Snow can be beautiful but it can also be a hassle for anyone who has to dig out of it. Still, many people live with heavy snowfalls and have adapted to it. This is especially the case with the countries on this list. Many countries have done quite well to help adjust to these weather conditions and have even benefited from them as the snow has often made a cultural or economic impact that has been to the country’s advantage.
This listing showcases many countries that have dealt with an extensive amount of snow since the start of the 21st century. These are approximate totals based on the weather trends that have spread around these countries throughout the years. These totals show that there has been plenty of snow all around the world over the years but there are still some spots that get it the most. In fact, snow is often more likely to fall in very specific spots in these countries when compared with other places.
South Korea
South Korea is known to be rather cold during the winter months. This is primarily due to its location relative to the Equator and its location near an extended body of water.
The snow that it does receive is nowhere near as much as what is found in North Korea or Japan but South Korea does tend to get plenty of snow in the winter.
In particular, South Korea has gotten about 400 inches of snow since this century started.
Much of this snow can be found around the southern end of the country where the cool air from the waters in the region help to make the climate more conducive for creating snow.
Greenland
Naturally, people would assume that Greenland is a country that gets a great deal of snow, what with it being a place that is so close to the North Pole.
However, there are actually more concerns about whether or not Greenland’s ice caps are shrinking than there are concerns about the snowfall in the country.
That said, Greenland has still received a lot of snow. Greenland has gotten about 500 inches of snow in this century. Most of it can be found in the southern end of the country.
The northern end of the country tends to have about a fifth of the total amount of rain that comes into the region. Still, there are concerns over how much ice is being lost in Greenland.
Even with the worrying erosion in Greenland, this country still receives a lot of snow, enough to make it a country with some of the heaviest snowfalls.
Nepal
Most people like to assume that Nepal is one of the snowiest countries in the world. This is thanks to the extensive number of mountains all over the country.
However, a vast majority of the snowfall will actually occur on the highest mountain peaks around Nepal. Specifically, about 500 inches of snow have fallen around Nepal since the start of the century.
In fact, the potential for this snowfall to stick in some parts of Nepal is minimal. Conditions in the city of Kathmandu can go from 9 to 12 degrees Celsius during the winter season.
Naturally, people who want to see the snowfall in Nepal will actually have to try and climb up one of the country’s immense mountains just to get a glimpse.
China
China has received nearly 600 inches of snow this century. Most of this snow can be found around the northern end of the country. This is thanks to the region being a little closer to some of the coldest parts of Russia.
While the cities of Beijing, Shenyang and Tianjin are more likely to have snow, they will not get as much precipitation during the course of the year as some cities on the south where the weather is too warm for snow to develop. For instance, Beijing gets around 23 inches of precipitation every year.
Meanwhile, places in the south like Wuhan and Zhengzhou will get closer to 40 to 50 inches each year. The totals are closer to 80 inches in Hong Kong and Macau but those are two districts of China where snowfall is not expected.
It should be noted that these totals for how much snow is generated are approximations. Ice surfaces around the country have been manipulated by the Chinese government as a means of creating artificial snow storms.
It is unclear as to why this is all taking place but there is a potential that the extensive amount of pollution that has been generated all around China over the years as the country has expanded may be a key part of why this pollution is coming about.
North Korea
Official information on the amount of snow that has fallen over North Korea since the start of the century is unclear but estimates based on the snowfall patterns in the area and recent weather trends suggest that about 700 inches of snow have fallen around the country over this time period.
This comes in spite of about 40 percent of all precipitation in North Korea tends to occur during the summer months.
It is unclear as to whether or not North Korea has as much snow as China does. However, snowfall has been prevalent in many parts of North Korea. It has even disrupted official events which are typically conducted with determined precision.
In fact, many official events that are run by the government continue to operate even when it does snow outside. In fact, snowfall was responsible for causing a slight delay in the funeral for Kim Jong Il.
Norway
Norway has become a very popular country for sports-related tourism thanks to its extensive variety of ski locations.
These skiing areas have grown in popularity as they contain plenty of well-maintained slopes for both downhill and cross-country skiing alike. Much of this is all thanks to the extended amount of snow that Norway receives every year.
Norway has gotten about 900 inches of snow in this century. This is a very large amount that has supported the many skiing resorts all around the country.
However, the amount of snow that comes into the region tends to be a little higher in the northern ends of the country than it is around the southern part.
Russia
Russia is clearly a country that is home to large, open spaces where the amount of snowfall in the country can be exceptionally high.
This is especially the case for spots around the Arctic Circle. Russia has gotten close to 1,000 inches of snow in the 21st century so far.
The totals in many particular cities around Russia have been especially high. The city of Moscow typically gets about 55 inches of snow each year. Meanwhile, that total will get to be up to 60 inches in the Kamchatka Peninsula around the far eastern end of the country.
While these totals are rather high, the snow will particularly stick around for an extended period of time even when there is no new snow around. The conditions around the eastern end of the country can include temperatures that are as low as -20 degrees Celsius.
Sometimes the temperature won’t even head above freezing during a day in this area, thus making it easier for the snow to stick around for a while.
United States
One of the more interesting points about the United States is that it is a country that is home to many climates. The northeastern and plains areas of the country are the spots that tend to get the most snow of all. In fact, it is estimated that nearly 1,500 inches of snow have come along within the United States since the century began.
Sometimes massive snowstorms can come along in specific cities. For instance the city of Boston had nearly 110 inches of snow in the 2015 season.
However, some other cities tend to be a little more prepared for the snow than others. The city of Syracuse in New York is one such example. Syracuse gets about 125 inches of snow on average each year.
The snowfall tends to be much greater in this part of the country as well as in many spots in the central part that are not too far off from the Canadian border.
In fact, these spots tend to get more snow during a typical year than what is found in the state of Alaska. However, the snowfall in Alaska is typically more likely to develop all of this snow at the top parts of the many mountains that can be found all around the state.
Canada
As one of the northernmost populated countries in the world, Canada is a country that has gotten around 2,100 inches of snow this century. A large portion of the snow can be found around the northernmost parts of the country like in Nunavut and the Yukon Territory.
However, the Maritime Provinces are known to get a great deal of snow every year. The town of St. John’s in Newfoundland and Labrador gets around 131 inches of snow every year. Quebec is not immune to the snowfall as the cities of Saguenay and Quebec City typically get around 125 inches of snow each year.
Details on the amount of snowfall that heads into some of the highest spots in the country, particularly those in the Nunavut, is not available due to the rather remote nature of the region. Still, many of these spots tend to be filled with snow for just about the entire calendar year.
Regardless of the snowfall, the conditions have been very conducive to many different activities. These include many hockey-related activities that often take place outdoors.
Japan
Japan is a country that has dealt with more snow than many others around the world. This is particularly the case with many of the mountainous cities around the country. It’s estimated that nearly 3,000 inches of snow have fallen around Japan since the start of the century.
The most snow in Japan can be found around the mountainous parts of the country. These include the northern cities of Sapporo and Aomori City.
In fact, Aomori gets about 312 inches of snow each year on average. The cold air gusts around this part of the world and the high mountains of the region make it a place where snow will especially be prevalent.
Many major cities well outside the northern end of the country tend to develop plenty of snow as well. It is not surprising for parts of Tokyo to receive about 100 inches of snow in the course of a single season. This is not as strong as the conditions in the northern part of the country but it is still rather sizeable.