Snowfall Across North America: From Feet in the North to None in the South

North America's snowfall varies wildly by latitude, elevation, and proximity to moisture sources.

Heavy Snow Zones

• Canada (North/East): 10+ ft/yr (3 m+) – Quebec, Labrador, Nunavut, BC interior.
• U.S. North: Great Lakes (lake-effect: Buffalo, Syracuse, Erie >10 ft), Rockies, Cascades, Sierra Nevada (ski areas 30–40+ ft).
• Alaska: Arctic coast & Brooks Range: 100+ in/yr (250+ cm); Valdez (coastal) ~300 in.

Moderate Snow

• Midwest, Northeast, Intermountain West – seasonal cover, few feet annually.

Little to None

• Gulf Coast, Florida, SW Deserts, SoCal coast: Rare events, trace amounts.
• But: 2021 Texas freeze, 2014 Gulf Coast snow—climate change increases volatility.

Drivers

• Latitude, elevation, continentality, lake-effect, orographic lift, Pacific/Arctic moisture.

Snow is a northern/mountain story—but extremes are expanding.