The Year in Rain & Snow
1942
102%
ran at 102% of normal — wetter than usual — across 316 cities, the 41st wettest of 157 years on record.
Extremes
Biggest Rain Day of 1942
15.22in
West Palm Beach, FL · Apr 17
Snowiest Station of 1942
135.9in
Saranac Lake, NY · calendar-year snowfall
Records Set in 1942
Daily Rainfall Records Set
953
calendar-day rainfall records set in 1942 that still stand today
National Precipitation
102%
of the 1996–2025 average across 316 cities
Where the Year Ran Wet & Dry
Each city's 1942 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.
71%J
102%F
110%M
121%A
102%M
103%J
93%J
115%A
98%S
89%O
97%N
115%D
Wettest Stations & States
Wettest Stations of 1942
| 1 | Crescent City CA | 162% |
| 2 | Salina KS | 159% |
| 3 | Cheyenne WY | 159% |
| 4 | Pueblo CO | 157% |
| 5 | Baker City OR | 153% |
| 6 | Clayton NM | 150% |
| 7 | Lubbock TX | 149% |
| 8 | Stillwater OK | 145% |
| 9 | Omak WA | 141% |
| 10 | North Platte NE | 141% |
Driest Stations of 1942
| 1 | Riverside CA | 39% |
| 2 | Ely NV | 49% |
| 3 | Flagstaff AZ | 50% |
| 4 | Needles CA | 53% |
| 5 | Burbank Glendale Pasadena CA | 54% |
| 6 | Los Angeles Downtown CA | 59% |
| 7 | Reno NV | 61% |
| 8 | Las Vegas NV | 62% |
| 9 | Kotzebue AK | 62% |
| 10 | Kingman AZ | 64% |
By State
Wettest states of 1942
New Mexico126%Oregon126%Kansas125%District of Columbia123%South Dakota121%Idaho121%
Driest states of 1942
Arizona74%Nevada82%Maine87%Utah87%South Carolina89%Alabama90%
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