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 Dakota 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 Bowman, the snowiest place in North Dakota.
So, put on your parkas, snow boots, and gloves, and let’s go outside to see which North Dakota cities get dumped on the most every year. After analyzing all the cities in North Dakota with Saturday Night Science, we came up with this list as the 10 snowiest cities in Peace Garden State.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table
The 10 Snowiest Cities In North Dakota For 2024
- Bowman
- Fargo
- West Fargo
- Bismarck
- Horace
- Mandan
- Watford City
- Minot
- Burlington
- Surrey
What’s the snowiest place in North Dakota with more than 1,000 people? That would be Bowman with an average annual snowfall of 54.1 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 Dakota or the cheapest places in North Dakota.
The 10 Snowiest Cities In North Dakota For 2024
1. Bowman
/10
Population: 1,677
Average Annual Snowfall: 54.1 inches
More on Bowman: Real Estate
/10
Population: 113,464
Average Annual Snowfall: 52.1 inches
More on Fargo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 29,892
Average Annual Snowfall: 50.7 inches
More on West Fargo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 66,980
Average Annual Snowfall: 50.1 inches
More on Bismarck: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 2,523
Average Annual Snowfall: 49.8 inches
More on Horace: Data | Real Estate
/10
Population: 19,962
Average Annual Snowfall: 48.7 inches
More on Mandan: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 3,728
Average Annual Snowfall: 48.2 inches
More on Watford City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 46,194
Average Annual Snowfall: 47.5 inches
More on Minot: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
9. Burlington
/10
Population: 1,234
Average Annual Snowfall: 47.5 inches
More on Burlington: Real Estate
10. Surrey
/10
Population: 1,054
Average Annual Snowfall: 46.5 inches
More on Surrey: Real Estate
How We Determined The Cities In North Dakota With The Most Snow
In order to rank the snowiest cities in North Dakota, we used Saturday Night Science and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) database, to see which cities in the Peace Garden State get the most annual snowfall.
We updated this article for 2024. This is our second time ranking the snowiest cities in North Dakota.
Before we get too far, here are the annual snowfall rates for major cities:
- Fargo — 52.1 inches
- Bismarck — 50.1 inches
- Grand Forks — 43.3 inches
The snowiest cities in North Dakota are Bowman, Fargo, West Fargo, Bismarck, Horace, Mandan, Watford City, Minot, Burlington, and Surrey.
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 Dakota with at least snow snowfall:
- Harvey — 27.6 inches
- Wahpeton — 30.6 inches
- New Rockford — 33.3 inches
For more North Dakota reading, check out:
- Safest Places In North Dakota
- Best Places To Retire In North Dakota
- Best Counties To Live In North Dakota
Detailed List Of The Snowiest Places In North Dakota
| Rank | City | Snow (Inches) | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bowman | 54.1 | 1,677 |
| 2 | Fargo | 52.1 | 113,464 |
| 3 | West Fargo | 50.7 | 29,892 |
| 4 | Bismarck | 50.1 | 66,980 |
| 5 | Horace | 49.8 | 2,523 |
| 6 | Mandan | 48.7 | 19,962 |
| 7 | Watford City | 48.2 | 3,728 |
| 8 | Minot | 47.5 | 46,194 |
| 9 | Burlington | 47.5 | 1,234 |
| 10 | Surrey | 46.5 | 1,054 |
| 11 | Parshall | 46.4 | 1,071 |
| 12 | Minot Afb | 45.5 | 5,890 |
| 13 | Grand Forks Afb | 45.1 | 2,663 |
| 14 | Williston | 44.6 | 22,051 |
| 15 | Larimore | 44.6 | 1,513 |
| 16 | Lincoln | 44.2 | 3,093 |
| 17 | Bottineau | 43.8 | 2,273 |
| 18 | Stanley | 43.8 | 2,118 |
| 19 | Thompson | 43.4 | 1,067 |
| 20 | Grand Forks | 43.3 | 54,944 |
| 21 | Hillsboro | 43.3 | 1,673 |
| 22 | Velva | 43.2 | 1,132 |
| 23 | Lisbon | 42.5 | 2,081 |
| 24 | Langdon | 42.2 | 1,833 |
| 25 | Carrington | 41.1 | 2,011 |
| 26 | Ellendale | 41.0 | 1,466 |
| 27 | Jamestown | 40.6 | 15,418 |
| 28 | Cooperstown | 40.4 | 1,091 |
| 29 | New Town | 40.3 | 2,306 |
| 30 | Mayville | 40.3 | 1,787 |
| 31 | Tioga | 40.1 | 1,072 |
| 32 | Grafton | 39.9 | 4,282 |
| 33 | Hettinger | 39.9 | 1,233 |
| 34 | Devils Lake | 39.7 | 7,275 |
| 35 | Washburn | 39.6 | 1,421 |
| 36 | Fort Totten | 39.0 | 1,284 |
| 37 | Linton | 38.8 | 1,042 |
| 38 | Oakes | 38.5 | 1,975 |
| 39 | Shell Valley | 37.9 | 1,396 |
| 40 | Casselton | 37.8 | 2,466 |
| 41 | Walhalla | 37.8 | 1,084 |
| 42 | Crosby | 37.7 | 1,064 |
| 43 | Garrison | 37.4 | 1,377 |
| 44 | Rugby | 37.2 | 3,112 |
| 45 | Park River | 37.2 | 1,480 |
| 46 | Hazen | 36.9 | 2,578 |
| 47 | Cavalier | 36.4 | 1,230 |
| 48 | Belcourt | 36.2 | 1,904 |
| 49 | Rolla | 36.1 | 1,316 |
| 50 | Valley City | 35.8 | 6,626 |
| 51 | Beulah | 35.2 | 3,286 |
| 52 | Dickinson | 34.9 | 21,097 |
| 53 | Cando | 34.4 | 1,089 |
| 54 | New Rockford | 33.3 | 1,428 |
| 55 | Wahpeton | 30.6 | 7,835 |
| 56 | Harvey | 27.6 | 1,920 |