Conversely, states in the southern and western parts of the country, such as Florida, California, Arizona, and Texas, typically have a lower likelihood of snowfall on Christmas Day. Warmer temperatures and milder climates in these areas make snowfall a rare occurrence during the holiday season, contributing to a more moderate and sometimes even tropical Christmas experience.

In the Midwest and Northeast, states like Michigan, New York, and Wisconsin often have a moderate to high likelihood of snowfall on Christmas, enhancing the holiday ambiance with a layer of fresh snow. The Great Lakes region, in particular, can witness lake-effect snow, amplifying the chances of a white Christmas for several states in the vicinity.

The map below, created by Reddit user makella_ shows the probability of a white Christmas in the United States.

Mount Rainier and Mount Baker, both located in Washington, stand out as the snowiest places in the U.S. with weather stations, boasting an average annual snowfall of 645 inches (1,640 cm). In a global context, Sukayu Onsen in the Siberian-facing Japanese Alps is considered the populated place with the highest snowfall, receiving an impressive 694.5 inches (1,764 cm) annually, nearly reaching 58 feet of snow.

Apart from Mount Rainier and Mount Baker, numerous U.S. towns have experienced substantial snowfall, although many of them fall short of the 10,000 population threshold. Valdez, Alaska, claims the title for the town with the highest snowfall, averaging 279.4 inches (710 cm) annually. Another noteworthy location is Blue Canyon, CA, boasting a historical average of 241.7 inches (614 cm) per year!

The following list focuses exclusively on cities with at least 10,000 people to provide a more comprehensive overview. Otherwise, the article would primarily feature concise information about Alaskan towns. The rankings are based on the average number of snowfall inches, encompassing ice pellets and sleet, derived from official National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration records.

The Top 10 Snowiest Cities in the United States

1. Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan: Nestled near the river connecting Lake Huron and Lake Superior, Sault Ste. Marie, one of North America’s oldest French settlements, experiences considerable snowfall. With an annual average of 119.3 inches (303 cm), its location with lake-effect snow makes it one of the snowiest places in the United States.
2. Syracuse, New York: Upstate New York, accustomed to significant snowfall, claims Syracuse as its snowiest city with an average of 114.3 inches (290 cm) per year. Buffalo follows closely with 92 inches (234 cm), and Rochester with 89.3 inches (227 cm), all benefiting from the traditional lake-effect snow belts.
3. Juneau, Alaska: Alaska’s capital, Juneau, receives an annual snowfall of 93.6 inches (234 cm). Other major Alaskan cities like Anchorage (73.1 inches / 186 cm) and Fairbanks (64.8 inches / 165 cm) also contribute to the state’s snowy reputation.
4. Flagstaff, Arizona: Heading south to Flagstaff, AZ, the city enjoys an average snowfall of 87.6 inches (223 cm) each winter. Known for its outdoor sports complexes and winter trails, Flagstaff attracts winter enthusiasts.
5. Duluth, Minnesota: Situated on Lake Superior’s north shore, Duluth, Minnesota, receives an average snowfall of 83.5 inches (212 cm) annually, benefitting from the lake-effect phenomenon. Other snow-clad cities in Minnesota include International Falls (64.8 inches / 165 cm), Minneapolis-St. Paul (49.9 inches / 127 cm), Rochester (45.6 inches / 116 cm), and Saint Cloud (45 inches / 114 cm).
6. Erie, Pennsylvania: Erie, positioned on the south shore of Lake Erie, is the only port on the Great Lakes. With an average snowfall of 80.9 inches ( 205 cm), its winters are characterized by moderate cold and heavy lake-effect snow.
7. Burlington, Vermont: Burlington, Vermont, on Lake Champlain’s eastern shore, experiences snowy winters, averaging 80.2 inches (204 cm) annually. The picturesque town maintains at least an inch of snow on the ground throughout the winter months.
8. Muskegon, Michigan: Situated between Lake Michigan and Muskegon Lake, Muskegon receives heavy lake-effect snow from Lake Michigan, accumulating an average of 79.3 inches (201 cm) annually. The state of Michigan boasts other snowy cities like Grand Rapids (74.6 inches / 189 cm), Flint (49.9 inches / 127 cm), and Detroit (43 inches / 109 cm).
9. Casper, Wyoming: Known for its cold, snowy winters, Casper experiences dry snow, averaging about 77 inches (196 cm) annually. Located at a mile high, the city contends with cold winter winds and wind chill factors.
10. Portland, Maine: Portland experiences cold, snowy winters with an annual average of 70 inches (178 cm). Its coastal location moderates snowfall, as warmer ocean waters can cause snow to transition to sleet or rain. Caribou, Maine, tops the list for smaller towns, with an impressive 114.3 inches (290 cm) per year on average.

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By obtaining data from the National Centers for Environmental Information and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the team created the most up-to-date database of recorded snowfall total averages across the 200 largest U.S. cities based on the population through 2020.

The map below shows the top 25 snowest cities in the United States by average annual snowfall in inches.

Top 25 American Cities by Annual Snowfall

Salt Lake City in Utah got the most snow each year during the describing period through 2020, with an unbelievable 134.500 inches (3416.3 mm). Anchorage in Alaska was pretty close, with 105.567 inches (2681.4 mm). Along with Rochester in New York, which experienced 102.200 inches (2595.9 mm), these cities were the just three cities to report more than 100 inches (2540 mm) of snow yearly.

To put this number into perspective, only 11 of the snowiest cities in the United States reported over 50 inches (1270 mm). The average for the top 200 snowiest American cities is less than 10 inches (254 mm) yearly.

Distinctly, in 2010, the top 5 snowiest cities in the United States by average annual snowfall were the following:

Rochester, New York (99.5 inches/2527.3 mm)
Buffalo, New York (94.7 inches/2405.4 mm )
Cleveland, Ohio (68.1 inches/1729.7 mm)
Salt Lake City, Utah (56.2 inches/1427.5 mm)
Minneapolis, Minnesota (54.0 inches/1371.6 mm)

Salt Lake City has boosted up to the top of the rating in the last decade, with the rest of the initial top 5 dropping in their rankings, substituted by cities in Colorado and Alaska.

Annual Snowfall by Major U.S. City

Blue National HVAC team also mapped the total snowfall by the significant city for the 100 of the most populated cities in the United States, which changes from 0.1 inches (2.5 mm) to over 134 inches (3403.6 mm) at the maxima.

These top 100 snowiest U.S. cities get an average of 20.404 inches (518.3 mm) every year, which is over 200 times the average of the 100th city on this list and less than a 6th of what Salt Lake City averages each year.

Surprise findings

• The least snowy cities in America that still receive some measurable snowfall include Bakersfield, CA, Denton, TX, Laredo, TX, and San Antonio, TX.
• Only 12 major cities reported over 50 inches of snowfall.
• The average for the top 200 snowiest U.S. cities is less than 10 inches annually.

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Website Reservations team aspired to take things to an extra level and had an exciting idea: what if you could travel the entire world for a year in ideal weather?

A map below shows a 52-week dream journey in perfect weather, between 70-75 °F, or 21-24 °C. It’s a comfort temperature amongst the majority of people.

Reservations.com thoroughly planned and mapped a single year that travels through 52 cities across the world resting at the perfect temperature.

Latin America

January 1 – Bariloche (Argentina)
January 8 – Valparaiso (Chili)
January 15 – Arequipa (Peru)
January 22 – Guatape (Colombia)
January 29 – Panajachel (Guatemala)
February 5 – La Paz (Mexico)
February 12 – Monterrey (Mexico)

North Africa

February 19 – La Palmas (Spain)
February 26 – Marrakesh (Morocco)
March 5 – Tozeur (Tunisia)
March 12 – Cairo (Egypt)

Middle East

March 19 – Tel Aviv (Israel)
March 26 – Haifa (Israel)
April 2 – Baalbek (Lebanon)
April 9 – Antalya (Turkey)

Europe

April 16 – Larnaca (Cyprus)
April 23 – Chania (Greece)
April 30 – Catania (Italy)
May 7 – Napoli (Italy)
May 14 – Split (Croatia)
May 21 – Rabat (Malta)
June 4 – Lisbon (Portugal)
June 11 – Bordeaux (France)
June 18 – Geneva (Switzerland)
June 25 – Berlin (Germany)

Africa

July 2 – Nairobi (Kenya)
July 9 – Monkey Bay (Malawi)
July 14 – Siavonga (Zambia)
July 19 – Hwange (Zimbabwe)
July 30 – Pretoria (South Africa)
August 6 – Baie du Tombeau (Mauritius Island)

Asia

August 13 – Darjeeling (India)
August 18 – Paro (Bhutan)
August 23 – Ulan-Ede (Russia)
September 1 – Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar)
September 8 – Sapporo (Japan)
September 15 – Sokcho (South Korea)
September 22 – Beijing (China)
September 29 – Tokyo (Japan)

Australia

October 6 – Adelaide (Australia)
October 13 – Perth (Australia)
October 20 – Sidney (Australia)

North America

October 27 – Napa (United States)
November 5 – Los Angeles (United States)
November 9 – Las Vegas (United States)
November 15 – Austin (United States)
November 22 – New Orleans (United States)
December 2 – Orlando (United States)
December 9 – Everglades (United States)
December 15 – Mount Pleasant (Bermuda)
December 25 – Freeport (Bahamas)

Approximately estimate that it would overall cost $26,000 – $52,000 USD ($500 – $1,000 per week) to do this journey.

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Nowadays, hurricanes and floods are the most destructive natural phenomena in America. The map below shows the most devastating disasters in every U.S. state.

Most Devastating Natural Disasters in the U.S.

Other natural disasters are less deadly but touch a vast amount of people. For example, one of the recent floods over the Midwest in June 2008 touched more almost 12 million people.

All U.S. states can be grouped into natural disaster regions.

The U.S. Natural Disaster Regions

Deadliest Natural Disaster in Each U.S. State

If you look back in history, hurricanes and tornadoes have always been the deadliest natural phenomena in the southern United States. In contrast, the country’s Midwest and West regions have suffered from snowstorms, fire, and temperature anomalies.

Most Frequent Cause of Weather Fatalities in the U.S.

In recent years according to NOAA, heat is the most lethal type of weather in the United States, killing 130 people each year. Heat is the top cause in central, southern, and western United States parts.

Flooding is the second most dangerous type of weather in the United States (81 deaths per year). Flooding is the most cause of death in the central and eastern parts of the United States.

Hurricanes are the third most deadly type of weather in the U.S. (70 deaths per year). Hurricanes are the most frequent cause in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

The Great Lakes, lake many other northern areas of the country have the top cause of winter weather deaths. Avalanches are the topmost cause of death in most of the Rockies.

Sorrowfully, many such losses often happen in a more common but equally deadly set of natural disasters. Cold and hot waves can worsen diseases amongst children, the aged, or the unhealthy. Such accidents can also prove more lethal to those from lower socio-economic environments as some lack the average to afford heating or air-conditioning in their houses. The most destructive of these cases was a heatwave that struck Missouri, Kansas City, and St Louis in 1980.

A meteorologist Ian Livingston compiled the most frequent cause of weather fatalities ranked by the number of reported incidents in the National Weather Service County Warning Area created an interesting map of the most frequent cause of weather fatalities in America. The map boundaries show the County Warning Area of every 122 National Weather Service offices in the United States.

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The Enhanced Fujita Scale ranks tornado strength from weakest – an EF0 tornado (wind speeds from 65–85 mph or 29–38 m/s [105–137 km/h])- to strongest – an EF5 tornado (wind speeds of greater than 200 mph o r89 m/s [320 km/h]) based on harm caused to property and infrastructure.

National Weather Service

Over 80 deaths and 1,500 injuries in the U.S. are associated with tornadoes each year. In 2020, tornadoes resulted in about $2.53 billion worth of damage across the nation. The video below shows one of the most extended tracks and duration tornadoes in history formed in Arkansas and ran through 6 U.S. states on November 10, 2021, producing EF-4 damage in countless places along the way.

The map below shows the Tornado Risk Index, representing a community’s relative risk for Tornados compared to the rest of the U.S.

Most tornadoes in the U.S. happen east of the Rocky Mountains. The Great Plains, the Midwest, the Mississippi Valley, and the southern states are the most severely affected tornadoes. This area is also called “Tornado Alley.”

Tornado Alley

The term “Tornado Alley” was first utilized in 1952 as the study project heading to study extreme weather in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, South Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska. Tornado climatologists indicate intense activity in particular areas, and storm hunters have long determined the Tornado Alley.

U.S. states of the Tornado Valey with the highest average number of tornadoes per 10,000 square miles (25,900 km square kilometers) per year:

According to the publication in Nature, Tornado alley has been moving eastward over the past 40 years.

Track and Peak Intensity of U.S. Tornadoes

The map below created by Robert Rohde shows the approximate track and peak intensity of every tornado recorded in the United States from 1950 to 2017. The data is from the National Weather Service’s archive of Severe Weather Reports.

The map clearly shows the frequency of tornados varies enormously with geographic location across the United States, with the “Tornado alley” and parts of the Gulf Coast being particularly susceptible. However, tornadoes occur at least occasionally in every state shown.

For the most part, tornados travel throughout the tornado valley in west-to-east paths or southwest-to-northeast.

The map below created by Reddit user AJgloe shows the relative frequency of tornadoes by the direction they traveled in the United States over 60 years.

The post Tornado activity in the United States mapped appeared first on Vivid Maps.

Spring is arriving very early this year . . . at least 2-3 weeks early across almost the entire Southeast, from San Antonio to Atlanta to Washington, D.C.

Daily spring index leaf anomaly

The map below shows locations that have reached the requirements for the Spring Leaf Index model (The Spring Leaf Index is a measure of these early season events in plants, based on recent temperature conditions).

Source: usgs.gov

The post Spring Has Sprung Early appeared first on Vivid Maps.

Related posts:
– Drought severity and duration in the U.S. (2010 – 2016)

The post Droughts in California (2011 – 2016) appeared first on Vivid Maps.

Related post:
– Wind, Rain and Temperature Interactive Maps

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Climate scientists say extreme flooding events will become more common as the climate warms because storms will dump more rain and the sea levels will rise (according to NOAA, already 2.6 inches globally between 1993 and 2014). The map below created by axios.com shows major flooding events that have occurred in the United States since 1985.

US flood risk is basically a wash thanks to changing weather patterns

A University of Iowa study has found that the risk of flooding is changing in the U.S. and varies regionally. The threat of moderate flooding is increasing generally in the northern United States (red areas) and decreasing in the southern U.S. (blue areas), while some regions remain mostly unchanged (gray areas). The findings come from comparing river heights at 2,042 locations with NASA satellite information showing the amount of water in the ground. The study was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

American Geophysical Union

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