The Year in Rain & Snow
1953
90%
ran at 90% of normal — drier than usual — across 370 cities, the 135th wettest of 157 years on record.
Extremes
Biggest Rain Day of 1953
15.48in
Guam, GU · Oct 15
Snowiest Station of 1953
177.2in
Yakutat, AK · calendar-year snowfall
Records Set in 1953
Daily Rainfall Records Set
994
calendar-day rainfall records set in 1953 that still stand today
National Precipitation
90%
of the 1996–2025 average across 370 cities
Where the Year Ran Wet & Dry
Each city's 1953 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.
106%J
105%F
104%M
108%A
100%M
91%J
75%J
101%A
59%S
62%O
89%N
98%D
Wettest Stations & States
Wettest Stations of 1953
| 1 | Ashland WI | 159% |
| 2 | Daytona Beach FL | 155% |
| 3 | Baker City OR | 153% |
| 4 | Lawton OK | 152% |
| 5 | Sanford FL | 150% |
| 6 | Gainesville FL | 149% |
| 7 | Klamath Falls OR | 148% |
| 8 | Pullman WA | 147% |
| 9 | Crescent City CA | 147% |
| 10 | Brainerd MN | 146% |
Driest Stations of 1953
| 1 | El Centro CA | 11% |
| 2 | Yuma AZ | 11% |
| 3 | Las Vegas NV | 15% |
| 4 | Palmdale CA | 15% |
| 5 | Lancaster CA | 21% |
| 6 | Palm Springs CA | 24% |
| 7 | Burbank Glendale Pasadena CA | 29% |
| 8 | Los Angeles Downtown CA | 29% |
| 9 | Camarillo CA | 30% |
| 10 | San Diego CA | 38% |
By State
Wettest states of 1953
Oregon129%Florida125%District of Columbia121%Washington117%Rhode Island116%Georgia115%
Driest states of 1953
Nevada55%Missouri57%California58%Arizona60%New Mexico67%Hawaii67%
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