It did not rain much in 2005...with a drought starting during the Spring. An active hurricane season broke the drought briefly in September, with 3 to 6 inches of rain with the remnants of Hurricane Rita. However, the rain was followed by the 2nd driest October on record and the driest December on record. In the end, precipitation deficits averaged around 14 inches...making it the second driest year overall.

In the picture: Precipitation departures from normal in 2005. Click to enlarge.

In the end, precipitation deficits averaged around 14 inches...making it the second driest year overall. For a graphic showing precipitation deficits at some cooperative stations across Arkansas, click here.

Driest Years on Record in Arkansas
Year	Precipitation
(1) 1963	32.35"
(2) 2005	34.74"
(3) 1943	34.81"
(4) 1936	34.94"
(5) 1901	35.44"
(6) 1924	37.24"
(7) 1954	37.77"
(8) 1896	37.86"
(9) 1980	40.16"
(10) 1976	40.70"
Average: 49.19"

In the picture: Arkansas precipitation rank (by driest) in 2005. Select a beginning month to left, and an ending month at the top. The intersection of the two is the rank. Click to enlarge.