Just wondering..

[angelwing]

Been debating whether or not to ask this, but the hubby is getting on my nerves so I am going to ask...he wants to know where it snows the most in the continental US consistently, we are starting to figure out where to move to when (and hopefully if)I can retire and we want snow, lots of it. I was thinking of close to the Great Lakes in PA as I do want to move to NW PA but any state is open so I am asking...

All help is appreciated!

[Ntxw]

Tug hill plateau is snowiest place east of the divide i.e. watertown and oswego, ny. Places like Aspen and telluride, Colorado are amazing too but are more ski towns if you can live with that. Personally if I could choose I would pick the UP of Mich near Marquette, always cold and snowy in winter and landscape there is gorgeous!

[brunota2003]

Watertown is the northern border...but mostly southern Jefferson County and Oswego/Lewis Counties. That is known as the Lake Effect "Snow Belt" for Lake Ontario...snowfall rates can occasionally be very heavy, with them topping 4 to 6 inches an hour rarely.

Here is one storm from 2003 that did that:

http://www.erh.noaa.gov/buf/lakeffect/l ... tormh.html

And NWS Buffalo's Lake Effect Page:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/buf/lakepage.php

[angelwing]

TYVM!

[Scott Patterson]

The Olympic Mountains, Cascade Mountains, the Sierra Nevada and the Wasatch Range (Utah) get the most snow of any locations in the lower 48. No locations east of the Rockies will even get remotely close to these.

As examples, Rainier Paradise Ranger Station (Washington) gets an average of 672.2" of snow a year. Crater Lake (Oregon) gets an average of 523.5" of snow a year. Alta (Utah) gets and average of 514.0" of snow a year (the mountais above Alta get even more than this).

Not all snow is created equal. Snow at Alta is much lighter and more powdery than it is in the Cascades or Sierra Nevada. It's better for skiing or shoveling. However, the wetter snow in places like the Cascades gets much deeper because it doesn't consolidate as quickly. Therefore average snow depth at Rainier Paradise is 175" in April (max depth month) vs "only" 92" in March at Alta.

Unless you are a park ranger though, no one really lives in Rainier Paradise or Crater Lake. The snowiest place where you can actually live would be Alta Utah (which is also only 9 miles from a huge metro area). Then again, maybe places like Rainier would be too much of a good thing anyway since the weather station there still averages 84" snow depth in June, while the snow at Alta tends to melt out sometime in mid to late June (or earlier or later depending on the year).

Of course you don't have to live right in the snow to see it easily, or freeze year round to be in the snow. Because of the elevation changes, in several locations out west you can easily ski and have a snowball fight and then take a 30 minute drive to bask in 100+ degree weather. I remember once roasting in 114F heat in Moab while viewing the snow in the mountains that was 15 miles away. Alta is right next the Salt Lake City metro and in the distance of 9 miles in June you can easily have a snowball fight and have 100 degree temperatures within minutes of each other. Redding CA has palm trees and also views of permanent snowfields in the mountains. Many other cities/towns are similar.

Every year my wife an I have a traditional snowball fight on our anniversary (or at least the closest Saturday to it). Our anniversary is August 11. Even though it never snows in August where we live, we can always get quickly into the mountains where there is snow.

Here is our last anniversary (18th!):



PS, the snowballs are actually tossed gently rather than thrown hard. No spouses were hurt during this event.

[angelwing]

TY Scott!

[PTPatrick]

Colorado mountain areas are great if you like snow on the ground all year AND like being near a large metro area and airport, and of course like days with sunshine with your snow. The great thing about colorado is it gets a lot of snow but it has gorgeous blue sky days in between and has a much longer snow season than even areas around the great lakes. Denver can get snow as early at labor day and as late as June second, and the mountains areas near 10,000 feet pretty much all year. In any case, Denver doesnt keep snow on the ground all season even with an average near 60 inches because its so sunny and warms up between snow systems.
Mountain towns like: Fraser, Alma, Granby, Woodland Park and of course the more famous and expensive ski towns do keep some snow however, and are within a couple hours drive of Denver.

For sure the UP of Michigan and Marquette, Houghton would be one of the snowiest places east of the divide but also miserable grey and COLD. Most of the towns are really small and far from larger cities. Duluth gets over a 80-90 inches and it keeps snow all season and is a bit bigger than the UP towns and is nice and cheap. And there are great recreation opportunities in the mountains of northeastern minnesota and the boundry waters. Its supposed to be a beautiful place with a very short growing season, and reasonable drive to the Twin Cities. I would rather have colder temps and nice snow on the ground (if a little less total inches) than the back and forth of sloppy wet lake effect mess you get in the downwind in the Pennsylvania and NY. And I just find that the quaint midwestern towns in MN and WI and UP of MI, are just cleaner and nicer than the rust belt region downwind of Erie...which is sad, I think they are ok places but they just all seem a bit depressed economically.

Finally I think Vermont/NH...some years they dont get as much but its really rare...and thats pretty much true for most northerm climates, you just get some not so snowy years. But its definately a beautifully clean winter wonderland of nice people. Burlington is my fave city ever, but I just cant live there with my career.

[Tejas89]

I am partial to the pacific NW after a recent show-shoeing trip to the cascades. You can live in more temperate climes along the coast or islands but within a stone's throw of big time winter snow and all the fun that entails.

Only downside is the rain... but wow that area is beautiful and has a lot of to offer.

[angelwing]

Thank you! Will be talking to the hubby

[Stephanie]

I'm partial to CO myself since my father lives out there and there's snow caps on the Front Range in May and then back in September. The thing with their snow is that it evaporates quickly too since they are a mile higher than us flat landers here in NJ. It just spectacular.

New England is another favorite area of mine and yes, you'll be more likely to get snow up there than along the coast here. Both CO and New England will have above and below normal snowy winters.

[angelwing]

TY