If you choose to live in a ski town, chances are it’s because winter is more than just a season, it’s a way of life. For skiers and snowboarders, living just minutes from the lifts means powder mornings, quick après laps, and easy access to the mountains whenever the snow starts falling. In many of these communities, that same snow blankets neighborhoods, driveways, and downtown streets, creating true winter wonderlands where residents measure storms in feet rather than inches.

Below are the snowiest ski towns in North America based on total snowfall during the 2025-26 winter season, along with the nearby ski areas that benefit from the same storms. To keep the list focused on actual communities rather than tiny mountain outposts, only towns with a population of at least 500 residents were included.

• Related: Ranked: The Snowiest Ski Resorts in the Southern Hemisphere, by 15 Years of Data
• Related: The World’s 8 Snowiest Cities

Data comes from Meteorologist Cory Reppenhagen.

#1 Tahoma, CA – 215″

Closest ski area: Homewood Mountain Resort

#2 Tahoe, CA – 180.5″

Closest ski area: Palisades Tahoe

#3 Calumet, MI – 168.3″

Closest ski areas: Mont Ripley Ski Area and Mt Bohemia Ski Area

#4 Valdez, AK – 149.6″

Closest ski area: Valdez Heli Ski Guides

#5 Steamboat Springs, CO – 146.9″

Closest ski area: Steamboat

The Top 20