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    3. Thompson Pass, Alaska

    The 2,805-foot-high gap in Alaska's Chugach Mountains known as Thompson Pass records average annual snowfall totals of 552 inches. The spot also holds two records: the most snow to ever fall in one location in Alaska, in a season with 974.5 inches in the winter of 1952 to 1953; and Alaska's biggest single-day snowfall of 62 inches on December 29, 1955.

    The Pass is kept open year-round, though keeping it accessible is an arduous task. Popular tourist activities in the region include heliskiing and snowboarding. Still, avalanches are common in the region, and each year tourists are killed. The Valdez Avalanche Center provides regular danger reports.