Snowiest Cities in America
Denver is king, but there are pretenders to the throne
Pity poor Clevelanders, especially during the winter. No hockey, no more LeBron James and, to top it all off, more snow than almost every major metro area in the U.S. The winds of Lake Erie pushing storms over the city drop an average of 59.3 inches of snow onto Cleveland each winter, according to historical data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
It's enough to make Cleveland the second snowiest major city in the U.S., just a couple of flakes behind Denver, which just tops 60 inches annually. But at least Denver boasts a claim as a gateway to a winter wonderland, with picturesque mountains and first-class skiing just a few miles away.
And while the Rocky Mountain area gets plenty of relatively warm days in the winter that help melt each snowfall pretty quickly (the average daily winter temperature in Denver sits above freezing), Cleveland's cold Lake Erie winds and 28 degree average temperature during the winter months make for a tough slog.
The NOAA tracks snow accumulations in various U.S. metro areas with historical records that go back anywhere from 50 to 150 years. We're sticking to the top 50 metros - a snow alert for America's cities.
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| Denver is the snowiest major city |
A recent oddity has snowstorms shutting down parts of the south, with areas ofGeorgia, Alabama and Mississippi getting a rare taste of the true winter life. Historically, of course, it's the north that gets pelted, mainly where the cold weather mixes with mountains, lakes or oceans. Five of the ten snowiest metro areas hail from the Great Lakes region, where the "Lake-Effect Snow" - the phenomenon of cold winds blowing across warm lakes, picking up water vapor and then depositing in on shore after it freezes - pelts nearby cities.
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| Cleveland is among the snowiest major cities |
The four in addition to Cleveland:Minneapolis-St. Paul (49.9 inches a year),Milwaukee (47.3 inches); Detroit (41.1 inches) and Chicago (38.8 inches).
The two coastal cities that make it into the top ten are Boston (43.2 inches a year), currently getting whacked this week, andNew York (28.9 inches), where Mayor Michael Bloomberg is still recovering from the day-after-Christmas storm that dented in his approval ratings after people in several outer boroughs complained about the pace of the street plowing (note to New Yorkers: think about hiring a plow guy through a local neighborhood association, relying on a big, centralized operation to take care of every last neighborhood street is just asking for trouble).
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| The Twin cities look good in snow |
Taking all U.S. cities of any size into account, America's true snow capitals are smaller-population areas like Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Lander, Wy., Buffalo, N.Y. andSyracuse, N.Y., places that routinely get pounded with 90 or more inches each winter. And parts of Nevada and California amid the Sierra Nevada Mountains are among the snowiest spots on the continent. But don't believe all the hype about Fargo, North Dakota. It only gets about 40 inches a year, less than nearby Minneapolis.
Five of America's Snowiest Cities
Denver, Colo.
Average annual inches: 60.3
A skier’s delight a few miles west, but when the wind pushes the mountain snows to the east, the city gets dumped on. The good news: lots of clear, 40ish winter days makes the snow melt pretty quickly.
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| Milwaukee is among the snowiest cities |
Cleveland, Ohio
Average annual inches: 59.3
People seem to associate more snow with Buffalo, but the other side of Lake Erie gets smacked just as much.
Salt Lake City, Utah
Average annual inches: 58.5
Like Denver, there’s plenty on skiing and beautiful winter scenery to help make the snow more bearable.
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| Salt Lake City is near great skiing |
Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
Average annual inches: 49.9
The Twin Cities’ image as a place for extreme weather gets exaggerated, but there’s certainly plenty of snow.
Milwaukee, Wisc.
Average annual inches: 47.3
Just up the pike from Chicago, the Lake Michigan shore city gets hit pretty regularly. The latest storm forced the Bucks to cancel a game.
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