Data Analysis: Clusters & Patterns
Sorting states from wettest → driest makes regional clustering easy to see. The wettest states concentrate around the Gulf Coast + Southeast, while the driest states cluster in the Southwest + Mountain West.
Wettest Cluster (Gulf + Southeast)
Warm, moisture-rich air from nearby water sources can fuel frequent storms and heavier rainfall.
| State | Inches | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 63.7 | 1 |
| Louisiana | 60.1 | 2 |
| Mississippi | 59.0 | 3 |
| Alabama | 58.3 | 4 |
| Florida | 54.5 | 5 |
Driest Cluster (Southwest + Mountain West)
Dry regions often reflect desert climates, inland distance from moisture, and/or rain shadow effects from mountain ranges.
| State | Inches | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 9.5 | 50 |
| Utah | 12.2 | 49 |
| Wyoming | 12.9 | 48 |
| Arizona | 13.6 | 47 |
| New Mexico | 14.6 | 46 |
Conclusions (what the data suggests)
- Patterns are regional: wet and dry states are not random—many neighbors share similar climates.
- Coastal moisture matters: regions closer to warm water sources tend to rank wetter.
- Mountains + inland distance matter: interior western states often rank drier.
- Ranking helps interpretation: a single “Rank” column makes comparison fast.
Optional: Questions you can answer with this dataset
These match the kinds of “data questions” a mini-site should support.
- Which region has the most states in the top 10 wettest?
- Which states form the “desert band” (≤ 15 inches/year)?
- How does the Northeast average compare to the West average?
- Which states are mid-range (ranks ~16–35) and what regions do they belong to?