Diving Into the Wettest Times of the Year by Region

The moisture machine has picked up steam across the U.S. in recent weeks. However, while some parts of the country are entering their wet season, others are starting to dry out for winter. Here is a closer look at when each part of the U.S. experiences its seasonal peak of precipitation, whether that be in the form of rain or snow.

West

Winter is the wet season for Washington, Oregon, and coastal California. During the summer months, an expansive zone of high pressure known as the Pacific High tends to tether itself just offshore, keeping the storms at bay and delivering mostly sunny conditions up and down the West Coast. However, the Pacific High backs off heading into the winter, paving the way for storms to unleash across the region. The rainfall amounts increase as you travel farther north.

The western edge of Arizona also gets in on the Pacific storm train action. The storms tend to dissipate as they move farther inland into Arizona.