for snow:
Chilly air (round 32 levels Fahrenheit)
Moisture (excessive relative humidity)
Rising air (required for clouds and precipitation)
Because of local weather change, a lot of the world is receiving extra precipitation. Nevertheless, the world can be warming quickly, particularly within the far north and south, inflicting extra of this precipitation to fall as rain. Extra rain means much less snowpack and shrinking glaciers, resulting in disruptions to the worldwide water and meals provide. That is particularly obvious in mountainous areas, primarily at decrease elevations.
This development is already occurring and is projected to worsen. The truth is, the 2023-2024 winter was the warmest on report within the contiguous U.S., with many calling it “The Lost Winter.” Chilly and snow had been largely absent throughout massive swaths of the nation.
So, because the world warms, the snowiest cities within the U.S. will probably see much less snow sooner or later.
Methodology
This listing incorporates seasonal snowfall knowledge for main cities with over 75,000 residents, measured from July 1st by June thirtieth.
Information comes from the Nationwide Facilities for Environmental Data (NCEI) and its guardian administration, the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).