The driest U.S. states: Ranked by statewide normal annual precipitation, NOAA nClimDiv, 1991-2020
Nevada has the least statewide precipitation of any state (statewide normal annual precipitation): 10.2 in, ahead of Arizona (11.7 in) and Utah (13.5 in). Ranked: 50 states; NOAA nClimDiv, 1991-2020.
Which U.S. states get the least rain?
The first ten: Nevada (10.2 in), Arizona (11.7 in), Utah (13.5 in), New Mexico (13.8 in), Wyoming (16.0 in), Colorado (18.0 in), North Dakota (18.9 in), Montana (18.9 in), South Dakota (21.2 in) and California (22.3 in). At the other end of the list is Hawaii (61.7 in).
- Nevada
- Arizona
- Utah
- New Mexico
- Wyoming
- Colorado
- North Dakota
- Montana
- South Dakota
- California
- Idaho
- Nebraska
- Minnesota
- Texas
- Kansas
- Oregon
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Iowa
- Oklahoma
| Rank | State | Statewide normal annual precipitation | Metric |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | 10.2 in | 259 mm |
| 2 | Arizona | 11.7 in | 297 mm |
| 3 | Utah | 13.5 in | 343 mm |
| 4 | New Mexico | 13.8 in | 351 mm |
| 5 | Wyoming | 16.0 in | 406 mm |
| 6 | Colorado | 18.0 in | 457 mm |
| 7 | North Dakota | 18.9 in | 480 mm |
| 8 | Montana | 18.9 in | 480 mm |
| 9 | South Dakota | 21.2 in | 538 mm |
| 10 | California | 22.3 in | 566 mm |
| 11 | Idaho | 23.7 in | 602 mm |
| 12 | Nebraska | 24.2 in | 615 mm |
| 13 | Minnesota | 28.6 in | 726 mm |
| 14 | Texas | 28.6 in | 726 mm |
| 15 | Kansas | 29.0 in | 737 mm |
| 16 | Oregon | 32.1 in | 815 mm |
| 17 | Michigan | 33.9 in | 861 mm |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 34.1 in | 866 mm |
| 19 | Iowa | 35.6 in | 904 mm |
| 20 | Oklahoma | 36.4 in | 925 mm |
| 21 | Alaska | 37.6 in | 955 mm |
| 22 | Illinois | 40.7 in | 1,034 mm |
| 23 | Ohio | 41.1 in | 1,044 mm |
| 24 | Washington | 43.2 in | 1,097 mm |
| 25 | Missouri | 43.5 in | 1,105 mm |
| 26 | New York | 43.6 in | 1,107 mm |
| 27 | Indiana | 43.6 in | 1,107 mm |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | 45.0 in | 1,143 mm |
| 29 | Maryland | 45.2 in | 1,148 mm |
| 30 | Maine | 45.5 in | 1,156 mm |
| 31 | Virginia | 45.8 in | 1,163 mm |
| 32 | Delaware | 45.9 in | 1,166 mm |
| 33 | Vermont | 46.0 in | 1,168 mm |
| 34 | West Virginia | 47.1 in | 1,196 mm |
| 35 | New Jersey | 47.6 in | 1,209 mm |
| 36 | New Hampshire | 47.9 in | 1,217 mm |
| 37 | South Carolina | 48.3 in | 1,227 mm |
| 38 | Massachusetts | 48.7 in | 1,237 mm |
| 39 | Connecticut | 48.7 in | 1,237 mm |
| 40 | Rhode Island | 49.1 in | 1,247 mm |
| 41 | Georgia | 50.4 in | 1,280 mm |
| 42 | Kentucky | 50.4 in | 1,280 mm |
| 43 | North Carolina | 50.8 in | 1,290 mm |
| 44 | Arkansas | 52.5 in | 1,334 mm |
| 45 | Florida | 54.4 in | 1,382 mm |
| 46 | Tennessee | 55.1 in | 1,400 mm |
| 47 | Alabama | 56.9 in | 1,445 mm |
| 48 | Mississippi | 58.5 in | 1,486 mm |
| 49 | Louisiana | 59.7 in | 1,516 mm |
| 50 | Hawaii | 61.7 in | 1,567 mm |
Method: each state is measured by NOAA's statewide series (nClimDiv), averaged over a 5 km grid of station data, so a state's figure is not the average of its cities. All 50 states are ranked. The District of Columbia has no statewide series.
Source: NOAA NCEI nClimDiv statewide normals, 1991-2020.
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