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Top 10 U.S. States with the Least Precipitation

Can you guess the states of the U.S.A. that have the least average annual precipitation?
Based on average precipitation over the entire state
Average for the years 1991–2020. Source.
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: August 31, 2022
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First submittedMarch 30, 2017
Times taken39,450
Average score90.0%
Rating4.74
1:30
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Keep scrolling down for answers and more stats ...
inches
state
cm
10.2
Nevada
25.9
11.6
Arizona
29.5
13.5
Utah
34.3
13.8
New Mexico
35.1
16.0
Wyoming
40.6
inches
state
cm
18.0
Colorado
45.7
18.8
North Dakota
47.8
18.9
Montana
48.0
21.2
South Dakota
53.8
22.3
California
56.6
+9
Level 72
Mar 31, 2017
Much easier then the rainiest ones.
+1
Level 44
Jun 12, 2017
+1
+2
Level 71
Mar 31, 2017
Seems they are all adjacent to the east of the Rockies, although I did try Alaska first in case snow did not count.
+4
Level 80
Jul 12, 2017
Either east of the Rockies or in the rain shadow of the Cascades or Sierra Nevada (Great Basin states).

Also, Alaska has rainforests.

+1
Level 52
Aug 9, 2017
I tried Alaska, too, because the snow is pretty dry. However, I wasn't taking into account that southeastern Alaska is very rainy.
+2
Level 52
Nov 8, 2017
And surprisingly lush. There are drier and less...'jungly' places far further south, and it's all thanks to their many, many, many rivers.
+2
Level 51
Aug 19, 2022
The Tongass rainforest gets a lot of rain. Whittier, which receives 250 inches of snow and 200 inches of rain every year, is the wettest inhabited place in the nation. The coastal region is very, very, wet, wet enough to cancel out the dryness of the tundra.
+5
Level 60
Jul 7, 2017
My first 100% on a quiz about US states. (I am not american)
+16
Level 60
Jul 7, 2017
Quiz should be renamed to "Western States that don't border the Pacific".
+6
Level 56
Jul 7, 2017
One of the few things on this website that made me laugh.
+1
Level 75
Jul 8, 2019
Right. Once you've figured out the area of the dry zone, all you need to do is name the states in the vicinity of it. 100%. :)
+1
Level 77
Apr 3, 2020
More accurately, 'Western states that don't border the Pacific, plus the Dakotas'.
+1
Level 43
Dec 15, 2022
What about California?
+1
Level 73
Aug 17, 2017
Hm... I don't see Washington on this. :)
+3
Level 52
Nov 8, 2017
Still less than 100 cm a year, which is barely even half of Hawaii's 178.5/yr., the wettest of them all. Seattle is surprisingly un-rainy for the stereotypes you'd hear. Much like London, it's more of a constant dull fog. A full 84% of Seattle's days (second from all major U.S. cities) is cloudy.
+1
Level 83
Aug 31, 2022
London's average annual precip (24.21 inches) is surprisingly close to Jerusalem's (21.81 inches).
+2
Level 67
Sep 1, 2022
London is the kind of place where it feels rainy even when the sun is shining.
+1
Level 60
Jul 8, 2019
Wow. So easy, I got them all on the first try. None of them were incorrect.
+1
Level 65
Feb 15, 2020
The first time I ever beat the average on a quiz about the USA.
+1
Level 66
Feb 16, 2020
It would be nice if this quiz was accompanied with a map where the states light up after you have guessed them, it is nice to see things in pictures rather than in words

(sorry for the almost childlike description of the last bit, atm my mind isnt cooperating to express myself more eloquently in english, so basic phrases will have to do, eventhough it doesnt truly make clear what I mean. Hopefully you understand the appeal of having a map included yourself.)

+2
Level 73
Sep 18, 2020
Agonising - I typed North Dakota just as the time ran out, and actually saw the full thing appear in the answer box, but it was too late...
+2
Level 55
Sep 21, 2022
It's like killing a boss in dark souls but dying at the same time... :P
+1
Level 29
Jan 14, 2022
Nice.
+1
Level 38
Jul 6, 2022
100%!
+1
Level 49
Sep 13, 2022
Californias only 10? Guess our drought is more about all our people using the water we have than getting too little
+1
Level 33
Dec 15, 2022
I think some parts of NorCal, Northern Sacramento Valley and Sierra Nevada are rather humid compared to SoCal and the San Joaquin Valley.
+1
Level 79
Dec 15, 2022
Sure are a lot of bicameral state legislatures on this list. Coincidence?
+2
Level 84
Dec 15, 2022
first 10 guesses...