Snow storms per winter: 12 metro stations (winters 1996-97 to 2025-26)

How many storms reach your trigger depth in a typical winter, and in a bad one? The counts below are storms (runs of consecutive snow days, summed) at or above 1", 2" and 3", from NOAA GHCN-Daily station records. P80 = the count that 80% of winters stayed at or below.

Station	Winters	Median snowfall (in)	Storms ≥1"			Storms ≥2"			Storms ≥3"			Median snow days ≥0.1" (salt proxy)
Station	Winters	Median snowfall (in)	Median	P80	Range	Median	P80	Range	Median	P80	Range	Median snow days ≥0.1" (salt proxy)
Chicago Ohare Intl Ap, IL	28	34.55	8.5	11.6	4–16	5	7.6	1–13	3.5	6.0	1–11	27
Minneapolis-St Paul Intl Ap, MN	26	45.1	11	14.0	5–18	8	11.0	4–12	5	8.0	2–11	34.5
Boston, MA	30	39.7	7.5	10.0	3–14	6	8.0	1–12	4.5	6.0	1–12	17.5
Detroit Metro Ap, MI	30	41.45	10	14.0	5–16	7	9.2	3–13	5	7.0	2–11	37
Buffalo, NY	30	97.75	15.5	19.0	8–22	11	13.2	5–16	9	10.0	4–16	58
Cleveland, OH	30	53.1	12.5	15.0	7–20	8	11.0	5–16	7	10.0	2–13	41.5
Pittsburgh Asos, PA	30	37.7	10	12.2	6–18	7	10.0	3–14	5	7.0	1–9	38
Madison Dane Co Rgnl Ap, WI	30	46.75	10.5	14.0	6–22	7	10.2	4–16	6	7.2	3–12	33.5
Salt Lake City Intl Ap, UT	30	44.15	11	16.2	1–19	8	10.2	1–15	5	8.0	0–11	29
Hartford-Bradley Intl Ap, CT	25	45.6	9	11.0	4–16	6	8.2	3–12	4	7.0	2–10	20
Newark Liberty Intl Ap, NJ	30	28.4	6	8.0	1–12	4	5.2	0–8	2.5	5.0	0–8	14
Binghamton, NY	30	81.7	16	19.0	7–23	12	13.0	5–17	9	10.0	4–14	63.5

Historical observations only. Not a forecast or a guarantee. Ice and freezing rain are not captured. Stations are airport or city sites and your property may differ. Data: NOAA NCEI GHCN-Daily (public domain). Not affiliated with NOAA.

Seasonal contract pricing worksheet (one property)

A. Trigger depth in your agreement (in)
B. Planning storm count at that trigger (use P80 from the table or tool)
C. Extra pushes per season for long storms (estimate)
D. Total pushes to price (B + C)
E. Your all-in cost per push ($): labor + equipment + fuel + travel + overhead
F. Salt applications to price (e.g. median/P80 snow days ≥0.1")
G. Your cost per salt application ($)
H. Season cost = D×E + F×G ($)
I. Target margin (e.g. 0.25)
J. Seasonal price = H ÷ (1 − I) ($)
K. Monthly billing = J ÷ billing months
L. Check the worst winter: max storms × E + salts × G. Would J still cover it?
M. If not, offer a hybrid: fee for the median winter + per-push overage

The full Seasonal Snow Contract Pricer does this for 1,445 stations, finds stations by ZIP, adds re-pushes, and backtests your price against every winter since 1996-97. See the Seasonal Snow Contract Pricer · try the free demo.