Snowiest towns in Iowa
Ranked by average snowfall in a normal winter, 1991–2020, at the nearest NOAA weather station. Towns that share a station share its figure and its rank (T = tied). 143 towns with 2,500+ residents that get at least an inch of snow a year.
1
Mason City
44 in
Days with 1"+ of snow 13
1
Clear Lake
44 in
Days with 1"+ of snow 13
1
Garner
44 in
Days with 1"+ of snow 13
How this ranking works
We rank every town by average snowfall in a normal winter, 1991–2020, at the nearest NOAA weather station. Towns that get less than an inch a year aren’t ranked. The town with the highest figure ranks #1. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast, and each town’s Climate page shows its whole year month by month.
Snow and frost are measured at weather stations, and each town uses the nearest NOAA station with a matching climate (within 25 miles, with temperatures that agree with the town’s own). Towns near the same station share its figure, so they tie.
Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Climate: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.