The official start to winter is just around the corner, but much of the country has already witnessed record-setting snowfall and freezing temperatures.  To mark the early arrival of “Old Man Winter,” The Weather Channel (TWC) ranks America’s 10 Snowiest Cities. To determine the list, TWC’s team of expert meteorologists examined a 30-year climatological data of average annual snowfall for cities with populations of at least 1,000.  Unincorporated towns, mountains, national park locations were not used.

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America’s 10 Snowiest Cities according to The Weather Channel

1.       Valdez, AK:  (297.7 inches)
Getting  180 inches of snow in just one month validates bragging rights.  Valdez, AK, clobbers the competition as America's snowiest city. Its annual average snowfall of almost 300 inches tops the No. 2 city of Boonville, NY, by more than 6 feet.

2.       Boonville, NY:  (220.5 inches)
 Tucked in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, Boonville, NY, is the self-proclaimed "Snow Capital of the East" and represents one of America's most prolific snow belts.

3.       Hancock, MI:  (218.0 inches)
This town averages a whopping 56 inches of snow in December alone and 68 inches in January. In the past, they once had more than 2 feet of snow one day in March and had 2 feet of wet snow on June 2.

4.       Crested Butte, CO:  (217.7 inches)
At least 30 inches of snow is par for the course each month from November through March. It has snowed as early as Labor Day and as late as June 26 in the historical record.

5.       Truckee, CA:  (198.3 inches) 
Few places in the United States have such a deadly history with regard to epic snowstorms as the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. A single storm dumped 10 feet of snow in two days in the late 1800s.

6.       Lead, SD:  (187.0 inches)
Located in the northern Black Hills of South Dakota, north winds circulating around powerful Plains storm systems are lifted by the hills, wringing out prolific snow totals well above 10 inches at least three times a year.

7.       Steamboat Springs, CO:  (175.5 inches)
This town is best known for its famous “champagne powder,” and at least 10 inches of snow cover can be expected 97 days of the year. At 6,636 feet above sea level, snow falls from mid-October to mid-May.

8.       Red Lodge, MT:  (173.9 inches)
This charming small town has seen snow fall 10 months of the year, including late June. At least 1 inch of snow covers the ground 127 days each year, on average.

9.       Tahoe City, CA:   (170.8 inches)
It may not snow until November, but once the winter kicks in, some legendary snowstorms can hammer the area around Lake Tahoe.

10.   Ironwood, MI:   (164.6 inches)
The city’s northern location makes it more prone to cold and snow, and with Lake Superior just 18 miles south, Ironwood is even more of a “hot” property for winter sports enthusiasts.