United States

The Top 10 Driest Cities

in the

All Cities listed are on the western side of the United States

The United States West Coast

El Paso, Texas

#10

Hot summers with constant sunshine in the city are accompanied by little spells of humidity, while the winters are mostly cool and dry. Infrequent rain showers occur between June and September, with the average annual rainfall amounting to 8.8 inches.

El Paso, Texas

#10

Winnemucca, Nevada

#9

The rainfall period in Winnemucca is short, with the average annual record amounting to 8 inches. The colder periods in Winnemucca are accompanied by a thin layer of snowfall, increasing the amount of chill throughout the year.

Winnemucca, Nevada

#9

Alamosa, Colorado

#8

Overall, the climatic aura of the region is dry due to its deficient annual rainfall of approximately 7.3 inches. Moreover, the elevated geography and dry climatic conditions lead to extreme temperature variations between the day and night time.

Alamosa, Colorado

#8

Winslow, Arizona

#7

Winslow, Arizona

#7

The arid climate of Winslow implies that the city experiences long spells of dryness throughout the year, with the only scanty rainfall of an average annual count of 7 inches occurring during the summers between July and September.

Reno, Nevada

#6

Reno, Nevada

#6

Reno has hot summers and mild to cold winters. It falls under the category of cold semi-arid climate The 300 sunshine days are accompanied by short rain spells, with a slight possibility of thunderstorms between May and October. The average annual rainfall measure is a mere 7 inches.

Phoenix, Arizona

#5

Phoenix, Arizona

#5

The city is the most sun-exposed region in the United States, accounting for its close resemblance to the hot desert climate.  The only amount of rainfall the state ever receives is between July and September, with an average annual rainfall measure of around 7 inches.

Bakersfield, Cali.

#4

Bakersfield, Cali.

#4

Rainfall is a relatively uncommon sight at Bakersfield, with an average annual rainfall of only 6 inches which falls mainly during the winters. In addition, winters at Bakersfield are rather chilly and may induce a dense layer of fog in some areas.

Las Vegas, Nevada

#3

Las Vegas, Nevada

#3

Las Vegas is one of the most populated cities in the US, known for its nightlife and casinos. The extreme heat of the summers can lead to Vegas quickly crossing high temperatures of 45 ° C. The only good point is the relatively cooler nights. In the winter there is some rainfall, ranging up to 4 inches annually.

Imperial, California

#2

Imperial, California

#2

This city, belonging to Imperial County in California, is said to be the driest one in the US, and it is right next to the Sonoran Desert. It has long summers of scorching heat and scanty water reserves due to a considerably low measure of annual rainfall, approximately equal to 3 inches or less.

Yuma, Arizona

#1

Yuma, Arizona

#1

Being regarded as “The Sunniest City on Earth” by Guinness World Records, Yuma is named the driest city in the US due to its long spells of warmth and constant sunshine all around the year. In addition, the city has to bear long hours of sunlight for almost 90% of the day. Moreover, the measure of annual rainfall in the area is approximately 3 inches which is a US record.

Palm Leaf

Curious about other parts of the world?

Australia

Antarctica

See More