The Year in Rain & Snow
1959
99%
ran at 99% of normal — drier than usual — across 376 cities, the 93rd driest of 157 years on record.
Extremes
Biggest Rain Day of 1959
12.72in
Hilo, HI · Nov 1
Snowiest Station of 1959
321.6in
Yakutat, AK · calendar-year snowfall
Records Set in 1959
Daily Rainfall Records Set
1,153
calendar-day rainfall records set in 1959 that still stand today
National Precipitation
99%
of the 1996–2025 average across 376 cities
Where the Year Ran Wet & Dry
Each city's 1959 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.
96%J
113%F
93%M
82%A
96%M
80%J
101%J
101%A
166%S
133%O
87%N
104%D
Driest Stations & States
Driest Stations of 1959
| 1 | Bakersfield CA | 30% |
| 2 | King Salmon AK | 44% |
| 3 | Los Angeles Downtown CA | 44% |
| 4 | Hanford CA | 46% |
| 5 | Winnemucca NV | 48% |
| 6 | Palmdale CA | 49% |
| 7 | Camarillo CA | 50% |
| 8 | Long Beach CA | 51% |
| 9 | Elko NV | 54% |
| 10 | Los Angeles Airport CA | 54% |
Wettest Stations of 1959
| 1 | Stillwater OK | 198% |
| 2 | Annette AK | 183% |
| 3 | Marathon FL | 178% |
| 4 | Punta Gorda FL | 169% |
| 5 | Winter Haven FL | 165% |
| 6 | Midland-Odessa TX | 164% |
| 7 | San Angelo TX | 162% |
| 8 | Sarasota-Bradenton FL | 160% |
| 9 | Needles CA | 159% |
| 10 | Leesburg FL | 157% |
By State
Wettest states of 1959
Oklahoma149%Florida133%South Carolina128%Georgia119%Iowa117%Arizona112%
Driest states of 1959
Guam61%Nevada70%California72%Kentucky77%North Dakota82%Puerto Rico82%
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