The Year in Rain & Snow
1887
93%
ran at 93% of normal — drier than usual — across 85 cities, the 41st driest of 157 years on record.
Extremes
Biggest Rain Day of 1887
10.1in
Pensacola, FL · Jun 29
Snowiest Station of 1887
119.8in
Green Bay, WI · calendar-year snowfall
Records Set in 1887
Daily Rainfall Records Set
199
calendar-day rainfall records set in 1887 that still stand today
National Precipitation
93%
of the 1996–2025 average across 85 cities
Where the Year Ran Wet & Dry
Each city's 1887 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.
98%J
150%F
61%M
85%A
71%M
102%J
98%J
95%A
92%S
85%O
64%N
137%D
Driest Stations & States
Driest Stations of 1887
| 1 | La Crosse WI | 50% |
| 2 | Rochester NY | 57% |
| 3 | Lincoln NE | 64% |
| 4 | Omaha NE | 65% |
| 5 | Springfield IL | 66% |
| 6 | San Antonio TX | 67% |
| 7 | Dodge City KS | 70% |
| 8 | Des Moines IA | 70% |
| 9 | Columbus OH | 72% |
| 10 | Peoria IL | 74% |
Wettest Stations of 1887
| 1 | Brownsville TX | 217% |
| 2 | Havre MT | 167% |
| 3 | Yuma AZ | 166% |
| 4 | Raleigh NC | 126% |
| 5 | Helena MT | 123% |
| 6 | Spokane WA | 122% |
| 7 | Charlotte NC | 118% |
| 8 | San Diego CA | 115% |
| 9 | Huron SD | 113% |
| 10 | Los Angeles Downtown CA | 113% |
By State
Wettest states of 1887
Arizona166%Montana145%Washington122%South Dakota113%North Carolina111%Texas109%
Driest states of 1887
Kentucky74%Indiana76%Illinois76%Utah76%Massachusetts77%Nebraska77%
DriestSince · 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