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 North Carolina 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 Boone, the snowiest place in North Carolina.
So, put on your parkas, snow boots, and gloves, and let’s go outside to see which North Carolina cities get dumped on the most every year. After analyzing all the cities in North Carolina with Saturday Night Science, we came up with this list as the 10 snowiest cities in Tar Heel State.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table
The 10 Snowiest Cities In North Carolina For 2024
- Boone
- Black Mountain
- Royal Pines
- Woodfin
- Asheville
- Waynesville
- Mount Airy
- Marion
- Mills River
- King
What’s the snowiest place in North Carolina with more than 5,000 people? That would be Boone with an average annual snowfall of 37.1 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 North Carolina or the cheapest places in North Carolina.
The 10 Snowiest Cities In North Carolina For 2024
/10
Population: 17,966
Average Annual Snowfall: 37.1 inches
More on Boone: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 8,079
Average Annual Snowfall: 26.5 inches
More on Black Mountain: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
3. Royal Pines
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Population: 5,084
Average Annual Snowfall: 18.5 inches
More on Royal Pines: Real Estate
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Population: 6,204
Average Annual Snowfall: 17.6 inches
More on Woodfin: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 86,789
Average Annual Snowfall: 12.0 inches
More on Asheville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 9,748
Average Annual Snowfall: 11.2 inches
More on Waynesville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 10,391
Average Annual Snowfall: 9.9 inches
More on Mount Airy: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 7,914
Average Annual Snowfall: 9.7 inches
More on Marion: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 6,964
Average Annual Snowfall: 9.4 inches
More on Mills River: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 6,697
Average Annual Snowfall: 9.3 inches
More on King: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
How We Determined The Cities In North Carolina With The Most Snow
In order to rank the snowiest cities in North Carolina, we used Saturday Night Science and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) database, to see which cities in the Tar Heel State get the most annual snowfall.
We updated this article for 2024. This is our second time ranking the snowiest cities in North Carolina.
Before we get too far, here are the annual snowfall rates for major cities:
- Charlotte — 2.5 inches
- Raleigh — 3.7 inches
- Greensboro — 5.7 inches
The snowiest cities in North Carolina are Boone, Black Mountain, Royal Pines, Woodfin, Asheville, Waynesville, Mount Airy, Marion, Mills River, and King.
There’s a complete chart at the bottom.
If you’re curious, here are the places that get the least amount of snow in North Carolina with at least snow snowfall:
- Lumberton — 0.3 inches
- Wrightsboro — 0.5 inches
- Morehead City — 0.6 inches
For more North Carolina reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In North Carolina
- Best Places To Retire In North Carolina
- Safest Cities in North Carolina
Detailed List Of The Snowiest Places In North Carolina
| Rank | City | Snow (Inches) | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boone | 37.1 | 17,966 |
| 2 | Black Mountain | 26.5 | 8,079 |
| 3 | Royal Pines | 18.5 | 5,084 |
| 4 | Woodfin | 17.6 | 6,204 |
| 5 | Asheville | 12.0 | 86,789 |
| 6 | Waynesville | 11.2 | 9,748 |
| 7 | Mount Airy | 9.9 | 10,391 |
| 8 | Marion | 9.7 | 7,914 |
| 9 | Mills River | 9.4 | 6,964 |
| 10 | King | 9.3 | 6,697 |
| 11 | Fletcher | 9.2 | 7,394 |
| 12 | Etowah | 8.6 | 6,797 |
| 13 | Hendersonville | 8.1 | 13,457 |
| 14 | Brevard | 7.7 | 7,656 |
| 15 | Stokesdale | 6.9 | 5,221 |
| 16 | Reidsville | 6.8 | 14,191 |
| 17 | Oak Ridge | 6.6 | 6,513 |
| 18 | Sawmills | 6.6 | 5,130 |
| 19 | Summerfield | 6.4 | 10,622 |
| 20 | Lewisville | 6.3 | 13,212 |
| 21 | Cullowhee | 6.3 | 5,534 |
| 22 | Winston-Salem | 6.2 | 236,642 |
| 23 | Roxboro | 5.9 | 8,316 |
| 24 | Greensboro | 5.7 | 279,427 |
| 25 | Clemmons | 5.6 | 19,340 |
| 26 | Cherryville | 5.0 | 5,868 |
| 27 | Hickory | 4.9 | 40,172 |
| 28 | Kernersville | 4.9 | 23,617 |
| 29 | Mocksville | 4.9 | 5,090 |
| 30 | Lenoir | 4.8 | 17,978 |
| 31 | Morrisville | 4.7 | 21,726 |
| 32 | Tarboro | 4.6 | 11,292 |
| 33 | Newton | 4.5 | 12,980 |
| 34 | Statesville | 4.4 | 25,443 |
| 35 | Cary | 4.1 | 151,186 |
| 36 | Thomasville | 4.1 | 27,084 |
| 37 | Asheboro | 4.1 | 25,897 |
| 38 | Lexington | 4.1 | 19,129 |
| 39 | Morganton | 4.1 | 16,748 |
| 40 | Eden | 4.0 | 15,483 |
| 41 | Conover | 4.0 | 8,221 |
| 42 | High Point | 3.9 | 108,031 |
| 43 | Kannapolis | 3.8 | 44,520 |
| 44 | Apex | 3.8 | 42,220 |
| 45 | St. Stephens | 3.8 | 8,954 |
| 46 | Long View | 3.8 | 5,050 |
| 47 | Raleigh | 3.7 | 432,520 |
| 48 | Concord | 3.7 | 83,903 |
| 49 | Goldsboro | 3.7 | 35,952 |
| 50 | Salisbury | 3.7 | 33,653 |
| 51 | Carrboro | 3.7 | 20,639 |
| 52 | Kings Mountain | 3.7 | 10,792 |
| 53 | Gibsonville | 3.7 | 6,634 |
| 54 | Chapel Hill | 3.6 | 58,766 |
| 55 | Archdale | 3.6 | 11,396 |
| 56 | Lincolnton | 3.6 | 10,696 |
| 57 | Forest City | 3.6 | 7,359 |
| 58 | Durham | 3.5 | 246,084 |
| 59 | Shelby | 3.5 | 20,245 |
| 60 | Oxford | 3.5 | 8,650 |
| 61 | Trinity | 3.5 | 6,652 |
| 62 | Bessemer City | 3.5 | 5,455 |
| 63 | Mooresville | 3.4 | 34,930 |
| 64 | Roanoke Rapids | 3.4 | 15,557 |
| 65 | Stallings | 3.3 | 14,495 |
| 66 | Indian Trail | 3.2 | 35,602 |
| 67 | Elon | 3.2 | 9,698 |
| 68 | Hillsborough | 3.2 | 6,316 |
| 69 | Wake Forest | 3.1 | 34,786 |
| 70 | Harrisburg | 3.1 | 13,883 |
| 71 | Butner | 3.1 | 7,672 |
| 72 | Greenville | 3.0 | 88,598 |
| 73 | Holly Springs | 3.0 | 28,640 |
| 74 | Fuquay-Varina | 3.0 | 21,399 |
| 75 | Rolesville | 3.0 | 5,006 |
| 76 | Garner | 2.9 | 27,160 |
| 77 | Wadesboro | 2.9 | 5,664 |
| 78 | Knightdale | 2.8 | 13,243 |
| 79 | Mebane | 2.7 | 13,309 |
| 80 | Graham | 2.6 | 14,468 |
| 81 | Davidson | 2.6 | 11,765 |
| 82 | Lake Norman Of Catawba | 2.6 | 7,274 |
| 83 | Aberdeen | 2.6 | 6,914 |
| 84 | Wendell | 2.6 | 6,169 |
| 85 | Charlotte | 2.5 | 792,137 |
| 86 | Burlington | 2.5 | 52,241 |
| 87 | Mint Hill | 2.5 | 24,545 |
| 88 | Albemarle | 2.5 | 15,969 |
| 89 | Pinehurst | 2.5 | 15,313 |
| 90 | Henderson | 2.5 | 15,311 |
| 91 | Southern Pines | 2.5 | 13,018 |
| 92 | Weddington | 2.5 | 10,091 |
| 93 | Pineville | 2.5 | 8,066 |
| 94 | Wesley Chapel | 2.5 | 8,010 |
| 95 | Unionville | 2.5 | 6,295 |
| 96 | Marvin | 2.5 | 5,938 |
| 97 | Matthews | 2.4 | 29,352 |
| 98 | Clayton | 2.4 | 17,869 |
| 99 | Huntersville | 2.3 | 50,433 |
| 100 | Monroe | 2.3 | 33,951 |