Snow Cover and Heavy Snowfall by Decade
Days with snow on the ground and heavy snowfall days per season by decade worldwide, the trend, and the snowiest seasons on record. Built from NOAA GHCN-Daily station records by this site; every chart states its stations and its period.
Data as of . Last revised (2026-10-13).
Key Facts
- Worldwide, the mean number of days per season with snow on the ground (25 mm or more, 1.0 in) at 2,047 stations fell from 53.7 to 40.1 between the 1960s and the 2020s.
- Worldwide, the mean number of heavy snowfall days per season (100 mm or more, 3.9 in, in a day) fell from 2.36 to 1.91 between the 1960s and the 2020s.
- Worldwide, mean seasonal snowfall fell from 105.5 to 89.7 cm between the 1960s and the 2020s (105.5 cm (41.5 in) and 89.7 cm (35.3 in)).
- The trend in snow cover days is -1.8 days per decade (95 percent interval -2.8 to -0.8), fitted to 66 seasons from 1960 to 2025.
- The snowiest season in the data is 1971-72 at Rainier Paradise Rs (United States), with 2,849.9 cm (1,122.0 in) of snowfall.
- The station set is fixed: each station has complete seasons in every decade shown, a 1961-1990 mean of at least 5 snow cover days, and lies at 20 degrees north or further north.
- The same measures are on this page for 2 continents and 5 countries.
How to Read This Page
A snow season runs from 1 July to 30 June and is labelled by the year it starts in, so 2009-10 is the season of 2009. A snow cover day is a day with at least 25 mm (1.0 in) of snow on the ground. A heavy snowfall day is a day with at least 100 mm (3.9 in) of new snow. Snowfall per season is the total new snow in the season.
The station set is fixed: stations at 20 degrees north or further north that have at least 6 complete seasons in every decade from the 1960s and an average of at least 5 snow cover days per season in 1961-1990. A season is complete when at least 150 days report snow depth. Seasonal snowfall is shown only where at least 60 percent of the stations report it. The trend is an ordinary least squares fit per decade on the scope's mean cover days per season, with a 95 percent interval that allows for year to year persistence.
Stations are not spread evenly: some regions have many and others few, so a continent or world figure describes the stations in the set and not every place. Every figure here describes what the station records show. It does not say why it changed. Places that have little snow in 1961-1990 are not in the set, and snow is measured in different ways in different countries.
This page has the world, 2 continents and 5 countries with data. Each scope has its own station sets, named in its charts.
Snow Cover and Heavy Snowfall by Decade: World
2,047 stations, fixed set- Worldwide, the mean number of days per season with snow on the ground (25 mm or more, 1.0 in) at 2,047 stations fell from 53.7 to 40.1 between the 1960s and the 2020s.
- Worldwide, the mean number of heavy snowfall days per season (100 mm or more, 3.9 in, in a day) fell from 2.36 to 1.91 between the 1960s and the 2020s.
- Worldwide, mean seasonal snowfall fell from 105.5 to 89.7 cm between the 1960s and the 2020s (105.5 cm (41.5 in) and 89.7 cm (35.3 in)).
- The trend in snow cover days is -1.8 days per decade (95 percent interval -2.8 to -0.8), fitted to 66 seasons from 1960 to 2025.
- The snowiest season in the data is 1971-72 at Rainier Paradise Rs (United States), with 2,849.9 cm (1,122.0 in) of snowfall.
Days with snow on the ground per season
| Decade | Mean cover days per season |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 53.7 |
| 1970s | 53.5 |
| 1980s | 47.5 |
| 1990s | 44.0 |
| 2000s | 46.4 |
| 2010s | 47.7 |
| 2020s | 40.1 |
Heavy snowfall days per season
| Decade | Mean heavy snowfall days per season |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.36 |
| 1970s | 2.47 |
| 1980s | 2.20 |
| 1990s | 2.31 |
| 2000s | 2.27 |
| 2010s | 2.34 |
| 2020s | 1.91 |
Snowfall per season
| Decade | Mean snowfall per season, cm |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 105.5 cm (41.5 in) |
| 1970s | 111.2 cm (43.8 in) |
| 1980s | 98.5 cm (38.8 in) |
| 1990s | 102.0 cm (40.1 in) |
| 2000s | 102.8 cm (40.5 in) |
| 2010s | 106.8 cm (42.0 in) |
| 2020s | 89.7 cm (35.3 in) |
The snowiest seasons
| Rank | Station | Country | Season | Snowfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rainier Paradise Rs | United States | 1971-72 | 2,849.9 cm (1,122.0 in) |
| 2 | Rainier Paradise Rs | United States | 1973-74 | 2,720.3 cm (1,071.0 in) |
| 3 | Rainier Paradise Rs | United States | 1970-71 | 2,593.6 cm (1,021.1 in) |
| 4 | Rainier Paradise Rs | United States | 1998-99 | 2,444.9 cm (962.6 in) |
| 5 | Rainier Paradise Rs | United States | 2010-11 | 2,183.1 cm (859.5 in) |
| 6 | Alta | United States | 1982-83 | 2,157.6 cm (849.4 in) |
| 7 | Rainier Paradise Rs | United States | 1975-76 | 2,157.4 cm (849.4 in) |
| 8 | Crater Lake Nps HQ | United States | 1932-33 | 2,103.0 cm (828.0 in) |
| 9 | Rainier Paradise Rs | United States | 1955-56 | 2,098.9 cm (826.3 in) |
| 10 | Crater Lake Nps HQ | United States | 1951-52 | 2,097.4 cm (825.7 in) |
A snow season runs from 1 July to 30 June and is labelled by the year it starts in, so 2009-10 is the season of 2009. A season is complete when at least 150 days report snow depth. The set holds stations at 20 degrees north or further north with at least 5 snow cover days per season on average in 1961-1990 and complete seasons in every decade.
All climate measures for World
Snow Cover and Heavy Snowfall by Decade: Europe
519 stations, fixed set- In Europe, the mean number of days per season with snow on the ground (25 mm or more, 1.0 in) at 519 stations fell from 55.7 to 31.3 between the 1960s and the 2020s.
- In Europe, the mean number of heavy snowfall days per season (100 mm or more, 3.9 in, in a day) was 0.00 in both between the 1960s and the 2020s.
- The trend in snow cover days is -3.7 days per decade (95 percent interval -5.2 to -2.3), fitted to 66 seasons from 1960 to 2025.
- The snowiest season in the data is 1988-89 at Keflavik (Iceland), with 532.9 cm (209.8 in) of snowfall.
Days with snow on the ground per season
| Decade | Mean cover days per season |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 55.7 |
| 1970s | 47.8 |
| 1980s | 49.8 |
| 1990s | 40.8 |
| 2000s | 41.0 |
| 2010s | 35.8 |
| 2020s | 31.3 |
Heavy snowfall days per season
| Decade | Mean heavy snowfall days per season |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.00 |
| 1970s | 0.00 |
| 1980s | 0.00 |
| 1990s | 0.00 |
| 2000s | 0.00 |
| 2010s | 0.00 |
| 2020s | 0.00 |
The snowiest seasons
| Rank | Station | Country | Season | Snowfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keflavik | Iceland | 1988-89 | 532.9 cm (209.8 in) |
| 2 | Keflavik | Iceland | 1975-76 | 488.7 cm (192.4 in) |
| 3 | Keflavik | Iceland | 1958-59 | 351.6 cm (138.4 in) |
| 4 | Keflavik | Iceland | 1966-67 | 331.1 cm (130.4 in) |
| 5 | Keflavik | Iceland | 1967-68 | 300.8 cm (118.4 in) |
| 6 | Keflavik | Iceland | 1978-79 | 298.4 cm (117.5 in) |
| 7 | Keflavik | Iceland | 1962-63 | 282.3 cm (111.1 in) |
| 8 | Keflavik | Iceland | 1961-62 | 281.2 cm (110.7 in) |
| 9 | Keflavik | Iceland | 1960-61 | 259.1 cm (102.0 in) |
| 10 | Keflavik | Iceland | 1979-80 | 257.5 cm (101.4 in) |
A snow season runs from 1 July to 30 June and is labelled by the year it starts in, so 2009-10 is the season of 2009. A season is complete when at least 150 days report snow depth. The set holds stations at 20 degrees north or further north with at least 5 snow cover days per season on average in 1961-1990 and complete seasons in every decade.
All climate measures for Europe
Snow Cover and Heavy Snowfall by Decade: North America
1,528 stations, fixed set- In North America, the mean number of days per season with snow on the ground (25 mm or more, 1.0 in) at 1,528 stations fell from 53.0 to 43.0 between the 1960s and the 2020s.
- In North America, the mean number of heavy snowfall days per season (100 mm or more, 3.9 in, in a day) fell from 3.16 to 2.56 between the 1960s and the 2020s.
- In North America, mean seasonal snowfall fell from 105.5 to 89.7 cm between the 1960s and the 2020s (105.5 cm (41.5 in) and 89.7 cm (35.3 in)).
- The trend in snow cover days is -1.1 days per decade (95 percent interval -2.3 to +0.1), fitted to 66 seasons from 1960 to 2025. The interval includes zero, so the series does not separate a trend from year to year variation.
- The snowiest season in the data is 1971-72 at Rainier Paradise Rs (United States), with 2,849.9 cm (1,122.0 in) of snowfall.
Days with snow on the ground per season
| Decade | Mean cover days per season |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 53.0 |
| 1970s | 55.5 |
| 1980s | 46.8 |
| 1990s | 45.0 |
| 2000s | 48.3 |
| 2010s | 51.7 |
| 2020s | 43.0 |
Heavy snowfall days per season
| Decade | Mean heavy snowfall days per season |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.16 |
| 1970s | 3.31 |
| 1980s | 2.95 |
| 1990s | 3.10 |
| 2000s | 3.04 |
| 2010s | 3.13 |
| 2020s | 2.56 |
Snowfall per season
| Decade | Mean snowfall per season, cm |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 105.5 cm (41.5 in) |
| 1970s | 111.2 cm (43.8 in) |
| 1980s | 98.5 cm (38.8 in) |
| 1990s | 102.0 cm (40.1 in) |
| 2000s | 102.8 cm (40.5 in) |
| 2010s | 106.8 cm (42.0 in) |
| 2020s | 89.7 cm (35.3 in) |
The snowiest seasons
| Rank | Station | Country | Season | Snowfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rainier Paradise Rs | United States | 1971-72 | 2,849.9 cm (1,122.0 in) |
| 2 | Rainier Paradise Rs | United States | 1973-74 | 2,720.3 cm (1,071.0 in) |
| 3 | Rainier Paradise Rs | United States | 1970-71 | 2,593.6 cm (1,021.1 in) |
| 4 | Rainier Paradise Rs | United States | 1998-99 | 2,444.9 cm (962.6 in) |
| 5 | Rainier Paradise Rs | United States | 2010-11 | 2,183.1 cm (859.5 in) |
| 6 | Alta | United States | 1982-83 | 2,157.6 cm (849.4 in) |
| 7 | Rainier Paradise Rs | United States | 1975-76 | 2,157.4 cm (849.4 in) |
| 8 | Crater Lake Nps HQ | United States | 1932-33 | 2,103.0 cm (828.0 in) |
| 9 | Rainier Paradise Rs | United States | 1955-56 | 2,098.9 cm (826.3 in) |
| 10 | Crater Lake Nps HQ | United States | 1951-52 | 2,097.4 cm (825.7 in) |
A snow season runs from 1 July to 30 June and is labelled by the year it starts in, so 2009-10 is the season of 2009. A season is complete when at least 150 days report snow depth. The set holds stations at 20 degrees north or further north with at least 5 snow cover days per season on average in 1961-1990 and complete seasons in every decade.
All climate measures for North America
Countries
5 with data| Country | Stations | Cover days per season, first decade | Cover days per season, last decade | Change in cover days | Trend in cover days per decade (95 percent interval) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 11 | 165.5 (1960s) | 115.2 (2020s) | -50.2 | -8.5 (-10.3 to -6.7) |
| Norway | 108 | 132.7 (1960s) | 94.9 (2020s) | -37.8 | -6.3 (-8.5 to -4.1) |
| United States | 1,528 | 53.0 (1960s) | 43.0 (2020s) | -10.0 | -1.1 (-2.3 to +0.1) |
| Germany | 206 | 49.1 (1960s) | 18.0 (2020s) | -31.0 | -4.3 (-6.3 to -2.3) |
| Netherlands | 184 | 10.5 (1960s) | 2.4 (2020s) | -8.1 | -1.2 (-2.2 to -0.2) |
Ordered by the mean number of days per season with at least 25 mm (1.0 in) of snow on the ground in the last decade in the file. The 2020s are a partial decade when they are the last one.
Download the Data
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Climatology Network Daily (GHCN-Daily). Records are computed by World Extreme Weather Monitor and are not official NOAA products. (US Government open data (NOAA NCEI)) Data as of 2026-10-13. The figures are computed by this site from daily station records. They describe the stations in each set, not every place.