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 Iowa 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 Clear Lake, the snowiest place in Iowa.
So, put on your parkas, snow boots, and gloves, and let’s go outside to see which Iowa cities get dumped on the most every year. After analyzing all the cities in Iowa with Saturday Night Science, we came up with this list as the 10 snowiest cities in Hawkeye State.
39.8 inches of snow per year
Located in
Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Clear Lake is a city in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,777 at the 2010 census. The city is named for the large lake on which it is located. It is the home of a number of marinas, state parks and tourism-related businesses. Clear Lake is also a major stop on Interstate 35 with many restaurants, hotels and truck stops.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
38.9 inches of snow per year
Mason City is a city in and the county seat of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 28,079 in the 2010 census, a decline from 29,172 in the 2000 census. The Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Cerro Gordo and Worth counties. It is commonly referred to as the “River City”, as the city grew up centered on the Winnebago River.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
38.7 inches of snow per year
Located in
Winneshiek County, Iowa
Decorah is a city in and the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 8,127 at the 2010 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of State Highway 9 and U.S. Route 52, and is the largest community in Winneshiek County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
38.4 inches of snow per year
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
37.9 inches of snow per year
Located in
Emmet County, Iowa
Estherville is a city in Emmet County, Iowa, United States. The population was 6,360 in the 2010 census, a decline from 6,656 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Emmet County. Estherville is home to the main campus of Iowa Lakes Community College.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
37.5 inches of snow per year
Located in
Dubuque County, Iowa
Dubuque is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2013, its population was 58,253, making it the tenth-largest city in the state.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
36.5 inches of snow per year
Located in
Kossuth County, Iowa
Algona is a city in and the county seat of Kossuth County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,560 at the 2010 census. Ambrose A. Call State Park is located two miles southwest of the city.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
36.4 inches of snow per year
Charles City is a city in Floyd County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,652 at the 2010 census a decrease of 160, or 2%, from 7,812 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Floyd County. Charles City is a significant commercial and transportation center for the area, located on U.S. Highways 18 and 218, Iowa Highway 14, and the Canadian National and Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroads.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
36.2 inches of snow per year
Located in
Clay County, Iowa
Spencer is a city in the state of Iowa, and the county seat of Clay County. It is located at the confluence of the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan rivers. The population was 11,233 in the 2010 census, a decline from 11,317 in the 2000 census. Spencer has a notable Clay County Fair, held annually in September, which averages more than 300,000 visitors each year.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
36.0 inches of snow per year
Located in
Buena Vista County, Iowa
Storm Lake is a city in Buena Vista County, Iowa, United States. The population was 10,600 in the 2010 census, an increase from 10,076 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Buena Vista County. Storm Lake is home to Buena Vista University, originally Buena Vista College. Tyson Foods operates a large hog slaughterhouse, meat packing plant, and turkey processing plant in Storm Lake.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Iowa’s statewide median.
On the map
Where Iowa’s snowiest cities are
Saturday Night Science
How We Determined The Cities In Iowa With The Most Snow
In order to rank the snowiest cities in Iowa, we used Saturday Night Science and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) database, to see which cities in the Hawkeye State get the most annual snowfall.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our second time ranking the snowiest cities in Iowa.
Before we get too far, here are the annual snowfall rates for major cities: Des Moines (33.7 inches), Cedar Rapids (28.6 inches), and Davenport (29.8 inches).
The snowiest cities in Iowa are Clear Lake, Mason City, Decorah, Sheldon, Estherville, Dubuque, Algona, Charles City, Spencer, and Storm Lake.
There’s a complete chart at the bottom.
The full plate
Detailed List Of The Snowiest Places In Iowa
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Snow (Inches) | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clear Lake | 39.8 | 7,675 |
| 2 | Mason City | 38.9 | 27,643 |
| 3 | Decorah | 38.7 | 8,009 |
| 4 | Sheldon | 38.4 | 5,024 |
| 5 | Estherville | 37.9 | 6,091 |
| 6 | Dubuque | 37.5 | 58,409 |
| 7 | Algona | 36.5 | 5,494 |
| 8 | Charles City | 36.4 | 7,500 |
| 9 | Spencer | 36.2 | 11,186 |
| 10 | Storm Lake | 36.0 | 10,814 |
| 11 | Grimes | 35.9 | 9,509 |
| 12 | Cherokee | 35.9 | 5,147 |
| 13 | Johnston | 35.8 | 19,550 |
| 14 | Asbury | 35.5 | 5,014 |
| 15 | Waukee | 35.3 | 16,956 |
| 16 | Denison | 35.2 | 8,383 |
| 17 | Urbandale | 35.1 | 42,099 |
| 18 | Clive | 35.0 | 16,634 |
| 19 | Cedar Falls | 34.9 | 40,439 |
| 20 | West Des Moines | 34.8 | 61,266 |
| 21 | Fort Dodge | 34.7 | 24,789 |
| 22 | Waterloo | 34.4 | 68,432 |
| 23 | Waverly | 34.2 | 10,013 |
| 24 | Des Moines | 33.7 | 208,020 |
| 25 | Sioux Center | 33.6 | 7,312 |
| 26 | Vinton | 33.4 | 5,197 |
| 27 | Oelwein | 33.3 | 6,275 |
| 28 | Boone | 33.2 | 12,631 |
| 29 | Sioux City | 33.1 | 82,792 |
| 30 | Pleasant Hill | 33.0 | 9,099 |
| 31 | Independence | 32.8 | 5,986 |
| 32 | Altoona | 32.4 | 15,808 |
| 33 | Norwalk | 32.1 | 9,671 |
| 34 | Webster City | 31.6 | 7,869 |
| 35 | Manchester | 31.5 | 5,106 |
| 36 | Marion | 31.2 | 36,311 |
| 37 | Le Mars | 31.1 | 9,757 |
| 38 | Ankeny | 30.8 | 51,489 |
| 39 | Clinton | 30.5 | 26,413 |
| 40 | Harlan | 30.5 | 5,029 |
| 41 | Bettendorf | 30.0 | 34,663 |
| 42 | Davenport | 29.8 | 101,863 |
| 43 | Orange City | 29.8 | 6,147 |
| 44 | Indianola | 29.7 | 15,165 |
| 45 | Red Oak | 29.4 | 5,588 |
| 46 | Winterset | 29.2 | 5,159 |
| 47 | Carroll | 29.0 | 10,020 |
| 48 | Hiawatha | 29.0 | 7,150 |
| 49 | Eldridge | 28.9 | 6,017 |
| 50 | Grinnell | 28.8 | 9,132 |
| 51 | Cedar Rapids | 28.6 | 128,829 |
| 52 | Ames | 28.5 | 62,815 |
| 53 | Maquoketa | 28.5 | 6,029 |
| 54 | Newton | 28.4 | 15,147 |
| 55 | Iowa Falls | 28.3 | 5,198 |
| 56 | Pella | 27.8 | 10,316 |
| 57 | Iowa City | 27.0 | 71,832 |
| 58 | Knoxville | 27.0 | 7,245 |
| 59 | Coralville | 26.9 | 20,038 |
| 60 | Creston | 26.9 | 7,886 |
| 61 | North Liberty | 26.8 | 14,972 |
| 62 | Mount Pleasant | 26.7 | 8,575 |
| 63 | Nevada | 26.6 | 6,799 |
| 64 | De Witt | 26.6 | 5,283 |
| 65 | Marshalltown | 26.3 | 27,770 |
| 66 | Atlantic | 26.3 | 6,929 |
| 67 | Council Bluffs | 26.2 | 62,309 |
| 68 | Muscatine | 25.7 | 23,888 |
| 69 | Oskaloosa | 25.3 | 11,558 |
| 70 | Shenandoah | 24.9 | 5,062 |
| 71 | Washington | 24.6 | 7,348 |
| 72 | Ottumwa | 24.2 | 24,758 |
| 73 | Clarinda | 24.2 | 5,476 |
| 74 | Perry | 24.0 | 8,086 |
| 75 | Glenwood | 23.4 | 5,243 |
| 76 | Burlington | 22.4 | 25,537 |
| 77 | Anamosa | 22.3 | 5,518 |
| 78 | Centerville | 22.0 | 5,431 |
| 79 | Keokuk | 21.3 | 10,705 |
| 80 | Fairfield | 20.9 | 9,739 |
| 81 | Fort Madison | 18.2 | 10,832 |
Source: NOAA snowfall data via Saturday Night Science. 81 Iowa cities ranked.
Summary
Summary: The Snowiest Cities In Iowa For 2026
If you’re looking for the Iowa cities that get buried in snow each winter, this is an accurate list.
The snowiest cities in Iowa are Clear Lake, Mason City, Decorah, Sheldon, Estherville, Dubuque, Algona, Charles City, Spencer, and Storm Lake. Not sold on Iowa? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Snowiest Cities In Iowa FAQs
What is the snowiest city in Iowa?
Clear Lake is the snowiest city in Iowa for 2026, with 39.8 inches of snow in an average year, per NOAA data. Mason City and Decorah are next.
What are the snowiest cities in Iowa?
The snowiest cities in Iowa are Clear Lake, Mason City, Decorah, Sheldon, Estherville, Dubuque, Algona, Charles City, Spencer, and Storm Lake. We ranked all 81 Iowa cities with measurable snowfall.
How much snow do Iowa’s biggest cities get?
Des Moines averages 33.7 inches of snow a year, Cedar Rapids gets 28.6, and Davenport gets 29.8. Wherever you land in Iowa, the shovel situation varies a lot.
Which city on the list gets the least snow?
Fort Madison gets the least snow of the 81 Iowa cities with measurable snowfall. It still made the list, which is more than most of the Sun Belt can say.
Where does the snowfall data come from?
Average annual snowfall comes from NOAA weather station records. Cities are ranked purely on that average — no bonus points for dramatic blizzard stories.
