Is Nevada the most arrid US state (Las Vegas, Reno: land, location)

[sammerd]

It seems like it is, vast open spaces based on looking at map.

[sodaturd]

According to the GWPC, it is...

[sammerd]

Thanks. That makes so much sense. I have always wondered why it's so empty in Nevada. I love LV, but otherwise, it's empty. This makes sense now.

[Buzz123]

Several western states are relatively "empty", but you were asking about it being the most arid. Some of the "empty" states get plenty of rain.

The BLM (Federal Bureau of Land Management), controls 87% of Nevada, as well as similar percentages of other western states, which is why Nevada looks "empty". I'm personally glad they do, as we need to maintain enough space that isn't fenced in, or paved over, so our great-great-grandkids have some room left to their generations to get lost in.

Aridness has to do with location and terrain though. Most moisture that eventually hits Nevada comes off the Pacific, which means it has to make it over the coastal mountains of California, then the Sierras, and other ranges in southern Nevada. You'll notice that deserts throughout the world are on the leeward side of mountains, and most of the rain is captured by the windward side, and doesn't make it across the peaks very far.

I believe Reno, in northern Nevada, gets an average of just under 8 inches of rain a year, and Las Vegas, in southern Nevada, gets an average of just over 4 inches a year. And it all has to do with proximity to mountains and the prevailing winds.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by sammerd

It seems like it is, vast open spaces based on looking at map.

Nevada is the 7th largest state at 110,000 sq miles. Go to Wikipedia and put in the names of other states, and/or countries, and you'll be amazed at how Nevada compares with countries in Europe, and how small it makes other states seem to be. Actually, we have counties in Nevada that are bigger than some of the states, and even a few countries.

[khuntrevor]

Mohave County Az is huge, as well, Buzz. I've heard Antarctica is extremely arid, and tht makes me wonder about Alaska.

[Buzz123]

Most counties in most western states are huge. Texas and Alaska have the biggest. I don't think Alaska can be considered "arid" at all, unless it is on the northern edge. What I saw of it was more like Washington, or British Columbia. But even though Alaska has hundreds of glaciers, it isn't anything like Antarctica, which I've heard is the most arid place on the planet.

The OP's question: is Nevada the most Arid state (not most arid land mass on the planet)? The answer is yes, according to the USGS. USGS Programs in Nevada