While for some the start of spring brings warmer days, there are plenty of people around the USA who haven’t put their ice shovels, snow chains and thermals into storage just yet. Using data compiled by the National Centers for Environmental Information (NOAA), we’ve picked out some of the urban areas that see large amounts of the white stuff between March and May each year. The cities facing the biggest snowfall will probably surprise you, so wrap up and read on...
It might have a lowly ranking on our list but in spring, Buffalo still sees more snow than Anchorage, Colorado Springs and Salt Lake City. No wonder then that Buffalo is one of five cities in the Empire State that competes in the Golden Snowball competition, with the winner taking the title of snowiest city each year. Buffalo won the accolade in the 2018-2019 season.
During the summer months, hordes of cruise ship passengers arrive in sunny Juneau, which from May to September usually doesn't see a flake of snow. But there's a reason that die-hard winter sports fans come here during March especially – namely 13.9 inches (35.3cm) of snow to top up the pristine powder of the Eaglecrest Ski Area.
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Travel to the end of Alaska's Seward Peninsula and you'll find the tiny Gold Rush city of Nome, overlooking the Bering Sea. But getting to this remote spot isn't easy – Nome is not on the Alaska Highway so you have to fly or take a snowmobile. It's no surprise that the city sees a lot of snow, with near even amounts falling during March and April.
It's not an everyday view of Mount Rushmore but the "City of Presidents" and its immediate surroundings typically sees a surprising 17.7 inches of the white stuff between March and May. Located on the western side of South Dakota, close to the border with Wyoming, it's still cold enough for snow not to melt at high altitudes in the Black Hills in spring. Although by May there's just a little over an inch (2.5cm) or so falling.
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Overlooking Thunder Bay on Lake Huron, Alpena has seen plenty of snow during its 151 years as a city. It's such a common occurrence that Alpena has 14 people and eight large plough trucks dedicated each winter to keeping this city of 10,000 residents moving. Come March the scene is no different, with 12.8 inches (32.5cm) of the white stuff falling in this month alone. Pictured is Old Presque Isle Lighthouse, just up the coast from the city itself and one of the area's most charming attractions whatever the weather.
Here's an iconic image of one of the USA's most charming and historic downtowns – but unusually, compared to most photos at least, Church Street is covered in a sheet of snow. Sat on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain, just shy of the Canadian border, this city takes a chilly hit with the bulk of the spring snow falling in March (14.1 inches/35.8cm) and barely a smattering during May (0.1 inches/0.2cm).
The Silver State might be synonymous with the desert city of Las Vegas but it also has chillier regions where winter extends into early May. The city of Ely in the east of the state is one such spot with 18.3 inches (46.4cm) of snow falling from March to May. In fact, on 12 March 2019 the US National Weather Service reported that a record-breaking 4.2 inches (10.6cm) fell in a day, beating the city's previous record of four inches (10cm) in 1898.
Its stunning natural assets, including the Genesee River and nearby Lake Ontario, mean that in the summer months Rochester, in the west of the state, is an outdoor playground. But residents have to wait a while for that balmy weather to arrive, largely due to a phenomenon known as Lake Effect Snow. It occurs when cold air from Canada passes over the unfrozen Great Lakes and forms large snow clouds. Residents here see 18.8 inches (47.7cm) of snow from March to May as a result.
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The clue is in the name here – yes, it's cold and yes, it's a bayside city, located on the Alaska Peninsula. Just 200 people call this dinky city home but in the nearby Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, a host of brown bears, wolves and tundra swans are glad of the area's regular snowfall. In March alone, it receives an average of 11.6 inches (29.4cm).
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Located in the south of the Empire State near the border with Pennsylvania, Binghamton is used to the white stuff: in 2017 there was a staggering 131.5 inches (334cm) of snow at the airport, smashing the previous record from 1993/4 of 131.3 inches (333.5cm). Typically, a more average March still brings 15.1 inches (38.3cm) of snow, with a total of 19.7 inches (50cm) during spring. Binghamton is one of the five cities in New York State that competes for the Golden Snowball competition too, and took top spot in 2020-2021 season.
Snow in Great Falls isn't just likely in the meteorological winter from December to February. As this picture taken in June 2008 proves, snow can fall when residents are least expecting it. In more typical years both March and April see heavy coverage with 10.4 inches (26.4cm) and eight inches (20.3cm) respectively.
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If you live in Colorado, the chances are March isn't your favourite time of year. Denver has seen some of its most vociferous and snowy weather during this month, including a bomb cyclone storm in 2019 which saw winds of 90 miles per hour (145km/h) at the airport and left 200,000 people without power. In fact the Denver Post claims that a quarter of the top 20 snowstorms in the city's history have been during March. Its average snowfall statistics reflect that – 11.8 inches (29.9cm) typically falls in March, with a further 7.9 inches (20cm) during April.
You're as likely to see snow in April as you are in March in Cheyenne. In March, 11 inches (28cm) falls and in April, 10.4 inches (26.4cm). That's why tubing, sledding and cross-country skiing are popular activities until late into the ski season.
It's not just the red rocks of the Grand Canyon and the beauty of the Sonoran Desert that bring people to Arizona. It's also the white peaks of the state's mountain areas including Flagstaff. Most of the snowfall here is in March and April. As the Arizona Daily Sun reports, both months have past form when it comes to big storms. During the last three decades, March has produced 35 days with at least five inches (12.7cm) of snowfall, with a record of 19.5 inches (49.5cm) falling in March 2012.
Pack your waterproofs and thermals if you're heading to Valdez, a small city east of Anchorage and the snowiest city in the USA. Snowfall here isn't just deep, it can come down so thick and fast that snow has been known to cause severe damage, sinking a boat in 2009.