PlainClimate

U.S. Climate Rankings

The country's snowiest cities and Census-designated places, ranked from the 2,579 places with snowfall in the NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals.

Data updated August 2026

Featured: Hottest locations → Coldest states → Hottest states → Sunniest states →
Warmest Coldest Wettest Driest Snowiest Most Comfortable Biggest Seasonal Swing

Snowiest cities, the verdict

The snowiest U.S. cities and Census-designated places top out near 458.3", concentrated in CO, NY, MI - Alta, UT sits at the top of the 2,579 places measured for it.

458.3"
the snowiest reading - Alta, UT
7
of the 25 displayed places are in CO
2,579
ranked cities/CDPs with snowfall measured
1991–2020
NOAA 30-year normals window

Rankings reflect 30-year climate normals, long-run typical conditions, not any single recent year. The list includes incorporated places and Census-designated places only, not airports, parks, or other station sites.

Top 10 snowiest U.S. cities and Census-designated places

The 25 U.S. cities and Census-designated places with the most annual snowfall, including cutoff ties.

in
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 As of 1991–2020
What this showsBars show each place's annual snowfall from the NOAA 1991–2020 normals. Alta tops the list at 458.3".

The 25 U.S. cities and Census-designated places with the most annual snowfall, including cutoff ties. Full 25-row list below.

# Location Avg Temp Precip
1 Alta (UT) 39°F (4°C) 47.1"
2 Whittier (AK) 41°F (5°C) 197.3"
3 Government Camp (OR) 43°F (6°C) 89.8"
4 Cooke City (MT) 34°F (1°C) 26.6"
5 Perrysburg (NY) 47°F (8°C) 53.7"
6 Crested Butte (CO) 34°F (1°C) 23.8"
7 Vail (CO) 38°F (3°C) 22.4"
8 Ironwood (MI) 40°F (5°C) 37.4"
9 Steamboat Springs (CO) 41°F (5°C) 24.7"
10 Lead (SD) 46°F (8°C) 31.8"
11 Ontonagon (MI) 43°F (6°C) 32.9"
12 Silverton (CO) 35°F (2°C) 23.9"
13 Terra Alta (WV) 48°F (9°C) 57.0"
14 Aspen (CO) 41°F (5°C) 24.4"
15 Davis (WV) 46°F (8°C) 63.2"
16 Boonville (NY) 42°F (6°C) 58.2"
17 Munising (MI) 41°F (5°C) 39.9"
18 Fulton (NY) 48°F (9°C) 46.7"
19 Old Forge (NY) 42°F (5°C) 49.8"
20 Red River (NM) 39°F (4°C) 22.0"
21 Hurley (WI) 40°F (5°C) 37.4"
22 Grand Lake (CO) 37°F (3°C) 18.6"
23 Camden (NY) 45°F (7°C) 49.9"
24 Maple City (MI) 46°F (8°C) 35.7"
25 Fraser (CO) 36°F (2°C) 19.6"

Reading these rankings

Climate extremes make headlines, but livability is a balance.

  • Chasing warmth? The warmest ranked cities cluster in Florida, Hawaii, and the desert Southwest, but check humidity and summer extremes too. Most comfortable
  • Avoiding snow and cold? Compare the driest and warmest lists against the snowiest before deciding. Driest places
  • Want the full picture for a specific place? Open its location profile for monthly tables, frost dates, and degree days. Browse by state

NOAA normals describe the typical 1991–2020 year; they are not forecasts and do not capture post-2020 warming.

Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). For informational purposes only.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which U.S. location record ranks #1 for "Snowiest"? ▼
Alta, UT tops the snowiest ranking at 458.3", based on NOAA's 1991-2020 Climate Normals.
What other location rankings does PlainClimate publish? ▼
7 location rankings in total: Warmest, Coldest, Wettest, Driest, Snowiest, Most Comfortable, Biggest Seasonal Swing. Each measures a different NOAA-derived metric, so one record can rank very differently across them.

Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.