All of The Top 25 Snowiest Cities Were Updated 8/17/2016 to add any corrections from the National Weather Service
First Off, Thanks Everyone for your donations 
– A SUPER Big Thanks to those of you who were able to make a donation to the snow site during the snow season to help support the snow site and the work that goes into it. If you enjoyed the site this season like I do keeping it up, feel free to click on the donate button to make a donation big or small. They really do help me out a lot and I can’t express how much I appreciate it. Patrick
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NOTE – We are still missing some of the US cities over 100,000 and we will add them as we find them..
The first number is the current spot the city is on the snow mountain. The second number is where the city was at the end of the last update. We will be switching it to how the city started this season and then the current updated place as the cities receive snowfall totals.
This is where the Top Twenty Five Snowiest US Cities leading so far in the new Golden Snow Globe Contest will be updated. Does your city have what it takes to stay in the top 25? All of the cities will be on a rolling system with only the top ten snowiest cities here on the main page. That meaning that if your city is number 25 and another city passes yours, poof, your city is gone from this section. Can your city stay in the top twenty-five is the question? Our guess is that there will be some bouncing around especially at the beginning of the 2015 – 2016 snow season. Good Luck to All the Golden Snow Globe Cities.
The 2015 – 2016 Snowiest City in the US (population 100,000 +)
|
Some of the Top 25 Snowiest |
| 6/30 – 4/28 |
and Cities |
2010 City |
2015 – 2016 |
Normal Snow to Date |
| 1-1 2015-2016 CHAMPS |
Lakewood, Colorado |
142,980 |
93.2 |
55.8 |
| 2-2 | Syracuse, New York |
145,170 |
80.3 |
123.8 |
| 3-3 | Fort Collins, Colorado |
143,986 |
72.8 |
55.8 |
| 3-6 | Denver, Colorado |
600,158 |
72.8 |
??? |
| 5-4 | Erie, Pennsylvania |
101,786 |
71.2 |
100.9 |
| 6-5 | South Bend, Indiana |
101.168 |
70.2 |
66.6 |
| 7-7 | Flint, Michigan |
102,434 |
69.0 |
47.4 |
| 8-8 | Sioux Falls, South Dakota |
153,888 |
68.5 |
44.5 |
| 9-9 | Rochester, New York |
210,565 |
63.7 |
99.5 |
| 10-10 | Grand Rapids, Michigan |
188,040 |
61.1 |
74.9 |
| 11-11 | Buffalo, New York |
261,310 |
55.1 |
94.7 |
| 12-12 | Ann Arbor, Michigan |
113,934 |
54.3 |
57.3 |
| 13-17 | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
416,427 |
50.7 |
37.7 |
| 14-13 | Green Bay, Wisconsin |
104,057 |
50.0 |
51.4 |
| 14-14 | Lansing, Michigan |
114,297 |
50.0 |
51.1 |
| 16-15 | Rochester, Minnesota |
106,769 |
47.9 |
51.9 |
| 17-16 | Worcester, Mass |
181,045 |
47.2 |
64.1 |
| 18-18 | New York, New York (JFK) |
8,175,133 |
41.4 |
23.8 |
| 19-19 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
594,833 |
39.1 |
46.9 |
| 20-20 | Anchorage, Alaska |
291,826 |
38.3 |
74.5 |
| 21-21 | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
382,578 |
36.7 |
54.4 |
| 22-23 | Allentown, Pennsylvania |
118,032 |
36.2 |
32.9 |
| 23-24 | Boston, Mass |
617,594 |
36.1 |
43.8 |
| 24-25 | Detroit, Michigan |
713,777 |
35.3 |
42.5 |
| 25-26 | Baltimore, Maryland |
620,961 |
35.1 |
20.1 |
Looks like Erie has over 100,000 people again and will be eligible. http://www.goerie.com/census-challenge-puts-erie-population-back-above-100000
Not looking good for the 2020
http://www.goerie.com/eries-population-falls-below-100000-again
Erie can just challenge the count again in 2020 and it should be no worries.
http://www.goerie.com/article/20160115/NEWS02/301159942/erie-one-of-largest-resettlement-spots-for-refugees-statewide
I am shocked that there aren’t more posts regarding the April snow which has propelled Syracuse into first. I guess it is just “old news” and predictable that Syracuse is in the familiar top spot. Thank you, Patrick, for continuing to update this website day after day and year after year.
I hear you Steve about the lack of post/posts
I have had some changes going on in my life the last year or so and I have been having a hard time finding the time I need to make posts like I use to. I have been lucky finding the time to at least get the snow stats updated regularly. Most likely come next season I will bring another person or two aboard to do some posting on the bog end of the site. Thanks!
I wasn’t referring to your lack of posts, Patrick; you do plenty. I thought others would be chiming in a little bit more often.
Check out Chardon Oh. They average 107″ a year. If you live here you can live anywhere.
I gotcha Kevin
I agree, the comments have been pretty quiet this season. I think part of it is because of how little snow a lot of the Northeast received and the other reason could be because we have the Facebook group now. That’s been pretty active whenever there is snow in the air. If anyone wants to join the group it’s at https://www.facebook.com/groups/861746940543642/ There is a good mix or men and women of all ages from all over the United States.
This fun contest is for cities over 100,000 in population based on the official US census taken every 10 years.
Ha!
We hit Patrick and y’all with one last snowball! Blop!
Go Snowacuse!
Lol E, I have a feeling I won’t be calling this anytime soon though
Go ‘Cuse!
Just to touch on this……This contest has rules and it looks like Erie may be eliminated by a technicality even though as others have pointed out, “Erie” truly does encompass a wider area. But once you start bending the rules this will become more of a debate chat room and the fun will be lost. C’est la vie! (This is life)
In the meantime however…..Looking at my long term forecast….Erie may get one more parting shot at the title the first full week of April as cold air pours across the lake and the Lake Erie Snow Machine may spring back to life. We’ll see…..
I thought Erie was going to come out on top that last snowfall Alan. I was surprised to see Syracuse move to the top to be honest. It’s winding down but still enough time left as long as the cold sticks around…
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Looks like the normal top 2 are going to run away with it, and duke it out.
As I made the call 3 years ago Erie won’t be in the competition as they would soon be under 100K population. It was all over the local news this summer, Current population is 96,542 and shrinking. That is down from 153K in 1978 So in fairness to other communities that get a heck of a lot more snow than Erie such as Jamestown NY etc. Erie should be eliminated from competition.
I understand what you are saying – technically – but a lot of the weather counts are taken at the airport – which is in Millcreek. Just because the city’s population has fallen underneath doesn’t mean the combined erie/millcreek has. Over the last 20 years, the two are so closely interspersed I think that Erie should be allowed to stay in the competition. The city works like a bigger city because the two municipalities work in combination.
yep – I double checked- the snow counts are taken at NOAA which is at the airport which is in Millcreek.
Boo-hoo! I’ll be so sad when the census is taken in four years and we’re (Erie) eliminated from the contest. For what will there be to live? Perish the thought. I think I’ll go out and shovel.
Seriously this subject keeps coming up every year and seems to be very childish to continue bringing it up…the next census isnt until to 2020. It is just a fun contest, would almost think your bitter that Erie has been at the top of the snow mountain this year. Besides I dont think Erie will be heart broken if they get taken off the list. Like Nina stated if you take the Erie/Millcreek population as a whole it clears the population requirements by a long shot and yes the Erie Airport is located in the Millcreek area. ~shrugs~ this subject will come up again next year Im sure.
Patrick explained last year that Erie could not be taken out until the official census in 2020 so until then lets just enjoy the contest.
This thread is down right hilarious!
According to the NY Times this a.m., the snowfall for the season is 30.3″. The official snow total is taken at Central Park, not JFK.
The official totals from who Rich. I’m pretty sure that the 3 totals I look at are all official for NYC. Those are JFK, LaGuardia and Central Park. I look at all 3 and go with the location that shows the highest total. I believe a good part of the time it is Central PArk but right now it is the location that I have listed.
Keep an eye out for Buffalo/ Rochester, NY- 24+ inches are expected in some spots!!!
Welcome back Buffalo and Rochester! Erie was getting lonely at the top of the heap!!
Syracuse been vacationing in Bermuda all winter so far. ;^)
Staring tomorrow, Feb 1 we’re back on the clock; get ready for a Syracuse snowfal-smackdown in February; and no more funny buziness from Wooster or Lowell with the biased ref calls.
Mt Mitchell NC got 66 inches. Why are they not on list?
Because they don’t have 100,000 residents…
Same old, same old. Every year the wanna-be’s start whining about how much more snow they have than those listed as front-runners. If you can’t wait until the population demographics change with the next census or don’t like the rules, start your own stupid contest, but bear in mind that there are towns the size of yours around the cities that are leading that receive a lot more than the leaders. And the second thing is why do you want to win this?
Exactly, a couple of towns that received sizeable snowfall from the latest lake-effect blast (nowhere near their season total).
…OSWEGO COUNTY…
PARISH 37.0 652 AM 2/11 BROADCAST MEDIA
MEXICO 37.0 655 AM 2/11 SOCIAL MEDIA
HASTINGS 31.0 600 AM 2/11 TRAINED SPOTTER
OSWEGO 26.5 600 AM 2/11 COCORAHS
SCRIBA 20.0 500 AM 2/11 TRAINED SPOTTER
This “snowband” is moving south today. Syracuse to add more to their total.
Does Mt. Mitchell have 100,000 people?
I can tell you that most of us in Erie, PA don’t want to win this contest. lol Well, all except the plow drivers. As usual though, we are up there competing. lol
The article “Kyle” links to is from 2013, there is newer data that shows Erie over 100,000. Not that it matters much if any city is above or below 100,000 by a hundred or two, unless you really have no life at all except counting snowflakes.
https://suburbanstats.org/population/pennsylvania/how-many-people-live-in-erie
Erie shouldn’t even be on the list. They need to update the population information. http://www.goerie.com/article/20150521/NEWS02/305219909/eries-population-sinks-to-lowest-in-nearly-a-century
The population totals are from 2010, which I believe was when the US had the last census. After the next census, Erie will be probably off the list.
This contest relies on the Official Census taken every ten years…..not estimated totals. Erie is in until the 2020 count.
It’s been discussed in length. All population information is based on Census data. Erie is on the chart through at least 2020, after the next Census.
Told ya’ll we would make it happen……Probably will not stay on top for long as it may be a bit slow here for the next few days but given that wide open and warm lake….Never was much doubt that we would leapfrog to the top honors….
McKean, PA (south of Erie) got 3 feet in the last 48hrs. Crazy storm, y’all.
I live in McKean, PA just south of Erie, we just got another 15 inches since last night. It is pretty typical to get double to triple what Erie gets just south of Erie in the snow belt. The same goes for the towns in south western New York and all along the edge of Lake Erie up to Buffalo.
I figure Syracuse be moving up to top five by nights end being pounded near airport.
And not going to stop until Thursday morning.
The normal top 10 are storming back
It will be interesting to see how this week plays out. Some could catch up unless the top cities keep adding snow. Should be fun!
Looky…looky…looky. Dreary, bleary Erie doing its usual winter hokey-pokey. From 22 to 5 in a week and it’s been coming down non-stop since yesterday morning. Not supposed to stop until afternoon tomorrow with more forecast for the rest of the week. We are winter.
St. Louis, MO received its first measurable snowfall.
http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=lsx&product=CLI&issuedby=stl
No flagstaff Arizona????? Easly 40+ in this year
I think last I checked Mike Flagstaff was over 50 inches on the season. Unfortunately, the contest is for cities with a population over 100,000. I am impressed though by the totals Flagstaff has this season including 30+ inches in the 1st week of January alone…
Its over 50in for 2016, no 2015 season included. I feel like it should still be placed on the rankings, maybe with an star denoting Pop. under 100,000. They are at 70,000 which is very fair.
Ah, why the 100,000 plus population limit? That’s like measuring how high people 6′ and above can jump but not including those who are 5′ tall. Pointless list. So pointless. Kids: don’t use this site if you’re trying to gather facts.
Linda,
The reason for that limit has to do with the major U.S. Cities, and the generally accepted value for “major” is 100,000 or more.
It’s more the equivalent of college athletics: there’s Division I, Division II, and Division III. In college athletics, Division I tends to get the biggest spotlight. Likewise, the site is basically looking at the “Division I” of the U.S. Cities. So, yes, the data is factual, at least as best as it can be for something that’s a one-man show (as is indicated, there are likely a few that aren’t showing but he’s working on it)!
Certainly not pointless, anyway.
Linda…. Lewis County in NY gets 100′s of inches a season…20-30 foot. They are not whining about not being included and neither should you!
Ok…..The Polar Vortex is scheduled to return to the Erie PA / Buffalo New York area for all of next week. lake Erie’s water temp is way above normal with zero ice. By the end of next week either city could make the jump and be right in contention or possibly even in first place.
It will at least get exciting for those in the Northeast for pretty much the 1st time this season Alan
So far and you know how things will change it is looking good for Buffalo from what I have been reading. Syracuse may need the winds to shift some to get some mega snowfall although at this point any snow will help. I haven’t seen anything on Erie yet other than the cold air moving in. Should be a fun week ahead with the lakes so warm 
It’s interesting to me how the great lakes totals are influenced by whether you live on the right side , or the wrong side: South Bend vs. Chicago, Buffalo vs. Detroit , or Toronto. Narrow snow bands that produce crazy localized amounts, with little, or nothing a few miles away. It’s like snow -making on a ski resort. I think it’s cheating. I always wanted to call someone else a cheater! Signed: a New England Patriot fan
Ha, Ha Don, I love it
A beautiful 2015 with nary a trace of the white stuff, BUT from nowhere we have shown up and are ready to play ball. Unleash the hounds!
oh pooh, I moved in October 2013 to Erie from the desert southwest for the snow and then i get overdosed on snow for two years in a row and now it wont even snow lol
ok ok its nice to have a break i sort of wish my first winter in Erie would have been like this one, where it allowed me to get acclimated
but noooo I move to Erie and someone or something decided to throw a ginormous snowball at me.
Im just waiting for the day that Erie and the rest of the northeast decides to finally march up the mountain and lay claims to what is theirs
just a random moment
lol someone heard me… that white stuff is falling pretty good right now
Good to hear Kayli
Although this season has been pretty exciting as far as it being close, none of our cities are in the hunt yet 
ROFL. Welcome to Erie Kayli !! I see we greeted you in fine fashion (2013-14 Snow Derby Champions). Years ago our factory rep moved into this area from Texas. His first snowstorm deposited 3 feet of snow in his driveway. All he had was a dirt shovel. Welcome to Erie !!!! He left within 12 months……..Hope you fared a little better than he did.
Erie here…I can barely see my garage 30′ from my kitchen window. You gotta love/hate this town.
I just moved from Erie, Pa to Fort Collins, Co. I guess wherever I go, the city ends up in the top three. Crazy!
Lol, Colorado has been active this season compared to last season RJ. At least you will feel like your home, to a point of course..
Come on Erie !!! You got to move up. The snow this morning is going to help the cause.
First real snow of the season right now.
Erie and Buffalo probably don’t stand a chance during an El Nino year though.
Buffalo finally got on the snow mountain at least Jim with 0.1 inches, lol. Erie moved up a handful. It will be interesting to see if Erie makes the top 25 by the end of the weekend.. Hopefully the El Nino weakens pretty soon..
I would not count Erie or BUF out just yet. This warm air has kept the lake water temperature well above normal. One good cold snap with the correct wind direction and we could be measuring snowfall by feet instead of inches. Either city could easily jump to somewhere between 4th and 7th place. Perhaps evenh igher than that.
I agree Alan. Just a few good lake effect events can put a lot of the NE cities where they normally are. A few storms and watch out for some of the other cities that were near the top last season like Boston. Boston had less than 3 inches this time last season and look what happened
Enjoy your website as I was born & raised in the Syracuse, NY area – living in FL now – guess why!!! Where are you Cuse??? Let’s get making some snow up there!!!
I just wanted to point out I live in Minneapolis. There is a storm passing through and another on its way. There is also over a half foot of snow on the ground right now.
Thanks for the heads up Ed. I’ve been keeping an eye on that storm and see that the Twin Cities are suppose to get some decent snow. If I have a chance later I will try to get an update in. If you haven’t already joined, we have a pretty good group of snow folks at https://www.facebook.com/groups/861746940543642/
Go ahead and take Erie off. People just wanna win on a technicality. Erie is usually high in the ranks, population means nothing. Removing us doesn’t take away our snowfall numbers, just out of a “rank” competition. No matter how you look at it, we’re still one of the ones to beat. As it is, some of you other cities, when national news programs report on snow fall totals in cities, Erie is one of the ones almost always mentioned. Some of you others have yet to be acknowledged in the snowfall race.
Patrick, I just wanted to say thank you for the fun but ive decided I wont follow this contest this year. Sort of need a break from the over competitiveness, it was fun while i was following it but then instead of sitting back and having a little fun people started moaning too much about cities being added and of course with Erie threatening the top five the whole lets take erie out of the picture because they are under 100000 just sort of spoiled everything for me. It just feels like all the fun that I think you intended for this has become an all out war. It has become, do whatever it takes to get to the top and reign there. Personally my suggestion to you but its not my site so its only a suggestion is if a city is currently in this contest then they should not be taken out of it later just because they fell below 100000 by a few hundred. Population will fluctuate all the time but I dont think erie is going to run out of people anytime soon nor any other city thats been pulled into the contest which by the way people crying about as well last year. Had you not pulled those other cities in last year the contest could have been completely different but honestly who cares its suppose to be fun. Lol Could really upset some people if you were to change the population requirement to 50000 instead but omgossh you would be so overwhelmed with people crying anyway good luck with this contest and to the future winners.
Hi Kayli, NOOO way can you leave us
It can be a little silly about how some of us take the competition and I’m sure I’ve made a post or two picking on someone’s city. I can guarantee though that none of my posts were every intended to be serious. In the several seasons that the National snow contest has been around, I think other than spammers I have blocked under 10 comments on here. I think that goes to show you what a great group of people that come and post to the site.
As for Erie and there is at least one other city that supposedly dropped below 100,000, maybe two, they are here at least until the next Census. I mentioned that in our Facebook and most agreed. We use the National Weather Service because they are the only official snow stats so I think going by the latest Cencus is the fairest thing to do. Besides the people from Erie are too much fun to get rid of
That said, Come on Erie, Start Making Some Babies 
lol i love your contest and you talked me into staying on board. I was going to move but something came up and I will be remaining in Erie.
Thank You for convincing me to stay and I promise it wasnt you. I dont mind some picking in fun but its like people are trying to take the fun out of it. I am not Erie or Pennsylvania raised but since moving here I have learned jack frost does not discriminate in the northeast. I wondered often why my father would have wanted to move from Maine to the Phoenix area of Arizona and now im beginning to see his logic XD but then again I think my logic is sound too move from the desert southwest back to the northeast where my father came from haha at least in Erie I dont have to worry about breaking a sweat when drinking hot cocoa
Ashtabula, OH has had an average annual snowfall of 120.5 inches over the last 30 years, which is 438% more than the national average (22.4 inches). 74% of Ashtabula’s snow fell during the winter months.
Thanks for the info Leslie
I wish the population there was over 100,000 so we could add Ashtabula, OH to the contest..
Chuck Great point when Erie beat syr.
last year by 6 inches my thought was do they Really have more than the reported 106000 pop. I Demanded a recount or adjustment ehr WHATEVER???
Ha Glenn, not happening
Erie is Grandfathered in until the next census.