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FACT BRIEF

Is Nevada the driest state in the US?

By Austin Tannenbaum
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YES

Nevada is the driest state in the nation, and the only state to average less than 10 inches of rain per year. The national average is about 30 inches.

Accounting for this low precipitation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explains that Nevada is located on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada, which blocks much of the moisture from the Pacific Ocean from reaching the state.

Because of this natural scarcity of rainfall, along with overuse of reservoirs and hotter, dryer conditions brought on by climate change, Nevada has experienced drought in the majority of years since 2000, when the U.S. Drought Monitor began collecting data.

Winter storms have eased drought conditions over the past few months, but large reservoirs such as Lake Mead remain low and will require several good years to approach normal, according to Nevada’s State Climatologist Steph McAfee.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
USA.com US Average Precipitation State Rank
Current Results Driest States in the US
National Centers for Environmental Information Temperature and Precipitation Analysis
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration State Climate Summaries 2022
University of Nevada, Reno Climate Change Impacts in Nevada
National Integrated Drought Information System Drought in Nevada from 2000-Present
University of Nevada, Reno Nevada Drought Update for March 2023
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
The Nevada Independent
The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.