Snow can be both a picturesque sight and a serious hazard for many cities and towns across the country this winter, with some being more affected than others.

So, which areas typically see the highest snowfall?

YSL News examined weather statistics from both small towns and major cities to uncover some of the snowiest areas nationwide. According to weather historian Christopher Burt in his book “Extreme Weather,” determining the snowiest city is often complicated because definitions of “city” vary, and different locations within or nearby a city might be measured for snowfall.

In general, the cities that receive the most snow in the U.S. are located in western New York. However, the snowiest regions overall are found in the mountain areas of the West and in Alaska.

Regarding uninhabited areas, Burt notes that the snowiest spots are likely in the coastal mountains of Alaska, but there are no weather stations there to record potentially astronomical amounts of snowfall—over 1,000 inches (83 feet) annually.

Western New York: The Snow Hub

For cities with populations of at least 100,000, three in western New York top the list for snowfall, according to data from the National Weather Service:

• Syracuse, New York
• Rochester, New York
• Buffalo, New York

Syracuse is recognized as the snowiest major city in the U.S., receiving approximately 11 feet of snow each winter, primarily due to lake-effect snow, according to the National Weather Service. It’s also one of the rainiest and cloudiest cities in the country. Nearby cities like Rochester and Buffalo typically see around 9 feet of snow each year, again influenced by lake-effect snow.

These three cities fall within the traditional snow belts created by lake-effect snow, where frigid winds from the west cross over the relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes, as described by the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Snowiest Small Towns and Unpopulated Areas

In smaller towns, Valdez, Alaska, population about 4,000, is the snowiest, according to the National Weather Service. Valdez averages a staggering 23 feet of snow every year.

In an impressive weather event, Valdez once recorded 180 inches of snow in a single month, noted Weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Erdman. This amount is nearly five times what Chicago typically sees in an entire year.

In the contiguous United States, Truckee, California, situated in the Sierra Nevada, is among the top snowiest towns, receiving around 16 feet of snowfall annually.

For uninhabited areas currently under observation, Mount Rainier in Washington State sees about 56 feet of snow each winter, ranking among the highest annual totals worldwide.

Understanding Lake-Effect Snow

When snowfall accumulates in areas like Syracuse, Buffalo, or Marquette in Michigan, residents often refer to the phenomenon as the “lake-effect snow machine.” But what is lake-effect snow, and how does it happen?

Lake-effect snow occurs when cold, dry air from the Arctic moves over large bodies of relatively milder water, like the Great Lakes. This process generates narrow bands of clouds and snow.

As the cold air travels over the warm, unfrozen lake waters, the heat and moisture are absorbed into the lower layers of the atmosphere, causing the air to rise and form clouds that develop into bands producing snowfall at rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour or more, according to the National Weather Service.

This type of snowfall usually occurs during the fall or early winter when the lakes haven’t yet frozen over. However, if the lakes remain unfrozen, lake-effect snow can also occur throughout the winter and into spring.

“Lake-effect snow from the Great Lakes produces some of the heaviest snowfall recorded globally,” explained Weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Erdman in an online article.

One of the most remarkable instances of lake-effect snow occurred in New York State over a ten-day stretch from February 3 to 12, 2007, when a staggering 141 inches (11.75 feet) was measured in Redfield, a town about 50 miles northeast of Syracuse, Erdman said.

Record Snowfall in the Western Mountains

If you’re looking for impressive snowfall records in mostly unpopulated areas, the West is the place to be:

According to an article in the National Weather Digest, “some of the most substantial seasonal snowfall totals in the United States and around the globe have been noted in the western mountains of the contiguous United States.” Notably, the Cascade Mountains in Washington state see annual averages surpassing 600 inches (50 feet) on their windward slopes.

The highest single-season snowfall record of 95 feet occurred on Mount Baker in the Cascades during the winter of 1998-99.

This heavy snowfall is attributed to a variety of factors. The article explains: “Winter is generally the wettest time of year as the west-to-east atmospheric circulation moves southward and gains momentum, leading to storms hitting the Pacific Northwest every few days.

“Moisture-laden air, after traveling across the Pacific Ocean, is compelled to rise over the Cascade Range, resulting in significant precipitation.”