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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table
The 10 Snowiest Cities In Iowa For 2024
What’s the snowiest place in Iowa with more than 5,000 people? That would be Clear Lake with an average annual snowfall of 39.8 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 Iowa or the cheapest places in Iowa.
The 10 Snowiest Cities In Iowa For 2024
/10
Population: 7,675
Average Annual Snowfall: 39.8 inches
More on Clear Lake: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 27,643
Average Annual Snowfall: 38.9 inches
More on Mason City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 8,009
Average Annual Snowfall: 38.7 inches
More on Decorah: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 5,024
Average Annual Snowfall: 38.4 inches
More on Sheldon: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 6,091
Average Annual Snowfall: 37.9 inches
More on Estherville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 58,409
Average Annual Snowfall: 37.5 inches
More on Dubuque: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 5,494
Average Annual Snowfall: 36.5 inches
More on Algona: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 7,500
Average Annual Snowfall: 36.4 inches
More on Charles City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 11,186
Average Annual Snowfall: 36.2 inches
More on Spencer: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 10,814
Average Annual Snowfall: 36.0 inches
More on Storm Lake: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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 2024. 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
- 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.
If you’re curious, here are the places that get the least amount of snow in Iowa with at least snow snowfall:
- Fort Madison — 18.2 inches
- Fairfield — 20.9 inches
- Keokuk — 21.3 inches
For more Iowa reading, check out:
Detailed List Of The Snowiest Places In Iowa
| 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 |