U.S. Rainfall and Precipitation Statistics
Published September 15, 2026 · StatsGalore
Average precipitation across the contiguous U.S. [1]
The contiguous United States averaged 29.19 inches of precipitation in 2025, according to NOAA. That was 0.73 inch below its twentieth-century average. Precipitation is broader than rainfall alone: it expresses the water received from different forms of precipitation in a common depth measure. [1]
The numbers
| Geographic area | 2025 precipitation | Difference from stated baseline | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contiguous United States | 29.19 inches | 0.73 inch below 20th-century average | [1] |
| Alaska | 39.72 inches | 3.02 inches above report baseline | [1] |
| Hawaii | 41.96 inches | 19.77 inches below 1991–2020 average | [1] |
An area average is not a weather station
The number summarizes conditions across a geographic area. It does not mean every location received the displayed amount. Wet and dry places can coexist within the same national or state average.
An annual total also hides timing. The same amount of precipitation spread across many days can have different consequences from a few intense events.
[1]Rainfall and precipitation are not interchangeable
The source reports precipitation, which includes the liquid-water equivalent of frozen precipitation. Calling the total rainfall without that qualification can misdescribe what was measured.
Keeping the original unit of inches also matters. A depth measure differs from a volume of water, which would require specifying an area.
[1]Baselines need their own labels
An anomaly is a difference from a reference average. The reference period is part of the statistic, not a footnote that can be discarded. The report uses different stated reference conventions for different geographic series.
Because the baselines differ, a comparison of anomalies should preserve those labels. The table is not a single standardized ranking of how unusual conditions were everywhere.
[1]A national total does not describe local risk
A relatively dry national year can still contain severe local flooding. Regional totals, timing, terrain, and other conditions matter for local impacts. This annual table cannot establish flood probability for an address.
For historical comparisons, follow the source’s climate series and retain its geographic coverage. The contiguous-U.S. number excludes Alaska and Hawaii, which are shown separately here.
[1]Sources & notes
NOAA NCEI 2025 annual climate assessment, published January 2026. Precipitation includes liquid-water equivalents; geographic series and reference baselines are identified separately.
Source review: 2026-09-15. Article publication and underlying data dates are separate. How we use statistics · Suggest a correction