The Year in Rain & Snow
1997
100%
ran at 100% of normal — wetter than usual — across 357 cities, the 99th driest of 157 years on record.
Extremes
Biggest Rain Day of 1997
13.81in
Guam, GU · Dec 16
Snowiest Station of 1997
259.6in
Marquette County, MI · calendar-year snowfall
Records Set in 1997
Daily Rainfall Records Set
1,080
calendar-day rainfall records set in 1997 that still stand today
National Precipitation
100%
of the 1996–2025 average across 357 cities
Where the Year Ran Wet & Dry
Each city's 1997 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.
114%J
106%F
89%M
107%A
88%M
107%J
100%J
128%A
116%S
92%O
116%N
107%D
Driest Stations & States
Driest Stations of 1997
| 1 | Stanley ID | 52% |
| 2 | Fairbanks AK | 56% |
| 3 | Bethel AK | 57% |
| 4 | Mcgrath AK | 57% |
| 5 | Havre MT | 58% |
| 6 | Wilmington DE | 62% |
| 7 | King Salmon AK | 63% |
| 8 | Sioux City IA | 64% |
| 9 | San Juan PR | 65% |
| 10 | Sisseton SD | 68% |
Wettest Stations of 1997
| 1 | Yuma AZ | 298% |
| 2 | El Centro CA | 195% |
| 3 | Victoria TX | 173% |
| 4 | Roswell NM | 163% |
| 5 | Sarasota-Bradenton FL | 159% |
| 6 | Childress TX | 155% |
| 7 | Kahului HI | 150% |
| 8 | Lawton OK | 148% |
| 9 | Grand Junction CO | 148% |
| 10 | Albuquerque NM | 148% |
By State
Wettest states of 1997
New Mexico142%Hawaii132%Colorado131%Guam130%Arizona129%Texas124%
Driest states of 1997
Delaware62%Puerto Rico65%Massachusetts71%Pennsylvania78%Iowa79%Vermont79%
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