Snowiest Cities in the US

56 major US metros, ranked by annual snowfall — from the 1991–2020 climate normals. Every city links to its full climate profile.

The snowiest major city in the US is Rochester, NY, at 102.0 in annual snowfall. Buffalo, NY ranks second at 95.4 in. Below, all 56 metros are ranked — tap any city to open its month-by-month climate, rainfall, and temperature records.

Snowiest US cities — top 30

  1. 1Rochester, NY102.0 in
  2. 2Buffalo, NY95.4 in
  3. 3Grand Rapids, MI87.2 in
  4. 4Cleveland, OH63.8 in
  5. 5Albany, NY59.2 in
  6. 6Salt Lake City, UT51.9 in
  7. 7Minneapolis, MN51.2 in
  8. 8Boston, MA49.2 in
  9. 9Denver, CO49.0 in
  10. 10Milwaukee, WI48.7 in
  11. 11Provo, UT44.9 in
  12. 12Chicago, IL38.4 in
  13. 13Providence, RI36.6 in
  14. 14Des Moines, IA36.5 in
  15. 15Bridgeport, CT33.6 in
  16. 16Allentown, PA33.1 in
  17. 17Colorado Springs, CO32.5 in
  18. 18Bronx, NY29.8 in
  19. 19Brooklyn, NY29.8 in
  20. 20Manhattan, NY29.8 in
  21. 21New York, NY29.8 in
  22. 22Queens, NY29.8 in
  23. 23Columbus, OH28.2 in
  24. 24Omaha, NE27.1 in
  25. 25Indianapolis, IN25.5 in
  26. 26Dayton, OH25.0 in
  27. 27Baltimore, MD19.3 in
  28. 28St. Louis, MO16.6 in
  29. 29Washington, DC13.7 in
  30. 30Louisville, KY13.4 in

How the snowiest cities compare

Across the 56 largest US metros with full climate records, annual snowfall ranges from 102.0 in in Rochester, NY down to 0.0 in in Tampa, FL — the bottom of this leaderboard. The bars above are scaled to that spread, so the gap between the leader and the pack is visible at a glance.

These are 1991–2020 climate normals — the standard 30-year reference period meteorologists use — so they reflect the temperature a place typically runs across the year, not any single hot or cold day. The ranking covers the largest U.S. metros only.

Frequently asked

What is the snowiest city in the US?
Among the 56 major US metros in this ranking, Rochester, NY is the snowiest, with 102.0 in annual snowfall based on the 1991–2020 climate normals. Buffalo, NY is second at 95.4 in. Each city in the list links to its full climate profile.
How is the snowiest city ranked?
Cities are ranked by annual snowfall (in inches), highest first. The figures come from the 1991–2020 climate normals, computed from ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo. It covers 56 of the largest US cities, not every town in the country.
How does Rochester compare to the rest of the list?
Rochester, NY tops the list at 102.0 in annual snowfall, while Tampa, FL sits at the other end with 0.0 in. The gap between them shows how wide the spread is across major US cities. Click any city to see its month-by-month climate, rainfall, and temperature records.
Which US city gets the most snow?
Of the major metros ranked here, Rochester, NY is the snowiest, averaging 102.0 in of snowfall a year from the official 1991–2020 NCEI snow normals. Snowfall measures the total depth of snow that falls — distinct from precipitation, which counts snow only as its melted liquid equivalent. Snow-free desert and subtropical metros are left off this ranking entirely rather than listed at zero.

More US climate rankings

Or browse every city’s full profile in the city climate hub — weather by month, rainfall, all-time records, and the warming trend for 56 major US metros.