Sure, a Saturday morning right after a foot of fluffy snow is the best thing ever. But that same amount of snow on Tuesday in New York can make a commute last forever. Imagine it’s the dead of winter and the time of year when the ground is frozen, the air is bone-chilling, and there are piles of dirty, nasty, ice-encrusted snow all over the place.
This is about the time of year when you’re just about ready for spring — especially in Oswego, the snowiest place in New York.
So, put on your parkas, snow boots, and gloves, and let’s go outside to see which New York cities get dumped on the most every year. After analyzing all the cities in New York with Saturday Night Science, we came up with this list as the 10 snowiest cities in Empire State.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table
The 10 Snowiest Cities In New York For 2024
What’s the snowiest place in New York with more than 5,000 people? That would be Oswego with an average annual snowfall of 136.6 inches.
Read on below to see where your town ranked, you snow angels.
And if you already knew these places were snowy, check out the best places to live in New York or the cheapest places in New York.
The 10 Snowiest Cities In New York For 2024
/10
Population: 17,988
Average Annual Snowfall: 136.6 inches
More on Oswego: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 13,985
Average Annual Snowfall: 130.5 inches
More on Fort Drum: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 27,250
Average Annual Snowfall: 122.7 inches
More on Watertown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 10,881
Average Annual Snowfall: 118.3 inches
More on Fredonia: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 144,564
Average Annual Snowfall: 110.6 inches
More on Syracuse: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 11,713
Average Annual Snowfall: 109.8 inches
More on Fulton: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 10,106
Average Annual Snowfall: 108.3 inches
More on Fairmount: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 7,692
Average Annual Snowfall: 108.3 inches
More on Baldwinsville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 6,641
Average Annual Snowfall: 108.3 inches
More on North Syracuse: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 6,490
Average Annual Snowfall: 108.3 inches
More on Solvay: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
How We Determined The Cities In New York With The Most Snow
In order to rank the snowiest cities in New York, we used Saturday Night Science and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) database, to see which cities in the Empire State get the most annual snowfall.
We updated this article for 2024. This is our second time ranking the snowiest cities in New York.
Before we get too far, here are the annual snowfall rates for major cities:
- New York — 25.4 inches
- Buffalo — 88.6 inches
- Rochester — 85.0 inches
The snowiest cities in New York are Oswego, Fort Drum, Watertown, Fredonia, Syracuse, Fulton, Fairmount, Baldwinsville, North Syracuse, and Solvay.
There’s a complete chart at the bottom.
If you’re curious, here are the places that get the least amount of snow in New York with at least snow snowfall:
- Carle Place — 20.4 inches
- East Garden City — 20.7 inches
- Uniondale — 21.3 inches
For more New York reading, check out:
- Safest Places In New York According To Science
- Best Places To Live In New York
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New York
Detailed List Of The Snowiest Places In New York
| Rank | City | Snow (Inches) | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oswego | 136.6 | 17,988 |
| 2 | Fort Drum | 130.5 | 13,985 |
| 3 | Watertown | 122.7 | 27,250 |
| 4 | Fredonia | 118.3 | 10,881 |
| 5 | Syracuse | 110.6 | 144,564 |
| 6 | Fulton | 109.8 | 11,713 |
| 7 | Fairmount | 108.3 | 10,106 |
| 8 | Baldwinsville | 108.3 | 7,692 |
| 9 | North Syracuse | 108.3 | 6,641 |
| 10 | Solvay | 108.3 | 6,490 |
| 11 | Mattydale | 108.3 | 6,434 |
| 12 | Westvale | 108.3 | 5,210 |
| 13 | Rome | 107.5 | 32,916 |
| 14 | Oneida | 106.1 | 11,252 |
| 15 | West Seneca | 105.2 | 45,089 |
| 16 | Lackawanna | 105.2 | 18,019 |
| 17 | Ilion | 105.0 | 8,066 |
| 18 | Jamestown | 104.3 | 30,546 |
| 19 | Saranac Lake | 102.2 | 5,727 |
| 20 | Auburn | 101.3 | 27,264 |
| 21 | Eggertsville | 97.1 | 15,675 |
| 22 | Kenmore | 97.1 | 15,271 |
| 23 | Depew | 97.1 | 15,227 |
| 24 | Tonawanda | 97.1 | 15,000 |
| 25 | East Aurora | 97.1 | 6,251 |
| 26 | Harris Hill | 97.1 | 5,499 |
| 27 | Williamsville | 97.1 | 5,269 |
| 28 | Salamanca | 96.2 | 5,686 |
| 29 | Utica | 90.8 | 61,628 |
| 30 | Cortland | 90.2 | 19,134 |
| 31 | Buffalo | 88.6 | 259,517 |
| 32 | University At Buffalo | 85.9 | 6,174 |
| 33 | Rochester | 85.0 | 210,745 |
| 34 | Dunkirk | 83.9 | 12,308 |
| 35 | North Tonawanda | 83.2 | 31,077 |
| 36 | Greece | 80.5 | 14,568 |
| 37 | North Gates | 80.5 | 9,756 |
| 38 | Brockport | 80.5 | 8,428 |
| 39 | Hilton | 80.5 | 5,936 |
| 40 | Fairport | 80.5 | 5,362 |
| 41 | Niagara Falls | 80.2 | 49,435 |
| 42 | Batavia | 79.1 | 15,188 |
| 43 | Oneonta | 77.5 | 13,862 |
| 44 | Gloversville | 74.4 | 15,293 |
| 45 | Johnstown | 74.3 | 8,500 |
| 46 | South Lockport | 74.1 | 7,788 |
| 47 | Amsterdam | 73.6 | 18,157 |
| 48 | Binghamton | 73.3 | 46,495 |
| 49 | Norwich | 71.9 | 7,032 |
| 50 | Glens Falls North | 71.3 | 8,494 |
| 51 | West Glens Falls | 71.3 | 7,670 |
| 52 | Johnson City | 71.2 | 14,903 |
| 53 | Endicott | 71.2 | 13,143 |
| 54 | Endwell | 71.2 | 11,445 |
| 55 | Lockport | 71.1 | 20,857 |
| 56 | Canandaigua | 65.9 | 10,499 |
| 57 | South Hill | 65.8 | 6,501 |
| 58 | Olean | 65.6 | 14,099 |
| 59 | Glens Falls | 65.5 | 14,496 |
| 60 | Medina | 65.5 | 5,936 |
| 61 | Ithaca | 64.0 | 30,565 |
| 62 | Saratoga Springs | 63.5 | 27,244 |
| 63 | Hornell | 61.9 | 8,471 |
| 64 | Hudson Falls | 61.5 | 7,239 |
| 65 | Ogdensburg | 61.0 | 10,996 |
| 66 | Ballston Spa | 60.8 | 5,256 |
| 67 | Scotia | 60.7 | 7,744 |
| 68 | East Glenville | 60.0 | 6,621 |
| 69 | Monticello | 59.6 | 6,685 |
| 70 | Schenectady | 58.2 | 65,735 |
| 71 | Plattsburgh | 56.9 | 19,845 |
| 72 | Seneca Falls | 56.0 | 6,493 |
| 73 | Highland | 55.8 | 5,189 |
| 74 | Geneva | 54.7 | 13,157 |
| 75 | Albany | 53.6 | 98,468 |
| 76 | Mechanicville | 53.2 | 5,205 |
| 77 | Kingston | 50.9 | 23,625 |
| 78 | Corning | 50.3 | 11,059 |
| 79 | Rensselaer | 49.8 | 9,502 |
| 80 | Westmere | 49.5 | 6,758 |
| 81 | Myers Corner | 46.2 | 6,867 |
| 82 | Fairview Cdp (Dutchess County) | 46.2 | 5,700 |
| 83 | Wappingers Falls | 46.2 | 5,424 |
| 84 | Cohoes | 45.7 | 16,281 |
| 85 | Watervliet | 45.4 | 10,241 |
| 86 | Middletown | 45.2 | 27,828 |
| 87 | Lake Carmel | 44.0 | 8,294 |
| 88 | Mahopac | 44.0 | 8,083 |
| 89 | Carmel Hamlet | 44.0 | 6,542 |
| 90 | Troy | 43.4 | 49,933 |
| 91 | Poughkeepsie | 42.9 | 30,635 |
| 92 | Jefferson Valley-Yorktown | 41.8 | 14,923 |
| 93 | Port Jervis | 41.1 | 8,681 |
| 94 | Big Flats | 40.6 | 5,303 |
| 95 | Hudson | 39.6 | 6,572 |
| 96 | Kiryas Joel | 39.4 | 21,749 |
| 97 | Scotchtown | 39.4 | 9,061 |
| 98 | New Windsor | 39.4 | 8,691 |
| 99 | Mechanicstown | 39.4 | 7,130 |
| 100 | Walden | 39.4 | 6,886 |