2016 kept 974 out of 987 stations sufficiently active (300 daily observations per year) to be included in this analysis. The final tally of stations with 20-yr daily precipitation extremes translated into a total of 17.4% for the year, second only 2008 in the 116-year record. This continues a national upward trend that has resulted in the six “wettest” years from 1990 onwards, with four of those during the last nine years (2008, 2010, 2015, and now 2016). The upward trend since 1901 is highly significant (p=99.99%) and amounts to an increase of 4.1% over a century (all trends computed through 2015).

There were large regional differences across the map: the Midwest tied its record of 2010 (23.5%), riding an upward trend (+6% over the last century, with p=99.99%); the South was second only to 1998 with 23.5% as well and a similar trend (+5.2%/century, p=99.99%); the Southeast was in the same ballpark with 23.7% (but “only” ranked 8th; no significant upward trend), and the Northern Rockies ended with 15.7% (9th; upward trend of 2%/century at p=93%). On the other hand, the Southwest reported only 4.5% of its station with a 20-yr daily extreme, ranking the 20th lowest, consistent with a downward trend of 3%/century at p=93%).