U.S. Climate Rankings
The country's driest cities and Census-designated places, ranked from the 3,622 places with precipitation in the NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals.
Data updated August 2026
Driest cities, the verdict
The driest U.S. cities and Census-designated places top out near 2.4", concentrated in CA, AZ, NV - Brawley, CA sits at the top of the 3,622 places measured for it.
- 2.4"
- the driest reading - Brawley, CA
- 12
- of the 25 displayed places are in CA
- 3,622
- ranked cities/CDPs with precipitation measured
- 1991–2020
- NOAA 30-year normals window
Rankings reflect 30-year climate normals, long-run typical conditions, not any single recent year. The list includes incorporated places and Census-designated places only, not airports, parks, or other station sites.
Top 10 driest U.S. cities and Census-designated places
The 25 U.S. cities and Census-designated places with the least annual precipitation, including cutoff ties.
- Brawley
Brawley, CA
2.4 in
- El Centro
El Centro, CA
2.5 in
- Imperial
Imperial, CA
2.8 in
- Yuma Proving Ground
Yuma Proving Ground, AZ
3.5 in
- Blythe
Blythe, CA
3.6 in
- Wendover
Wendover, UT
3.6 in
- Trona
Trona, CA
3.6 in
- Tacna
Tacna, AZ
3.8 in
- Twentynine Palms
Twentynine Palms, CA
3.9 in
- Yuma
Yuma, AZ
4 in
The 25 U.S. cities and Census-designated places with the least annual precipitation, including cutoff ties. Full 25-row list below.
| # | Location | Avg Temp | High | Low | Precip | Snow | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brawley (CA) | 74°F (23°C) | 90°F | 58°F | 2.4" | 0.0" | 80/100 |
| 2 | El Centro (CA) | 74°F (24°C) | 89°F | 60°F | 2.5" | 0.0" | 80/100 |
| 3 | Imperial (CA) | 73°F (23°C) | 87°F | 59°F | 2.8" | 0.0" | 80/100 |
| 4 | Yuma Proving Ground (AZ) | 75°F (24°C) | 88°F | 62°F | 3.5" | 0.0" | 80/100 |
| 5 | Blythe (CA) | 74°F (24°C) | 88°F | 61°F | 3.6" | N/A | 76/100 |
| 6 | Wendover (UT) | 52°F (11°C) | 63°F | 42°F | 3.6" | N/A | 45/100 |
| 7 | Trona (CA) | 68°F (20°C) | 83°F | 54°F | 3.6" | 0.0" | 77/100 |
| 8 | Tacna (AZ) | 73°F (23°C) | 90°F | 56°F | 3.8" | 0.0" | 77/100 |
| 9 | Twentynine Palms (CA) | 70°F (21°C) | 83°F | 58°F | 3.9" | N/A | 76/100 |
| 10 | Yuma (AZ) | 73°F (23°C) | 87°F | 59°F | 4.0" | N/A | 76/100 |
| 11 | Ehrenberg (AZ) | 74°F (23°C) | 88°F | 60°F | 4.0" | 0.0" | 80/100 |
| 12 | Hawthorne (NV) | 57°F (14°C) | 70°F | 43°F | 4.2" | 1.2" | 63/100 |
| 13 | Lake Havasu City (AZ) | 74°F (23°C) | 87°F | 61°F | 4.2" | 0.0" | 80/100 |
| 14 | Inyokern (CA) | 65°F (18°C) | 80°F | 49°F | 4.3" | 0.5" | 77/100 |
| 15 | Needles (CA) | 76°F (25°C) | 88°F | 64°F | 4.3" | 0.0" | 65/100 |
| 16 | Baker (CA) | 70°F (21°C) | 86°F | 55°F | 4.3" | 0.0" | 77/100 |
| 17 | Joshua Tree (CA) | 66°F (19°C) | 80°F | 51°F | 4.4" | 0.8" | 77/100 |
| 18 | Parker (AZ) | 74°F (23°C) | 89°F | 60°F | 4.6" | 0.0" | 80/100 |
| 19 | Quartzsite (AZ) | 74°F (23°C) | 88°F | 60°F | 4.6" | 0.2" | 80/100 |
| 20 | Yerington (NV) | 54°F (12°C) | 68°F | 39°F | 4.6" | 3.2" | 49/100 |
| 21 | Las Vegas (NV) | 69°F (21°C) | 81°F | 57°F | 4.8" | 0.2" | 80/100 |
| 22 | Tonopah (NV) | 53°F (12°C) | 67°F | 39°F | 4.8" | N/A | 40/100 |
| 23 | Bishop (CA) | 57°F (14°C) | 76°F | 38°F | 4.8" | N/A | 52/100 |
| 24 | Barstow (CA) | 66°F (19°C) | 79°F | 52°F | 5.0" | 0.3" | 77/100 |
| 25 | Pahrump (NV) | 62°F (17°C) | 79°F | 46°F | 5.0" | N/A | 68/100 |
Reading these rankings
Climate extremes make headlines, but livability is a balance.
- Chasing warmth? The warmest ranked cities cluster in Florida, Hawaii, and the desert Southwest, but check humidity and summer extremes too. Most comfortable
- Avoiding snow and cold? Compare the driest and warmest lists against the snowiest before deciding. Driest places
- Want the full picture for a specific place? Open its location profile for monthly tables, frost dates, and degree days. Browse by state
NOAA normals describe the typical 1991–2020 year; they are not forecasts and do not capture post-2020 warming.
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.