April Showers

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They say that April Showers bring May flowers, so what better time to look at rainfall statistics than April? Study this chart and see if you can answer the questions that follow.

Greatest Rainfalls

	Place	Date	Inches	Centimeters
1 minute (world)	Unionville, MD	July 4, 1956	1.23	3.1
20 minutes (world)	Curtea-de-Arges, Romania	July 7, 1889	8.1	20.5
42 minutes (world)	Holt, MO	June 22, 1947	12	30.5
12 hours (world)	Grand Ilet, La Reunion	January 26, 1980	46	114
24 hours (world)	Foc-Foc, La Reunion	January 7-8, 1966	72	182.5
24 hours (N. Hemisphere)	Paishih, Taiwan	September 10-11, 1963	49	125
24 hours (Australia)	Bellenden Ker, Queensland	January 4, 1979	44	114
24 hours (U.S.)	Alvin, Texas	July 25-26, 1979	43	109
24 hours (Canada)	Ucluelet Brynnor Mines, British Columbia	October 6, 1967	19	49
5 days (world)	Commerson, la Reunion	January 23-28, 1980	156	395
1 month (world)	Cherrapunji, India	July 1861	366	930
12 months (world)	Cherrapunji, India	August 1860-August 1861	1,042	2,647
12 months (U.S.)	Kukui, Maui, Hawaii	December 1981-December 1982	739	1878

Don't forget your umbrella...

In Romania in 1889 it rained 8.1 inches in 20 minutes. If it had rained for an hour at the same rate, how many inches would have fallen?

In 1947 in Holt, Missouri it rained 12 inches in 42 minutes. About how much rain is that a minute? Show your answer as a decimal and a fraction.

The 1-month and 12 month records for rainfall took place in India in 1861. Look at how much rain fell in July, and then determine how much fell the other 11 months.

What year and what place hold the record for annual rainfall in the US?

How much more did it rain an hour in La Reunion in 1966 than it rained in Alvin Texas in 1979?

AVERAGE ANNUAL RAINFALL OF 100 US CITIES
: Average Annual Precipitation

City Inches Days

Albany, NY 35.74 134

Albuquerque, NM 8.12 59

Anchorage, Alaska 15.20 115

Asheville, NC 47.71 124

Atlanta, GA 48.61 115

Atlantic City, NJ 41.93 112

Austin, TX 31.50 83

Baltimore, MD 41.84 113

Baton Rouge, LA 55.77 108

Billings, MT 15.09 96

Birmingham, AL 54.52 117

Bismark, ND 15.36 96

Boise, ID 11.71 92

Boston, MA 43.81 127

Bridgeport, CT 41.56 117

Buffalo, NY 37.52 169

Burlington, VT 33.69 153

Caribou, ME 36.59 160

Casper, WY 11.43 95

Charleston, SC 51.59 113

Charleston, WV 42.43 151

Charlotte NC 43.16 111

Cheyenne, WY 13.31 98

Chicago, IL 33.34 127

Cleveland, OH 35.40 156

Columbia, SC 49.12 109

Columbus, OH 36.97 137

Concord, NH 36.53 125

Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX 29.46 78

Denver, CO 15.31 88

Des Moines, IO 30.83 107

Detroit, MI 30.97 133

Dodge City, KS 20.66 78

Duluth, MN 29.68 135

El Paso, TX 7.82 47

Fairbanks, AK 10.37 106

Fargo, ND 19.59 100

Grand Junction, CO 8.00 72

Grand Rapids, MI 34.35 143

Hartford, CT 44.39 127

Helena, MT 11.37 96

Honolulu, HI 23.47 100

Houston, TX 44.76 105

Indianapolis, IN 39.12 125

Jackson, MS 52.82 109

Jacksonville, FL 52.76 116

Juneau, AK 53.15 220

Kansas City, MO 29.27 98

Knoxville, TN 47.29 127

Las Vegas, NV 4.19 26

Lexington, KY 45.68 131

Little Rock, AR 49.20 104

Long Beach, CA 11.54 32

Los Angeles, CA 12.08 36

Louisville, KY 43.56 125

Madison, WI 30.84 118

Memphis, TN 51.57 107

Miami, FL 57.55 129

Milwaukee, WI 30.94 125

Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN 26.36 115

Mobile, AL 64.64 123

Montgomery, AL 49.16 108

Mt. Washington, NH 89.92 209

Nashville, TN 48.49 119

Newark, NJ 42.34 122

New Orleans, LA 59.74 114

New York, NY 42.82 119

Norfolk, VA 45.22 115

Oklahoma City, OK 30.89 82

Olympia, WA 50.96 164

Omaha, NE 30.34 98

Philadelphia, PA 41.42 117

Phoenix, AZ 7.11 36

Pittsburgh, PA 36.30 154

Portland, ME 43.52 128

Portland, OR 37.39 154

Providence, RI 45.32 124

Raleigh, NC 41.76 112

Reno, NV 7.49 51

Richmond, VA 44.07 113

Roswell, NM 9.70 52

Sacramento, CA 17.10 58

Salt Lake City, UT 15.31 90

San Antonio, TX 29.13 81

San Diego, CA 9.32 43

San Francisco, CA 19.71 63

Savannah, GA 49.70 111

Seattle-Tacoma, WA 38.60 158

Sioux Falls, SD 24.12 96

Spokane, WA 16.71 114

Springfield, IL 33.78 114

St. Louis, MO 33.91 111

Tampa, FL 46.73 107

Toledo, OH 31.78 137

Tucson, AZ 11.14 52

Tulsa, OK 38.77 89

Vero Beach, FL 51.41 N/A

Washington, DC 39.00 112

Wichita, KS 28.61 85

Wilmington, DE 41.38 117

6. Based on inches of rainfall, what is the wettest city? The driest?
7. in which city does it rain the most days of the year? How many days does it rain? In which city does it rain the least amount of days? How many days does it rain?
8. What city comes closest to raining one fourth of the year? How many days does it rain?
9. In Spokane, WA and Springfield, IL, it rains 114 days of the year. In which city does it rain harder? Explain your answer.
10. Seattle, WA, Tulsa, OK, and Washington, DC all get about 39 inches of rainfall a year. In which of the three cities does it rain harder? Explain.
11. Which city comes closest to getting about a foot of rain annually? Two and a half feet? Five feet?
12. Which is the driest city in Texas?
13. Which is the wettest city in Florida?
14. Make a line plot to show how many cities have from 3 to 4 feet of rain annually. Use only whole numbers starting with 36.

April Showers Solutions

Back to Puzzling and Perplexing Problems

City	Inches	Days
Albany, NY	35.74	134
Albuquerque, NM	8.12	59
Anchorage, Alaska	15.20	115
Asheville, NC	47.71	124
Atlanta, GA	48.61	115
Atlantic City, NJ	41.93	112
Austin, TX	31.50	83
Baltimore, MD	41.84	113
Baton Rouge, LA	55.77	108
Billings, MT	15.09	96
Birmingham, AL	54.52	117
Bismark, ND	15.36	96
Boise, ID	11.71	92
Boston, MA	43.81	127
Bridgeport, CT	41.56	117
Buffalo, NY	37.52	169
Burlington, VT	33.69	153
Caribou, ME	36.59	160
Casper, WY	11.43	95
Charleston, SC	51.59	113
Charleston, WV	42.43	151
Charlotte NC	43.16	111
Cheyenne, WY	13.31	98
Chicago, IL	33.34	127
Cleveland, OH	35.40	156
Columbia, SC	49.12	109
Columbus, OH	36.97	137
Concord, NH	36.53	125
Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX	29.46	78
Denver, CO	15.31	88
Des Moines, IO	30.83	107
Detroit, MI	30.97	133
Dodge City, KS	20.66	78
Duluth, MN	29.68	135
El Paso, TX	7.82	47
Fairbanks, AK	10.37	106
Fargo, ND	19.59	100
Grand Junction, CO	8.00	72
Grand Rapids, MI	34.35	143
Hartford, CT	44.39	127
Helena, MT	11.37	96
Honolulu, HI	23.47	100
Houston, TX	44.76	105
Indianapolis, IN	39.12	125
Jackson, MS	52.82	109
Jacksonville, FL	52.76	116
Juneau, AK	53.15	220
Kansas City, MO	29.27	98
Knoxville, TN	47.29	127
Las Vegas, NV	4.19	26
Lexington, KY	45.68	131
Little Rock, AR	49.20	104
Long Beach, CA	11.54	32
Los Angeles, CA	12.08	36
Louisville, KY	43.56	125
Madison, WI	30.84	118
Memphis, TN	51.57	107
Miami, FL	57.55	129
Milwaukee, WI	30.94	125
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN	26.36	115
Mobile, AL	64.64	123
Montgomery, AL	49.16	108
Mt. Washington, NH	89.92	209
Nashville, TN	48.49	119
Newark, NJ	42.34	122
New Orleans, LA	59.74	114
New York, NY	42.82	119
Norfolk, VA	45.22	115
Oklahoma City, OK	30.89	82
Olympia, WA	50.96	164
Omaha, NE	30.34	98
Philadelphia, PA	41.42	117
Phoenix, AZ	7.11	36
Pittsburgh, PA	36.30	154
Portland, ME	43.52	128
Portland, OR	37.39	154
Providence, RI	45.32	124
Raleigh, NC	41.76	112
Reno, NV	7.49	51
Richmond, VA	44.07	113
Roswell, NM	9.70	52
Sacramento, CA	17.10	58
Salt Lake City, UT	15.31	90
San Antonio, TX	29.13	81
San Diego, CA	9.32	43
San Francisco, CA	19.71	63
Savannah, GA	49.70	111
Seattle-Tacoma, WA	38.60	158
Sioux Falls, SD	24.12	96
Spokane, WA	16.71	114
Springfield, IL	33.78	114
St. Louis, MO	33.91	111
Tampa, FL	46.73	107
Toledo, OH	31.78	137
Tucson, AZ	11.14	52
Tulsa, OK	38.77	89
Vero Beach, FL	51.41	N/A
Washington, DC	39.00	112
Wichita, KS	28.61	85
Wilmington, DE	41.38	117