Top 10 Snowiest Cities in the USA - Average Yearly Snowfall

If you’re lookin’ for the white stuff, and by that I mean snow. These cities in the USA are your best bets. Jack Frost is a little late this year and had some of us wondering if we’d have a white Christmas after all. But not to fret, snow lovers – the white stuff is on its way! While we all know that the northern part of the country gets dumped on the most. If you live in one of these cities, better make sure you have a good shovel or better yet a great snow plow. Smaller townw, uUnincorporated towns, mountain parks, and ranger stations are not included this list. Just to get an idea, the snow in in snowiest city is a little more than three times taller than the tallest human on record, double the height of a one-story home, and almost hits the top of a football goalpost!

10. Salt Lake City (Avg. Yearly Snow: 56.5 inches)

The first snowfall of winter for Salt Lake City usually arrives in November, although about one in four Octobers also get some snow. The season's last snowfall typically happens in April. Very rarely a few snowflakes also land in May. Salt Lake City is normally free of snow every year from June to September.

Snow Stats:

• Record snowiest day: Nov. 24, 1908 (14 inches)
• Record snowstorm: Jan. 6-10, 1993 (23.3 inches)
• Record snow depth: Jan. 12, 1993 (25 inches)
• Average snowiest month: December (13.2 inches)
• Record snowiest month: January 1993 (50.3 inches)
• Record snowiest season: 1951-1952 (117.3 inches)

9. Worcester, MA (Avg. Yearly Snow: 65.6 inches)

Worcester is a city in central Massachusetts. The winters are freezing, and it is partly cloudy year round. The cold season lasts for 3.3 months, from December 1 to March 12, with an average daily high temperature below 43° F. The coldest day of the year is January 30, with an average low of 19° F and high of 33° F. The snowy period of the year lasts for 5.6 months, from October 28 to April 17, and the most snow falls during the 31 days centered around January 27.

Snow Stats:

• Average yearly snowfall: 59.5 inches
• Days with snow, 2000-2010: 13 percent
• Coldest day, 2000-2010: -11.2 degrees, January 16, 2004
• Record snowiest day: Jan. 12, 2011 (21.1 inches)
• Record snow depth: Feb. 5, 1961 (42 inches)
• Average snowiest month: January (18.6 inches)

8. Cleveland, OH (Avg. Yearly Snow: 68.5 inches)

Cleveland in Ohio is one of the snowiest cities in America with more than 252 centimetres of snow expected over the year. That is a combination of the same Lake Effect snow that Syracuse experiences and also having a humid continental climate. Most of the snow falls in the eastern region known as the Snow Belt. The West Side has only exceeded 250 centimeters of snow in a season three times over the last 40 years.

Snow Stats:

• Average yearly snowfall: 59.8 inches
• Biggest storm: 22 inches, February 4, 2009
• Days with snow, 2000-2010: 18 percent
• Coldest day, 2000-2010: -13 degrees, January 16, 2009
• Record snowiest day: Nov. 10, 1913 (17.4 inches)
• Record snow depth: Feb. 5, 2009 (22 inches)
• Average snowiest month: January (18.9 inches)
• Record snowiest month: January 1978 (42.8 inches)
• Record snowiest season: 2004-2005 (117.9 inches)

7. Anchorage, Alaska (Avg. Yearly Snow: 75.6 inches)

Anchorage, Alaska has a subarctic climate. The weather on any given day and indeed for entire seasons can be very unpredictable. Some winters feature several feet of snow and cold temperatures, while others just a foot or two of snow and frequent thaws, which put dangerous ice on the streets. ecause of Anchorage’s latitude, summer days are very long and winter daylight hours are very short. Anchorage is often cloudy during the winter, which decreases the amount of sunlight experienced by residents.

Snow Stats:

• Average yearly snowfall: 72.7 inches
• Biggest storm: 28 inches, December 23, 2003
• Days with snow, 2000-2010: 10 percent
• Coldest day, 2000-2010: -22, January 17, 2004
• Record snowiest day: Mar. 17, 2002 (22 inches)
• Record snow depth: Dec. 31, 1955 – Jan. 1, 1956 (47 inches)
• Average snowiest month: December (17.1 inches)
• Record snowiest season: 2011-2012 (134.5 inches)

6. Grand Rapids, MI (Avg. Yearly Snow: 75.3 inches

In Grand Rapids the winters are freezing and snowy. The month with the most snowfall is January when snow falls for and average of 10.4 days. Grand Rapids is a haven for those who embrace the cold and snow of winter.

Snow Stats:

• Average yearly snowfall: 72.3 inches
• Biggest storm: 16 inches, December 21, 2008
• Days with snow, 2000-2010: 21 percent
• Coldest day, 2000-2010: -11.9 degrees, January 27, 2003
• Record snowiest day: Jan. 26, 1978 (16.1 inches)
• Record snow depth: Jan. 27, 1978 (27 inches)
• Average snowiest month: December (21.6 inches)
• Record snowiest month: December 2000 (59.2 inches)
• Record snowiest season: 1951-1952 (132 inches)

5. Boulder, CO (Avg. Yearly Snow: 87.6 inches)

Boulder’s exceptionally snowy winter can be attributed to a combination of things, but at the heart of it: they usually experience a season with lots of upslope snow events. The main driver for snow in eastern Colorado is an area of low pressure east of the state pumping in cold, moisture-rich winds against the Rockies. When that air meets the Rockies, it’s forced to rapidly ascend, condensing into heavy snow.

Snow Stats:

• Record snowiest day: Oct. 25, 1997 (22.1 inches)
• Record snow depth: Oct. 30, 1941 (30 inches)
• Average snowiest month: March (17.2 inches)

4. Buffalo, NY (Avg. Yearly Snow: 96.1 inches)

Famous for annual snowfalls and located east of Lake Erie, Buffalo kicks off the list with an annual average of 96.1 inches of snow. The city is home to 259,384 residents and sits at the head of the Niagara River. President William McKinley was shot in the chest twice during an assassination attempt by anarchist Leon Czolgosz at the Pan-American Exhibition in Buffalo on Sept. 6, 1901. McKinley would die of his wounds days later; Vice President Theodore Roosevelt would then take up the presidency.

Snow Stats:

• Average yearly snowfall: 85.7 inches
• Biggest storm: 40.9 inches, December 28, 2001
• Days with snow, 2000-2010: 12 percent
• Coldest day, 2000-2010: -9 degrees, February 5, 2009
• Record snowiest day: Dec. 10, 1995 (33.9 inches)
• Record snow depth: Dec. 28, 2001 (44 inches)
• Average snowiest month: December (27.3 inches)
• Record snowiest month: Dec. 2001 (82.7 inches)
• Record snowiest season: 1976-1977 (199.4 inches)

3. Erie, PA (Avg. Yearly Snow: 100.8 inches)

Erie, Pennsylvania is a Winter Wonderland. They got so many fantastic indoor and outdoor winter activities and events, you'll never have a dull moment. Once the water freezes and the sailboats are taken out of the bay, ice boats and ice-fishing tents take over. It’s a sight to see even if you aren’t actively participating, but participate you can and should.

Snow Stats:

• Average yearly snowfall: 78.7 inches
• Days with snow, 2000-2010: 21 percent
• Coldest day, 2000-2010: -6 degrees, January 16, 2009
• Record snowiest day: Nov. 22, 1956 (20 inches)
• Record snow depth: Dec. 21, 1989 (39 inches)
• Average snowiest month: January (29.8 inches)
• Record snowiest month: December 1989 (66.9 inches)
• Record snowiest season: 2000-2001 (149.1 inches)

2. Rochester, NY (Avg. Yearly Snow: 100.5 inches)

Rochester slides into the number two spot with an annual average of 100.5 inches of snow. The city is home to more than 260,000 people and is located south of Lake Ontario. One of the first anti-slavery publications ever produced was founded in Rochester in 1847 before the American Civil War. The North Star newspaper was created by famous abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Douglass, always striving to expand upon his education, taught himself how to read and write.

Snow Stats:

• Average yearly snowfall: 88.3 inches
• Biggest storm: 20.1 inches, February 14, 2002
• Days with snow, 2000-2010: 26 percent
• Coldest day, 2000-2010: -11.9 degrees, January 10, 2004
• Record snowiest day: Jan. 3, 1996 (23 inches)
• Record snow depth: Mar. 7, 1999 and Feb. 1, 1966 (34 inches)
• Average snowiest month: January (27.7 inches)
• Record snowiest month: February 1958 (64.8 inches)
• Record snowiest season: 1959-1960 (161.7 inches)

1. Syracuse, NY (Avg. Yearly Snow: 126.3 inches)

Syracuse is the economic epicenter for much of central New York with more than 145,000 residents. While New York itself is a very snowy city, Syracuse gets the most average in New York State. Syracuse is known throughout America for its snowfall and has won the Golden Snowball award. The high snowfall is party a result of the proximity of Lake Ontario and the fact that it has a humid continental climate. The national average in Syracuse is 252 centimeters per year but the record is 487 centimeters.

Snow Stats:

• Average yearly snowfall: 103.1 inches
• Biggest storm: 31.9 inches, January 31, 2004
• Days with snow, 2000-2010: 26 percent
• Coldest day, 2000-2010: -18 degrees, January 15, 2004
• Record snowiest day: Feb. 15, 1946 (34 inches)
• Record snow depth: Feb. 1, 1966 and Feb. 20-21, 1958 (48 inches)
• Average snowiest month: January (35.7 inches)
• Record snowiest month: January 2004 (78.1 inches)
• Record snowiest season: 1992-1993 (192.1 inches)