The Year in Rain & Snow
1890
96%
ran at 96% of normal — drier than usual — across 106 cities, the 93rd wettest of 157 years on record.
Extremes
Biggest Rain Day of 1890
5.14in
Jacksonville, FL · Oct 1
Snowiest Station of 1890
100.5in
Sault Ste Marie, MI · calendar-year snowfall
Records Set in 1890
Daily Rainfall Records Set
250
calendar-day rainfall records set in 1890 that still stand today
National Precipitation
96%
of the 1996–2025 average across 106 cities
Where the Year Ran Wet & Dry
Each city's 1890 precipitation as a percent of its 1996–2025 normal — brown where the year ran dry, green-to-blue where it ran wet.
Month by Month
Precipitation by month as a percent of normal — blue above the line is a wet month, amber below is dry.
131%J
120%F
97%M
84%A
110%M
85%J
72%J
103%A
135%S
109%O
60%N
61%D
Wettest Stations & States
Wettest Stations of 1890
| 1 | Sacramento CA | 137% |
| 2 | Fort Smith AR | 135% |
| 3 | Eureka CA | 133% |
| 4 | Winnemucca NV | 132% |
| 5 | Pittsburgh PA | 126% |
| 6 | Indianapolis IN | 126% |
| 7 | Manchester NH | 124% |
| 8 | Little Rock AR | 124% |
| 9 | Memphis TN | 123% |
| 10 | Rochester NY | 121% |
Driest Stations of 1890
| 1 | Lincoln NE | 51% |
| 2 | Dodge City KS | 52% |
| 3 | North Platte NE | 60% |
| 4 | Mobile AL | 64% |
| 5 | Concordia KS | 65% |
| 6 | Huron SD | 65% |
| 7 | Denver CO | 66% |
| 8 | Peoria IL | 68% |
| 9 | Salt Lake City UT | 68% |
| 10 | Des Moines IA | 70% |
By State
Wettest states of 1890
Nevada132%Arkansas130%Indiana126%Arizona118%New Hampshire117%Kentucky114%
Driest states of 1890
South Dakota65%Kansas66%Colorado68%Utah68%Nebraska70%Illinois75%
WettestSince · browse by state · precipitation & snowfall records · NOAA/RCC-ACIS ThreadEx gauge record · part of Weather Trader · supported by Substack Subscribers
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© 2026 Weather Trader · All rights reserved