Aluminum does not rust either.

Cast aluminum is your best choice. Some aluminum furniture is pieced together, which is fine, except when the bolts are not aluminum. So make sure if its not cast in one piece, all the pieces are rust proof. Wrought iron even if its powder coated will not last forever. There are some online catelogs that sell heavy duty covers to protect your furniture.

We cover our furniture during the winter with those heavy duty covers. We bring the umbrella into the garage but keep the table and chairs outside. It doesn't "look" great but we aren't outside anyway.

In November, the big fake wicker patio set goes under the deck with a big tarp for added protection. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the snow all over the nice patio sets in the previous pictures. My aluminum chairs (table set) go in the basement; it's not the aluminum I'm worried about but the material the seats are made of. In my experience, if you leave any furniture to the wind/snow during the whole winter, whatever it's made of (maybe wood; but even wood you would have to treat it often...), it cannot be expected to look nice and last for a long time... Of course we all have our own level of "sensitivity" with such things (I don't want to buy sets every year and I want them to look as good as new...). I think heavy duty covers is the minimum necessary to keep everything nice at least for a couple of years.

We have a large powder coated wrought iron set that has been left out year round for 10 years uncovered.
It just started showing a couple of little rust spots at some of the welding joints.
We plan on touching those spots up with matching rustoleum outdoor paint.
Our small powder coated wrought iron bistro set stays out too and is going on year 5 with no rust (yet).

Whenever possible, I choose tables and chairs that will fold up so they will be easier to store in the garage. My additions this year were folding metal bistro chairs that are compact and can be left outdoors. Pottery Barn had a huge sale over the summer and the outdoor-worthy cushions were $5.

I think resin stuff tends to be hard to destroy. A powder-coated finish is also good for outdoor furniture. Larger pieces will stay out on the deck or patio when I haven't taken the trouble to put them in the (2-to-3 car) garage that is not yet full of stuff. I have no excuse. Some of it will also fit in the garden shed. Perhaps I'm just lazy, or too busy, or can never face that winter is coming. Gotta face it now. We had snow all weekend.

My plan is to replace two of the patio dining chairs on the deck (those in the corner) with banquette-style built-in wood benches that will be the correct height for my table once cushions have been added.

By the way, the grill is covered because I keep it covered year round. Umbrellas have been taken in because I usually don't leave them out.

Those are my strategies. However, the only items that I brought in so far this year are the bistro chairs. I'm not home right now, or I could humiliate myself by including photos of my poor outdoor furniture covered with snow.

The problem with bringing things back indoors too late is that they are often wet when you finally get them. Need plastic on the floor for each item. Ask me how I know this.

Fake (resin, usually) wicker holds up very well, and they seem to be introducing some new, very attractive pieces every year.

Make that about a foot of snow:

{{!gwi}}

Teak (weathered) requires no covering, maintenance, etc. We also have aluminum and all-weather wicker but our teak set has held up better than anything else over the long haul.

I have painted wood, which I might refresh every other year or so. But the question shouldn't be just how snow is an issue, but instead, how about the damp? In washington, wood furniture will often mold if left outside all winter (or at least get slimy). Here despite the feet and feet of snow, it's quite dry, so wood works very well for outside, even after being covered in snow all winter.

thank you all for sharing your experience! definitely didn't want to buy a new set every year.

Powder-coated wrought iron, most common run-of-the-mill type set. It's black. (Got the whole set on clearance for $30 at Target.) It's been out there every winter for 12 years. Just this last fall, I had to touch it up in a few spots. One can of flat black rustoleum spray paint was more than I needed. Thechairs are really comfortable, even with thin cushions! I bring the cushions in - they're 12 years old too!

I actually was going to store my fake wicker in the basement or garage but never got around to it before it snowed. Might do it today since we had a lot of snow melt yesterday.

I live in MN, too. Have had a powder-coated aluminum (I believe) set on my screened in porch for 15 years and no noticeable rust yet. I do keep a plastic table cloth, weighted with cast iron trivets on top of the glass. Each year the tablecloth takes a beating so I get a fresh new one for the spring and summer! I do move the patio furniture a few feet in, away from the screens since we don't use the patio at all in the winter.

Here is a link that might be useful: 15 year old patio furniture

Our powder-coated aluminum deck set has been outside in NE winters for nine years, and it's fine. It has discolored a little bit, but I think that would have happened anyway.

Our set is powder coated aluminum. We put away the pieces that we have room for and then just throw a cover over the table. It has been out for 5 years now and is as good as new.