What Locations in the U.S. Pick Up the Most Snow Each Year?

Defining the snowiest cities in the U.S. involves looking at a host of metrics. The most remote areas of the high country can pick up several feet of snow at a time when compared to the snowiest metro areas. Precisely identifying the snowiest places in the country depends on population, but also on how the snow is officially confirmed.

For example, Chicago leads the pack in snowiest urban areas, recording an annual snowfall average of 38.8 inches. New York City is second on the list at 29.8 inches, followed by Philadelphia at 23.1 inches.

It should be noted that smaller communities along the Great Lakes record hundreds of inches of snow every year. However, a lack of reliable weather stations means that this snow is not officially recorded. Similarly, Alaska also does not have enough staffed weather stations to confirm snowfall measurements. As such, it was left off of this verified list despite the fact that the state is certainly the snowiest in the U.S.

Top Five Snowiest Towns in the U.S.

In order to determine the snowiest towns in the country, researchers looked at areas where snow is accurately measured by humans. Roughly one-third of the 15,000 climate stations managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have snow records. The top 10 list examines the most recent historical average snowfall amounts over the past decade.