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 South 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 Lead, the snowiest place in South Dakota.
So, put on your parkas, snow boots, and gloves, and let’s go outside to see which South Dakota cities get dumped on the most every year. After analyzing all the cities in South Dakota with Saturday Night Science, we came up with this list as the 10 snowiest cities in Mount Rushmore State.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table
The 10 Snowiest Cities In South Dakota For 2024
- Lead
- North Spearfish
- Deadwood
- Spearfish
- Sturgis
- Belle Fourche
- Summerset
- Hill City
- Custer
- Clear Lake
What’s the snowiest place in South Dakota with more than 1,000 people? That would be Lead with an average annual snowfall of 182.2 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 South Dakota or the cheapest places in South Dakota.
The 10 Snowiest Cities In South Dakota For 2024
1. Lead
/10
Population: 3,082
Average Annual Snowfall: 182.2 inches
More on Lead: Crime | Real Estate
2. North Spearfish
/10
Population: 2,054
Average Annual Snowfall: 135.4 inches
More on North Spearfish: Real Estate
3. Deadwood
/10
Population: 1,211
Average Annual Snowfall: 133.9 inches
More on Deadwood: Real Estate
/10
Population: 10,980
Average Annual Snowfall: 132.1 inches
More on Spearfish: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 6,657
Average Annual Snowfall: 120.2 inches
More on Sturgis: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 5,702
Average Annual Snowfall: 113.2 inches
More on Belle Fourche: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
7. Summerset
/10
Population: 2,221
Average Annual Snowfall: 57.0 inches
More on Summerset: Crime | Real Estate
8. Hill City
Population: 1,422
Average Annual Snowfall: 56.2 inches
More on Hill City: Real Estate
9. Custer
/10
Population: 1,899
Average Annual Snowfall: 55.8 inches
More on Custer: Real Estate
10. Clear Lake
/10
Population: 1,284
Average Annual Snowfall: 53.5 inches
More on Clear Lake: Real Estate
How We Determined The Cities In South Dakota With The Most Snow
In order to rank the snowiest cities in South Dakota, we used Saturday Night Science and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) database, to see which cities in the Mount Rushmore State get the most annual snowfall.
We updated this article for 2024. This is our second time ranking the snowiest cities in South Dakota.
Before we get too far, here are the annual snowfall rates for major cities:
- Sioux Falls — 40.6 inches
- Rapid City — 42.3 inches
- Aberdeen — 38.3 inches
The snowiest cities in South Dakota are Lead, North Spearfish, Deadwood, Spearfish, Sturgis, Belle Fourche, Summerset, Hill City, Custer, and Clear Lake.
There’s a complete chart at the bottom.
If you’re curious, here are the places that get the least amount of snow in South Dakota with at least snow snowfall:
- Clark — 26.8 inches
- Beresford — 29.0 inches
- Hot Springs — 29.4 inches
For more South Dakota reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In South Dakota
- Best Places To Raise A Family In South Dakota
- Safest Places In South Dakota
Detailed List Of The Snowiest Places In South Dakota
| Rank | City | Snow (Inches) | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lead | 182.2 | 3,082 |
| 2 | North Spearfish | 135.4 | 2,054 |
| 3 | Deadwood | 133.9 | 1,211 |
| 4 | Spearfish | 132.1 | 10,980 |
| 5 | Sturgis | 120.2 | 6,657 |
| 6 | Belle Fourche | 113.2 | 5,702 |
| 7 | Summerset | 57.0 | 2,221 |
| 8 | Hill City | 56.2 | 1,422 |
| 9 | Custer | 55.8 | 1,899 |
| 10 | Clear Lake | 53.5 | 1,284 |
| 11 | Winner | 47.0 | 2,855 |
| 12 | Platte | 47.0 | 1,543 |
| 13 | Gregory | 45.4 | 1,479 |
| 14 | Sisseton | 44.4 | 2,668 |
| 15 | Britton | 44.4 | 1,522 |
| 16 | Rapid City | 42.3 | 71,692 |
| 17 | Webster | 42.0 | 1,798 |
| 18 | Huron | 41.6 | 13,159 |
| 19 | Rapid Valley | 41.6 | 8,516 |
| 20 | De Smet | 41.4 | 1,171 |
| 21 | Dell Rapids | 41.3 | 3,693 |
| 22 | Garretson | 41.2 | 1,210 |
| 23 | Lemmon | 40.7 | 1,309 |
| 24 | Sioux Falls | 40.6 | 164,341 |
| 25 | Box Elder | 40.4 | 8,959 |
| 26 | Antelope | 40.4 | 1,126 |
| 27 | Arlington | 40.0 | 1,013 |
| 28 | Oglala | 39.8 | 1,404 |
| 29 | Baltic | 39.6 | 1,070 |
| 30 | Colonial Pine Hills | 39.5 | 1,906 |
| 31 | Gettysburg | 39.5 | 1,260 |
| 32 | Chamberlain | 39.4 | 2,582 |
| 33 | Crooks | 39.4 | 1,329 |
| 34 | Wagner | 39.1 | 1,572 |
| 35 | Brandon | 38.8 | 9,497 |
| 36 | Eagle Butte | 38.8 | 1,271 |
| 37 | North Eagle Butte | 38.7 | 2,091 |
| 38 | Pine Ridge | 38.5 | 3,562 |
| 39 | Rosebud | 38.5 | 1,665 |
| 40 | Mission | 38.5 | 1,211 |
| 41 | Aberdeen | 38.3 | 27,418 |
| 42 | Tea | 38.0 | 4,427 |
| 43 | Howard | 37.6 | 1,094 |
| 44 | Hartford | 37.5 | 2,887 |
| 45 | Blackhawk | 37.3 | 2,893 |
| 46 | Milbank | 37.2 | 3,269 |
| 47 | Madison | 37.1 | 6,972 |
| 48 | Harrisburg | 37.1 | 4,942 |
| 49 | Lennox | 37.0 | 2,371 |
| 50 | Fort Thompson | 37.0 | 1,286 |
| 51 | Redfield | 36.5 | 2,581 |
| 52 | Volga | 36.2 | 2,401 |
| 53 | Parker | 36.1 | 1,142 |
| 54 | Watertown | 36.0 | 21,919 |
| 55 | Freeman | 36.0 | 1,298 |
| 56 | Tyndall | 36.0 | 1,043 |
| 57 | Porcupine | 35.6 | 1,369 |
| 58 | Salem | 35.5 | 1,476 |
| 59 | Parkston | 35.4 | 1,691 |
| 60 | Yankton | 34.8 | 14,531 |
| 61 | Ipswich | 34.7 | 1,002 |
| 62 | Miller | 34.4 | 1,537 |
| 63 | Springfield | 34.1 | 1,942 |
| 64 | Groton | 34.1 | 1,873 |
| 65 | Mitchell | 34.0 | 15,543 |
| 66 | Elk Point | 33.7 | 2,080 |
| 67 | Fort Pierre | 33.3 | 2,244 |
| 68 | Pierre | 32.8 | 13,938 |
| 69 | Vermillion | 32.7 | 10,746 |
| 70 | Flandreau | 32.7 | 2,082 |
| 71 | Brookings | 32.4 | 22,974 |
| 72 | North Sioux City | 31.6 | 2,597 |
| 73 | Mobridge | 31.5 | 3,302 |
| 74 | Canton | 30.2 | 3,258 |
| 75 | Hot Springs | 29.4 | 3,542 |
| 76 | Beresford | 29.0 | 2,211 |
| 77 | Clark | 26.8 | 1,141 |
| 78 | Dakota Dunes | nan | 2,970 |