Chart assignment

Charts to read and discuss

Read each chart, then answer its questions. Every chart shows its source and date; open it for a table of the numbers and the data to download.

  1. What were the wettest years on record in the US?

Chart 1 of 1 · Climate

What were the wettest years on record in the US?

The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are on the chart's page.

Through 2025, 1973 was the wettest year on record in the contiguous US, with 5.0 inches more rain and melted snow than the 1901–2000 average of 29.9 inches, ahead of 2019 (4.9 inches more). Through 2025, six of the 10 wettest years since 1895 came in 1996 or later.

Questions to discuss

  1. In one sentence of your own, what does this chart show?
  2. Find the biggest change or difference in the chart. What might explain it?
  3. Who collected these numbers, and how recent are they? What else would you want to know before drawing a conclusion?

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Climate at a Glance (Public domain (U.S. government work)) · Data as of Dec 31, 2025

Open the chart and its numbers

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