What does this precipitation ranking show?

It orders states by Annual precipitation. It is a comparison of this one published measure, not an overall ranking of where to live.

Where do these figures come from?

NOAA NCEI nClimGrid-Daily supplies this measure. States without a comparable published value are shown as not ranked rather than estimated.

How should I use this ranking?

Use it to narrow a search, then open a state or county profile for the underlying figures, source dates and caveats. A statewide number may not describe every neighbourhood.

Rankings · Weather

The driest states

Annual precipitation.

This measure has no better end. The order describes the states, it does not rank them — see the other direction.

Total annual precipitation in inches, including rain and the liquid equivalent of snow. This is not a rainfall-only measure.

How to read this ranking

Nevada has the lowest published precipitation in this comparison, at 8.6 in. The next states shown are Arizona (9.0 in) and New Mexico (11.3 in).

The table orders 51 states by annual precipitation. It describes one published measure, not an overall judgment about where to live.

Use the result as a starting point, then compare the underlying source, dates, and local county figures before making a decision. Total annual precipitation in inches, including rain and the liquid equivalent of snow. This is not a rainfall-only measure.

1Nevada8.6 in
2Arizona9.0 in
3New Mexico11.3 in
4Colorado15.8 in
5Wyoming15.9 in
6Utah17.3 in
7Idaho17.4 in
8California18.4 in
9North Dakota20.1 in
10South Dakota23.7 in
11Montana23.9 in
12Nebraska28.4 in
13Michigan30.4 in
14Minnesota30.4 in
15Illinois30.8 in
16Wisconsin32.1 in
17Texas33.1 in
18Kansas33.5 in
19Iowa34.1 in
20New York37.2 in
21Maryland37.4 in
22Missouri37.4 in
23Indiana38.0 in
24New Jersey38.7 in
25Maine39.1 in
26Ohio39.1 in
27Delaware39.5 in
28Pennsylvania39.6 in
29District of Columbia39.7 in
30New Hampshire40.2 in
31Virginia40.8 in
32Massachusetts42.1 in
33Vermont42.4 in
34Connecticut42.5 in
35North Carolina42.5 in
36South Carolina42.9 in
37Florida43.3 in
38Alaska43.6 in
39Hawaii43.9 in
40Oklahoma44.0 in
41West Virginia44.0 in
42Rhode Island45.6 in
43Georgia45.8 in
44Oregon50.9 in
45Arkansas52.1 in
46Alabama52.3 in
47Mississippi53.1 in
48Tennessee53.3 in
49Louisiana54.0 in
50Washington56.5 in
51Kentucky57.0 in

Related weather rankings

Frequently asked questions

What does this ranking show?: It orders states by Annual precipitation. It is one measure, not an overall verdict on where to live.
Where do the figures come from?: NOAA NCEI nClimGrid-Daily. States without a comparable published figure are listed as not ranked rather than estimated.
How should I use it?: Use it to narrow your search, then open a state or county profile for the source date, caveats and local context.

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<iframe src="https://movermath.com/embed/precipitation" width="100%" height="420" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Annual precipitation by state"></iframe>

Source: NOAA NCEI nClimGrid-Daily. · How this is built

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