Snow Totals

Most weather websites forecast snow well. After a storm, it is often difficult to find out how much snow actually fell. This page collects the measured snow totals for your location in one place.

The data comes from the National Weather Service and its National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center (NOHRSC), and from NOAA climate records. Coverage is for the United States.

How to find snow totals near you

1. Allow location access when your browser asks. The page then shows the snow totals for your current location.
2. To see a different location, type a city, address, or ZIP code in the search box.
3. To see a past storm, select a date above the station readings.
4. To check a different point, drag the marker on a map.

You can also find a city in the snow totals atlas. The atlas lists cities in each state.

What this page shows

Snowfall map. This map shows how much new snow fell in the last 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours. The data comes from the NOHRSC National Snowfall Analysis. This analysis combines snowfall reports, precipitation estimates, temperature data, and weather models into one map.

Station readings. These are measurements from weather observers and stations near you. Each reading shows the new snowfall and its time period, the snow depth, the distance and direction to the station, and the time of the observation. Most readings arrive within 24 hours of the observation.

Current snow depth. This map shows how much snow is on the ground now. The data comes from SNODAS, a daily model from NOHRSC that combines satellite, aircraft, and ground observations.

Seasonal snowfall. This map shows all the snow that has fallen since September 30. It updates every 12 hours.

County snowfall records. These are the largest 1-day, 2-day, and 3-day snowfalls on record at stations in your county. The records come from the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

Snowfall and snow depth are different

Snowfall is the new snow that falls during a period of time, such as 24 hours. It does not include old snow on the ground.

Snow depth is the total snow on the ground at the time of the measurement. It includes old snow and new snow.

After a storm, snow depth is usually less than the total snowfall. Snow compacts under its own weight, and some snow melts or turns to vapor. For example, three days of 6-inch snowfalls can give a snow depth of only 12 inches.

Snow water equivalent is the depth of water that you get if the snow melts. On average, 10 inches of snow melts to approximately 1 inch of water. This ratio changes with each storm. For wet, heavy snow, the ratio can be 5 to 1. For dry, light snow, it can be 20 to 1 or more.

How snow is measured

Weather observers use a flat white board, called a snowboard, that they put on the ground before a storm. To measure new snowfall, an observer:

1. Puts a ruler straight down into the snow on the board.
2. Reads the depth to the nearest tenth of an inch.
3. Clears the board and puts it back on the snow surface.

Observers measure on the board no more than four times in 24 hours, for example every 6 hours. The 24-hour snowfall is the sum of these measurements. If an observer measures less often, the snow compacts more before the measurement, and the total is less.

Snow depth is measured once each day in an open area, to the nearest whole inch. An amount of snow that is too small to measure is a trace.

Why snow totals can be different

Two snow totals for the same storm can be different, and both can be correct.

• Location. Snowfall can change much over short distances, especially near hills, mountains, and large lakes. Lake-effect snow can give 2 feet in one town and 2 inches in the next.
• Elevation. Higher areas often get more snow because the air is colder there.
• Time of the observation. Many observers report at 7 a.m. A storm that starts in the evening can be divided between two days.
• How often the snow is measured. Measurements every 6 hours give a higher total than one measurement at the end of a storm.
• Wind. Wind moves snow into drifts. Observers measure in several places and use the average, but drifts can make one reading too high or too low.

The snowfall map estimates the snow between stations. Use it to see the pattern of a storm. Use the station readings to see the measured values nearest to you.

When the data updates

Snow totals by city

The snow totals atlas lists cities in every state in the United States. Select a city to see its recent snowfall, station readings, and snow depth. For rain, see rain totals.