The 10 Snowiest Cities in the U.S., Ranked

Key takeaways

• Syracuse, Watertown, and Auburn – all in New York – are the snowiest cities in the U.S., seeing over 100” of snow in a typical year.
• A majority of America’s snowiest cities are located on the eastern shores of the Great Lakes, where Lake Effect snow is common.
• Cold and snowy winters are becoming less of a guarantee, but preparing for severe weather is still important, especially if you’re a new resident.

Some people prefer sunny weather, while others love the rain. However, there’s something uniquely enchanting about snow. Every year across the U.S., snow blankets homes in a pillowy layer, quieting city sounds and often signaling the start of the holiday season. 

In recent years, though, winter snow hasn’t been a guarantee. The winter of 2023 – 2024 became known as the “Lost Winter” to many in the Midwest and East Coast, while 2025–2026 brought a similar lack of snow to much of the Western U.S.

Still, snow remains a fact of life across a lot of the country, and some cities see far more than others, transforming into winter wonderlands for weeks or months on end. But which cities see the most snow?

If you’re considering moving to a new area but aren’t sure where to choose, we’re here to help. Whether you like warm, sunny cities year-round and are making a list of places to avoid, or love a cold and snowy winter, Redfin has compiled a list of the snowiest cities in the U.S. to help you move with confidence. Read on to see which cities top the list and whether one of them might be right for you.

The snowiest cities in the U.S.

Syracuse, Watertown, and Auburn are the snowiest cities in the U.S., seeing well over 100” of snow in an average year.

A majority of the snowiest cities are located near the Great Lakes, which are known for their snowstorms that can drop feet of snow in just a few hours.

*Records only date back to 1948-49

If we measured instead by the number of snowy days each city receives in a typical year, Syracuse would still top the list, followed by Rochester and Marquette.

Why are these cities so snowy?

America’s snowiest cities are largely clustered around the Great Lakes – a region famous for its lake-effect snowstorms. Lake-effect precipitation happens when colder air that enters the region from the west or northwest travels east over the relatively warmer lakes, turning into rain or snow. The lake effect is much stronger and more common in the winter due to the larger temperature difference between the air and water.

Sometimes, lake-effect systems stall over the region – often in narrow bands just a few miles wide – causing snowstorms that can cover parts of a city in feet of snow within a day. Because of this, Upstate New York is known for some of the heaviest snowfall in the world. This is what prompted the largest Upstate cities to compete for the Golden Snowball Award, which is awarded annually to the city that receives the most snow. Syracuse has won the majority of the years dating back to 1951, and also currently holds the trophy. 

Golden and Boulder are snowy primarily because of their elevation and location at the base of the Colorado Front Range. They benefit from upslope flow, where moisture from the east rises rapidly over the steep Rockies and condenses into precipitation. Due to the frequently-cold temperatures, this precipitation often falls as snow during the winter. The colder air temperatures create extremely long snow seasons that can last from September to June. Bozeman sees a similar pattern, just further north.

What is the snowiest place in the U.S.?

The outright snowiest place in the United States is a tossup between Mount Rainier (Tahoma) and Mount Baker (Kulshan) in Washington State. These mountains receive an average of 640–663 inches of snowfall each year, but have seen as much as 1,122 and 1,140 inches respectively – the highest totals in the world.

The mountains receive so much snow because of their high elevation and proximity to frequent moisture from the Pacific Ocean. One of the lowest-elevation ski resorts in the U.S., The Summit at Snoqualmie, also benefits from this pattern. Late-season snow at higher elevations is especially common. 

How to prepare for winter weather

As housing costs climb and homebuyers search for more affordable places to live, some of America’s snowiest cities are gaining popularity. Rochester and cities throughout the upper Midwest and Northeast have surged to the top of the nation’s most competitive housing markets. 

If you’re considering a move to one of these snowy cities – or already call one home – winter weather is something you need to prepare for. Snow, ice, wind, and freezing temperatures can damage roofs, burst pipes, increase heating costs, and make getting around more difficult. 

Here are a few tips to help prepare for the coldest months of the year:

• Inspect your roof and clean your gutters before snow arrives to help prevent leaks and ice dams.
• Seal gaps around windows and doors with caulk or weather stripping to keep cold air out and reduce heating costs.
• Service your heating system and test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors before temperatures drop.
• Protect your pipes by disconnecting garden hoses, shutting off outdoor water lines, and insulating exposed plumbing.
• Prepare your yard by trimming hazardous tree branches and keeping a shovel, ice scraper, and deicer handy.
• Stock an emergency kit with water, nonperishable food, warm clothing, blankets, flashlights, batteries, first-aid supplies, and portable phone chargers.
• Winterize your car by checking your battery, antifreeze, and windshield wipers, and swapping in your winter tires. Additionally, keep an emergency kit with blankets, water, a flashlight, jumper cables, and an ice scraper in your vehicle. 

>> Read: How to Winterize Your Home in 10 Easy Steps

How is snowfall changing?

There are three ingredients necessary for snow:

1. Cold air (around 32°F)
2. Moisture (high relative humidity)
3. Rising air (required for clouds and precipitation)

Due to climate change, most of the world is receiving more precipitation. However, the world is also warming rapidly, especially in the far north and south, causing more of this precipitation to fall as rain. More rain means less snowpack and shrinking glaciers, leading to disruptions to global energy, water, and food supply, as well as risks like flooding and landslides. This is especially apparent in mountainous regions, primarily at lower elevations and in riverine valleys.

This trend is already underway. In fact, the 2025 – 2026 winter was the second-warmest on record for the U.S. Cold and snow were largely absent across large swaths of the country. That doesn’t mean winter storms are gone for good, though. The East Coast experienced intense blizzards during the same winter, while parts of Alaska recorded exceptionally cold conditions, affecting residents and housing market conditions alike.

In fact, a warming climate can actually lead to heavier snowfall. Warmer air can hold more moisture, increasing the amount of precipitation available during storms. When temperatures remain below freezing, that extra moisture can fall as unusually heavy snow. So while the snowiest cities in the U.S. will gradually see less snow overall as temperatures rise, major snowstorms can still occur and may be especially intense. 

Methodology

To determine the “snowiest” cities, we ranked U.S. cities with populations over 20,000 based on their average seasonal snowfall totals. Using seasonal rather than annual totals captures the full winter season, which runs from July 1st through June 30th and spans two calendar years. We also included each city’s average number of days with measurable snowfall, though it didn’t factor into the rankings. 

Data comes from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and its parent administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Average seasonal snowfall is measured from July-June 1991-2020.

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