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America's 10 Snowiest Cities Might Surprise You

Originally posted on Powder | By Izzy Lidsky | Last updated Jan 17, 2025 6:46 AM ET

Ever wondered what the snowiest towns in the US actually are? While certain places in the west might get all the good press for snowfall, you might be surprised when it comes down to the actual numbers.

There's a lot of factors that contribute to precipitation such as elevation, nearby mountains that block weather systems, lake effect, and so on. Unfortunately, proximity to a ski mountain isn't necessarily a factor and some of the cities that see all that snow aren't near the biggest or steepest ski mountains either. On the up side, most of these places have at least one mountain where you can take advantage of 100+ inches of snow per year.

All snowfall statistics are from Weather.com.

Weather.com describes the qualifications for towns and cities on the list: "We considered only those towns and cities with a population of at least 1,000, as of the latest census. Unincorporated towns, mountains, ski resorts, national parks and ranger stations were not included. To keep this list from being dominated by one or two states, we also allowed only one city in each state to represent."

10. Red Lodge, MT

Average annual snowfall: 141.9 inches
Closest ski areas: Red Lodge Mountain, Beartooth Basin, Bridger Bowl

Just on the edge of the Beartooth Mountains in Northern Montana is the little town of Red Lodge. This high-elevation oasis is known to get snow ten months of the year-usually from September to June. The legendary summer ski area, Beartooth Basin, isn't too far, just over the border in Cody, Wyoming, and only opens when the Beartooth Highways is clear enough of snow to reopen, usually in May. Red Lodge Mountain and Bridger Bowl aren't too far either, so you can enjoy all that snow in the winter too.

9. Snyderville, UT

Average annual snowfall: 152.9 inches
Closest ski areas: Park City, Deer Valley, Solitude, Brighton

You may not have heard of Snyderville, Utah because it's often considered an extension of Park City. Snyderville is it's own tiny town bordered by Interstate 80 on one side, and the town that is actually Park City on the other.

In any case, Snyderville is in Utah's famous Wasatch range which is home to Park City, Deer Valley, Solitude, and Brighton. There are plenty of options to enjoy the area's healthy annual snowfall.

8. Hurley, WI

Average annual snowfall: 155 inches.
Closest ski areas: Mt. Zion, Big Powderhorn, Black River Basin

Of the Great Lake snowbelt cities, Hurley, Wisconsin gets the most average annual snowfall. Located in northern Wisconsin, it's known to rack up impressive snow totals when cold wind comes from Lake Superior.

Mt. Zion Ski Hill is the closest to Hurley proper and is on the Gogebic Community College campus. Just 15 more minutes down the road is Big Powderhorn Mountain Resort and its 253 skiable acres to enjoy all that good lake effect snow on.

7. Terra Alta, WV

Average annual snowfall: 171.1 inches.
Closest ski areas: Wisp, Laurel Mountain

A town of a little more than 1,400 residents, Terra Alta racks up an impressive annual snowfall for being so far south.

The town's elevation is much higher than surrounding areas, which means it accumulates snow much faster than lower elevation towns nearby. Just 30 minutes away on the border of West Virginia and Maryland is Wisp Resort. Wisp has 132 acres of skiable terrain serviced by 11 lifts and a full ski-in-ski out lodge.

6. Lead, SD

Average annual snowfall: 183.9 inches.
Closest ski areas: Terry Peak

At the northern end of the Black Hills in South Dakota lays the little town of Lead. With a high elevation and amplified snowfall due to slow-moving plains storms. Lead averages 20 inches of snow per month from November to April. The closest ski area to Lead is Terry Peak, just 10 minutes down the road. The largest ski resort in the area, Terry Peak has five lifts that serve more than 450 acres of skiing.

5. Marquette, Michigan

Average annual snowfall: 196.8 inches
Closest ski areas: Marquette Mountain Resort, Mt. Bohemia

Another town that benefits from Lake Superior's lake effect snow is Marquette, Michigan, on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. More than three feet of snowfall is considered average from December to February in Marquette. Just outside of town is Marquette Mountain Resort. The ski area has 144 acres, five lifts, and a vertical drop of 650 feet. If you're willing to trek a little farther, the famous Mt. Bohemia is about 2.5 hours north, but probably well worth the drive for the cheap lift tickets, amazing terrain, and all-time vibes.

4. Crested Butte, Colorado

Average annual snowfall: 203 inches
Closest ski areas: Crested Butte, Monarch Mountain

Southwestern Colorado can either be a dry desert or a full on winter wonderland, depending on where you are. Nearby Gunnison, Telluride, and Ouray all see a fair amount of winter precipitation, whereas places like Grand Junction and Crawford stay quite a bit drier.

Not to state the obvious, but the closest place to enjoy all that snow in Crested Butte is, well, Crested Butte. The pointy Mt. Crested Butte looms over the town and is home to some of the best terrain in the state, and one of the steepest in-bounds ski runs in the US.

If big resorts aren't your thing, Monarch Mountain is about an hour from Crested Butte and has 800 acres of skiable terrain as well as 1,600 acres of guided backcountry terrain.

3. Truckee, California

Average annual snowfall: 206.6 inches
Closest ski areas: Palisades Tahoe, Northstar, Sugar Bowl

Although the snowfall is sometimes unpredictable, California's Sierra Nevada mountains usually rise to the occasion with their average of 200+ inches.

Whether they get snow throughout the season, or a few whopper storms, the high snowfall has made Truckee a destination for skiing. You can pretty much take your pick of ski resorts around Lake Tahoe, although Palisades Tahoe, Northstar, and Sugar Bowl are some of the closest.

Tahoe Donner Ski Hill is also right in Truckee.

2. Sherman, New York

Average annual snowfall: 224.5 inches
Closest ski areas: Peek'n Peak, Holiday Valley

In southeastern New York, right on the border of Pennsylvania is Sherman, one of the snowiest cities in the country. Lake effect snow from Lake Erie has been known to clobber Sherman from several directions, meaning it usually racks up a bit more snow than it's also snowy neighbor, Buffalo. Twenty minutes from Sherman is Peek'n Peak Resort which has 130 skiable acres and 400 feet of vertical drop. A bit further away is Holiday Valley Resort, which is a bit bigger and has 290 acres of terrain and a vertical drop of 750 feet.

1. Valdez, AK

Average annual snowfall: 325.3 inches
Closest ski areas: N/A

There's a reason every ski film has an Alaska segment. Valdez, at the base of the Chugach mountains, sees the most snow of any city in the US. The Aleutian low, or the most common low pressure system, basically camps out in the Chugach all winter, delivering storm after storm.

Cold air from nearby glaciers and snowfields also drain into Valdez, providing more precipitation. Unfortunately, there's not really many ski lifts spinning near Valdez. To really enjoy what this legendary location has to offer, you're better off taking advantage of one of the many heli-ski operations in the area.

You might recognize names like Black Ops Valdez and Points North Heli from films with folks like Sammy Carlson and Teton Gravity Research. Thompson Pass is just up the road from Valdez as well and is known for ski bums setting up camp in the parking lot for months at a time in the spring to sled and ski all the Chugach has to offer.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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