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The 20 Snowiest Cities in the U.S.

Syracuse, New York

When you're considering a move to a different location, one of the top considerations to make is the weather. it's going to affect your life in some way, whether good or bad. It's wise to think about what kind of weather is the best for your health, and if you prefer living in areas with four distinct seasons, a semi-tropical climate, or a hot desert affair. For those of you who love the snow and can't seem to get enough of it, we've put together a list of the 20 snowiest cities in the United States. We've ranked them in order of the 20th highest to the number one city that gets record snowfall in an average year. Our findings are supported by data provided by NOAA with compilations over the most recent 30-year statistical information to obtain annual snowfall averages.

Provo, Utah

20. Provo, Utah

According to Niche, Provo, Utah is the 20th snowiest city in the United States as of 2021. In the heart of winter, the average high temperature in January is 39.6 Fahrenheit with an average low of 22.3 degrees F. The city gets an average snowfall amount of 57.1 inches. If you total that up in one event, it would be high enough to build tunnels through.

Ann Arbor, Michigan

19. Ann Arbor, Michigan

The next snowiest city is on the other side of the country. Residents of Ann Arbor, Michigan get an average of 57.3 inches of snow for the year. The temperatures are cold with average January highs of a mere 31.2 degrees F. It's not even above freezing for days on end in this locale. The average lows for the month are 17.9 degrees. If the cold doesn't bother you, and you're a fan of snow, Ann Arbor may be a good choice for you.

Fargo, North Dakota

18. Fargo, North Dakota

Although Fargo is number 18 on our list of the snowiest cities, it is one of the coldest in January. The average high temperature is just 18.3 degrees with an average low hovering around zero at 0.2 degrees. The city gets an average of 57.9 inches of snow, which increases the odds of your having a white Christmas, but it takes a hardy type to weather the below-freezing temperatures for several weeks in a row. Winters tend to come early in Fargo, and they hang around for a long time. Winter and Summer are the predominant seasons in this city.

Battle Creek, Michigan

17. Battle Creek, Michigan

If you think Ann Arbor is snowy and cold, there is another city in the state that is even more so. Battle Creek has an average high temperature of just 31.6 degrees in January with an average low of a bone-chilling 15.6 degrees. The average annual snowfall amount is 58.1 inches. If you're okay with the evening temperatures hovering in the teens, Battle Creek is the place to be for a white Christmas and as much snow as your heart desires. You'll enjoy the idyllic landscapes during the winter season.

Albany, New York

16. Albany, New York

Albay is just a little colder than Battle Creek. The city is further north and it tends to be the recipient of cold fronts dropping down out of Canada. The average low temperature in January is 14.5 degrees F with an average high of 30.6 degrees. They get about 59.1 inches of snowfall on an average year, but sometimes it dumps for a few days at a time. Some snow events have shut down the freeways for a day or two at a time, so be prepared for travel difficulties.

Cheyenne, Wyoming

15. Cheyenne, Wyoming

Cheyenne is a little warmer than Michigan and New York, but the winters are still frigid. The average low temperature in January is 18 degrees F, with an average high that reaches a balmy 39.5 degrees. Compared to some of the other cities on our list, anything above freezing can feel like a heatwave. Cheyenne's altitude makes it prone to a lot of snow. On average, the city receives about 60.3 inches of the white stuff, with outlying areas in the hills receiving even more snow. If you're a fan of snow, but like to see a little sunshine now and then, Cheyenne usually offers a good mix and reprieve in between storms.

Portland, Maine

14. Portland, Maine

Portland is on the extreme Eastern tip of the United States, close to Canada. It's so close that the city is prone to the low-pressure systems and cold fronts that drop in from the North. Combine that with marine air coming in from the Atlantic and you have the ideal setup for big snowfall events. The average January low temperature is 13.4 degrees F with an average high of 31.2. It gets about 61.9 inches of snowfall per year.

Great Falls, Montana

13. Great Falls, Montana

Montana is known for its high mountain peaks and its great Rocky Mountain range. The average low temperature in January is 14.9 degrees F. The average high in the dead of winter is 35.5 degrees with some rises above freezing. It's a great place to live if you enjoy the snow. It gets about 63.5 inches of accumulation throughout the winter season. This is given or take a few inches on an average year. Snows tend to come early in the year and it stays on the ground until late in the spring some years.

Worcester, Massachusetts

12. Worcester, Massachusetts

Worchester is an eastern seaboard city that is known for its snowy winters and cold temperatures in January. The average low temperature is a chilly 16.8 degrees F. The highs for this time of year tend to range just below freezing with an average of 31.3 degrees. You don't get much of a break from the cold weather. The average amount of snow is 64.1 inches, but this number can fluctuate with more some years and less in others. You can usually depend on a White Christmas most years, and if you commute to work, you need to be prepared with an all-season vehicle that can tackle the snowdrifts.

Pocatello, Idaho

11. Pocatello, Idaho

Pocatello is one of the snowiest cities in the Pacific Northwest sector of the nation. It's situated in a mountainous region that gets more than its fair share of snow on any given year. The average low in January is 19.1 degrees F with average highs for the month climbing to 35.6 degrees. It's just warm enough to melt the snow so it can freeze into ice on the roadways. The average annual snowfall amount in Pocatello is 66.4 inches. The winters in this fair city can be brutal making it hard to get around town. Prepare for storms that blow in and blow out quickly though. You usually get a few days' reprieves after a major storm.

South Bend, Indiana

10. South Bend, Indiana

South Bend is a city that gets the most snowfall of any other area in the state of Indiana. Its geographical location makes it a prime location for fronts to form and sweep in flurries and downpours of frozen precipitation. The average January low is 17.6 degrees F with an average high that doesn't even make it to the freezing point at 31.3 degrees. You can go several weeks without getting above freezing here. The average snowfall amount is 66.6 inches, and it tends to stick around late into the spring some years. South Bend is one of the best places to live if you love the snow.

Cleveland, Ohio

9. Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland has more moderate low temperatures than most other cities on our list. In January, the average low is 21.7 degrees F. The average high is 34.4 degrees, which takes you over the freezing mark to watch a little bit of the snowmelt. It tends to pack whatever is on the ground down more densely, which in turn takes it longer to melt off when the temperatures do warm up in the spring. The average amount of snowfall in any given year is 68.1 inches. You can plan on seeing snow on the ground during the winter season, more than not. What makes Cleveland such a good choice is that the temperatures are cold, but not as extreme as some other snowy cities.

Grand Rapids, Michigan

8. Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids joins the growing number of Michigan cities that get a lot of snow in the winter. It takes the number one position as the snowiest city in the state of Michigan with an average snowfall amount of 74.9 inches. The average low temperature during January is 18.1 degrees F with an average high of 30.7 degrees. It gets frigid in the heart of winter. In Grand Rapids, it's a blessing when the temperatures slowly begin to warm. A heatwave early in the season would surely bring on a flood of water from the melting snow. If you live in Grand Rapids, don't complain about a chilly spring because it is working in your favor.

Duluth, Minnesota

7. Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth is in the heart of the Midwest where the wind sweeps fronts of frozen precipitation over the plains. The city can turn into an icebox in the heart of the winter season. The average low in January is about 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit, and the temperatures often dip down below zero. The average high in January is 18.9 degrees. These frigid temperatures make it difficult or impossible to keep some vehicles running. Add to that an average annual snowfall of 86.1 inches and you have the ingredients for days of being snowed in unless the local snowplows can reach your neighborhood quickly. Duluth maintains a strong team of city workers who spend a lot of time clearing the roads.

Boulder, Colorado

6. Boulder, Colorado

Boulder is the snowiest city n the state of Colorado. The average amount of snowfall they receive is 88.3 inches a year. You won't hear any complaints about the snow because it is the lifeblood of the classy resorts that operate in the area. It's one of the most desired skiing destinations in the world. Tourism feeds the local economy and snow is a very good thing. The average low temperature in January is not that bad at 22.2 degrees F, with an average high of 46.9. It's the ideal combination of cold and warm weather.

Buffalo, New York

5. Buffalo, New York

Buffalo joins the long list of snowy cities in New York state. The average low temperature in January is 18.5 degrees F with an average high of 31.2 degrees. It gets cold in Buffalo during the winter and it stays cold. The average snowfall amount is 94.7 inches. For ski resort owners, it's the equivalent of white gold because it keeps the ski lifts running and makes the locals happy until they try to commute to work. Buffalo is used to heavy snowfall and they keep the streets up to the best of their ability. They're prepared for the weather, but sometimes it's overwhelming and impossible to stay on top of.

Rochester, New York

4. Rochester, New York

Rochester is comparable to Buffalo with its temperatures and snowfall during January. The temperatures are a little colder though. The low is around 17.6 degrees F with an average high of just 31.7 degrees. Rochester has an average snowfall amount of 99.5 inches per year. Like Buffalo, the snow helps to fuel some segments of the local economy by keeping the slopes open, but it also makes travel more difficult for intercity and freeway commuters. Snow days are a real thing in Rochester.

Erie, Pennsylvania

3. Erie, Pennsylvania

Erie is the snowiest city in the state of Pennsylvania with an average snowfall amount of 100.9 inches. The temperatures are a bit more moderate with the average low at 20.8 degrees F and the average high just above freezing at 33.7 degrees. Some weeks the commute is impossible if you work on the outskirts of town and must use the freeway. The road crews are top-notch, but there is only so much you can do when mother nature goes on a rampage.

Flagstaff, Arizona

2. Flagstaff, Arizona

The snowiest city in the southwest part of the country is Flagstaff, Arizona. The average low temp in January is 17.3 degrees F with an average high of a pleasant 42.5 degrees. The average amount of snowfall is 101.7 inches which place it as the second snowiest city in the United States.

Syracuse, New York

1. Syracuse, New York

The number one snowiest city in the United States is Syracuse, New York. It has an average snowfall amount of 123.8 inches as recorded and averaged over the past 30 years. Syracuse's average low temperature in January is a frigid 15.7 degrees F with an average high below freezing at 31.5 degrees.

Liz Flynn

Written by Liz Flynn

Liz Flynn has worked as a full-time writer since 2010 after leaving a career in education. She finds almost all topics she writes about interesting, but her favorite subjects are travel and food. Liz loves the process of researching information, learning new things, and putting into words what others who share her interests might like to read. Although she spends most of her time writing, she also enjoys spending time with her husband and four children, watching films, cooking, dining out, reading, motorsports, gaming, and walking along the beach next to her house with her dog.

Read more posts by Liz Flynn

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