COUNTYWIDE : CLIPBOARD : How Dry Was It?
Rainfall in Orange County is measured by the fiscal year, which ends today. So 1989-90 will go on record with 8.65 inches of rain, making this the fourth year in a row to fall below the local yearly average of 12.96 inches. But even though temperatures have soared to record highs recently and drought conditions have turned Southern California into a tinderbox, this year’s rainfall level is still above those considered the driest on record. The following lists the five driest and wettest years in Orange County since 1908.
FIVE DRIEST
Year: Inches
1960-61: 3.56
1971-72: 4.88
1962-63: 5.88
1924-25: 5.92
1958-59: 6.34
FIVE WETTEST
Year: Inches
1940-41: 32.14
1977-78: 29.94
1982-83: 26.87
1951-52: 22.97
1936-37: 22.93
Source: The Orange County Environmental Management Agency. Figures are from measurements taken in Santa Ana.
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