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 California 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 El Dorado Hills, the snowiest place in California.
So, put on your parkas, snow boots, and gloves, and let’s go outside to see which California cities get dumped on the most every year. After analyzing all the cities in California with Saturday Night Science, we came up with this list as the 10 snowiest cities in Golden State.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table
The 10 Snowiest Cities In California For 2024
- El Dorado Hills
- South Lake Tahoe
- Cameron Park
- Diamond Springs
- Placerville
- Pollock Pines
- Truckee
- Grass Valley
- Alta Sierra
- Lake Wildwood
What’s the snowiest place in California with more than 5,000 people? That would be El Dorado Hills with an average annual snowfall of 87.4 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 California or the cheapest places in California.
The 10 Snowiest Cities In California For 2024
/10
Population: 43,264
Average Annual Snowfall: 87.4 inches
More on El Dorado Hills: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 21,437
Average Annual Snowfall: 87.4 inches
More on South Lake Tahoe: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 19,437
Average Annual Snowfall: 87.4 inches
More on Cameron Park: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 12,459
Average Annual Snowfall: 87.4 inches
More on Diamond Springs: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 10,471
Average Annual Snowfall: 87.4 inches
More on Placerville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 6,797
Average Annual Snowfall: 87.4 inches
More on Pollock Pines: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 16,184
Average Annual Snowfall: 72.3 inches
More on Truckee: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 12,855
Average Annual Snowfall: 72.3 inches
More on Grass Valley: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
9. Alta Sierra
Population: 6,624
Average Annual Snowfall: 72.3 inches
More on Alta Sierra: Real Estate
10. Lake Wildwood
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Population: 5,375
Average Annual Snowfall: 72.3 inches
More on Lake Wildwood: Real Estate
How We Determined The Cities In California With The Most Snow
In order to rank the snowiest cities in California, we used Saturday Night Science and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) database, to see which cities in the Golden State get the most annual snowfall.
We updated this article for 2024. This is our second time ranking the snowiest cities in California.
Before we get too far, here are the annual snowfall rates for major cities:
- Los Angeles — 0.2 inches
- San Diego — 1.2 inches
- San Jose — 1.6 inches
The snowiest cities in California are El Dorado Hills, South Lake Tahoe, Cameron Park, Diamond Springs, Placerville, Pollock Pines, Truckee, Grass Valley, Alta Sierra, and Lake Wildwood.
There’s a complete chart at the bottom.
If you’re curious, here are the places that get the least amount of snow in California with at least snow snowfall:
- Fetters Hot Springs-Agua Caliente — 0.1 inches
- Oakdale — 0.1 inches
- Riverbank — 0.1 inches
For more California reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In California
- Best Counties To Live In California
- Best Places To Retire In California
Detailed List Of The Snowiest Places In California
| Rank | City | Snow (Inches) | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Dorado Hills | 87.4 | 43,264 |
| 2 | South Lake Tahoe | 87.4 | 21,437 |
| 3 | Cameron Park | 87.4 | 19,437 |
| 4 | Diamond Springs | 87.4 | 12,459 |
| 5 | Placerville | 87.4 | 10,471 |
| 6 | Pollock Pines | 87.4 | 6,797 |
| 7 | Truckee | 72.3 | 16,184 |
| 8 | Grass Valley | 72.3 | 12,855 |
| 9 | Alta Sierra | 72.3 | 6,624 |
| 10 | Lake Wildwood | 72.3 | 5,375 |
| 11 | Roseville | 54.3 | 126,327 |
| 12 | Rocklin | 54.3 | 59,727 |
| 13 | Lincoln | 54.3 | 45,038 |
| 14 | Granite Bay | 54.3 | 22,387 |
| 15 | North Auburn | 54.3 | 14,496 |
| 16 | Auburn | 54.3 | 13,785 |
| 17 | Loomis | 54.3 | 6,648 |
| 18 | Mammoth Lakes | 37.1 | 8,104 |
| 19 | Susanville | 33.8 | 16,048 |
| 20 | Red Bluff | 28.0 | 14,065 |
| 21 | Corning | 28.0 | 7,586 |
| 22 | Yreka | 26.7 | 7,635 |
| 23 | Rancho Calaveras | 20.4 | 6,023 |
| 24 | Linda | 15.3 | 18,256 |
| 25 | Olivehurst | 15.3 | 14,293 |
| 26 | Marysville | 15.3 | 12,161 |
| 27 | Plumas Lake | 15.3 | 6,548 |
| 28 | Redding | 14.1 | 91,063 |
| 29 | Shasta Lake | 14.1 | 10,146 |
| 30 | Anderson | 14.1 | 10,122 |
| 31 | Visalia | 13.4 | 127,842 |
| 32 | Tulare | 13.4 | 61,204 |
| 33 | Porterville | 13.4 | 55,218 |
| 34 | Dinuba | 13.4 | 23,243 |
| 35 | Lindsay | 13.4 | 12,980 |
| 36 | Farmersville | 13.4 | 10,704 |
| 37 | Exeter | 13.4 | 10,481 |
| 38 | Orosi | 13.4 | 8,796 |
| 39 | Earlimart | 13.4 | 8,709 |
| 40 | Woodlake | 13.4 | 7,525 |
| 41 | East Porterville | 13.4 | 6,395 |
| 42 | San Bernardino | 9.0 | 214,112 |
| 43 | Fontana | 9.0 | 203,677 |
| 44 | Rancho Cucamonga | 9.0 | 171,858 |
| 45 | Ontario | 9.0 | 168,218 |
| 46 | Victorville | 9.0 | 120,703 |
| 47 | Rialto | 9.0 | 102,018 |
| 48 | Hesperia | 9.0 | 92,309 |
| 49 | Chino | 9.0 | 82,208 |
| 50 | Chino Hills | 9.0 | 76,796 |
| 51 | Upland | 9.0 | 75,542 |
| 52 | Apple Valley | 9.0 | 71,083 |
| 53 | Redlands | 9.0 | 70,186 |
| 54 | Highland | 9.0 | 54,314 |
| 55 | Colton | 9.0 | 53,566 |
| 56 | Yucaipa | 9.0 | 52,739 |
| 57 | Montclair | 9.0 | 38,025 |
| 58 | Adelanto | 9.0 | 32,059 |
| 59 | Twentynine Palms | 9.0 | 25,769 |
| 60 | Bloomington | 9.0 | 24,864 |
| 61 | Loma Linda | 9.0 | 23,751 |
| 62 | Barstow | 9.0 | 23,281 |
| 63 | Yucca Valley | 9.0 | 21,258 |
| 64 | Phelan | 9.0 | 13,719 |
| 65 | Big Bear City | 9.0 | 13,535 |
| 66 | Muscoy | 9.0 | 12,417 |
| 67 | Grand Terrace | 9.0 | 12,331 |
| 68 | Lake Arrowhead | 9.0 | 11,333 |
| 69 | Mentone | 9.0 | 9,844 |
| 70 | Oak Hills | 9.0 | 9,363 |
| 71 | Crestline | 9.0 | 9,240 |
| 72 | Fort Irwin | 9.0 | 9,238 |
| 73 | Spring Valley Lake | 9.0 | 7,849 |
| 74 | Joshua Tree | 9.0 | 7,357 |
| 75 | Silver Lakes | 9.0 | 5,992 |
| 76 | Lucerne Valley | 9.0 | 5,425 |
| 77 | Big Bear Lake | 9.0 | 5,145 |
| 78 | Chico | 7.4 | 88,455 |
| 79 | Paradise | 7.4 | 26,289 |
| 80 | Oroville | 7.4 | 16,060 |
| 81 | Magalia | 7.4 | 11,306 |
| 82 | Oroville East | 7.4 | 8,136 |
| 83 | Thermalito | 7.4 | 7,119 |
| 84 | Gridley | 7.4 | 6,579 |
| 85 | South Oroville | 7.4 | 6,124 |
| 86 | Palermo | 7.4 | 5,895 |
| 87 | Durham | 7.4 | 5,637 |
| 88 | Fresno | 7.0 | 510,451 |
| 89 | Clovis | 7.0 | 100,437 |
| 90 | Reedley | 7.0 | 25,092 |
| 91 | Sanger | 7.0 | 24,700 |
| 92 | Selma | 7.0 | 24,017 |
| 93 | Coalinga | 7.0 | 16,940 |
| 94 | Parlier | 7.0 | 14,870 |
| 95 | Kerman | 7.0 | 14,285 |
| 96 | Kingsburg | 7.0 | 11,681 |
| 97 | Mendota | 7.0 | 11,402 |
| 98 | Orange Cove | 7.0 | 9,565 |
| 99 | Firebaugh | 7.0 | 8,084 |
| 100 | Huron | 7.0 | 6,792 |