RV Rainout: The 8 Rainiest U.S. Cities

Rain, rain go away so I can get my RV on its way! Here are the 8 rainiest U.S. cities.

Obviously, there’s not much you can do about the weather. But you CAN make plans to avoid especially rainy parts of the country.

The folks at Travel Trivia have made it a bit easier with a list of the “8 Rainiest Cities in the U.S” — a list based on the U.S. cities that receive the highest amount of precipitation.

I realize RVers might not be headed specifically to the cities, but you may be traveling NEAR or THROUGH the cities on the list.

If you love or hate rain for RV travel – take a look at these other posts on the topic:

• 9 Rainy Day Activities While Camping
• 5 Best Rain Ponchos for Hiking and Backpacking (2021)
• 5 Great Places for RVers Who Hate the Rain

The Rainiest U.S. Cities

Just missing the list are Atlanta, Nashville, Providence, R.I., Virginia Beach, Tampa (don’t worry Florida is well-represented on the list), Raleigh, and Hartford.

The lucky locations at the top of the list are:

8. Houston, Texas (49.8 inches per year)

Texas is often portrayed or viewed as a dusty grassland. That’s not necessarily the case for Houston, which kicks off the list at nearly 50 inches of rain annually.

7. New York, N.Y. (49.9 inches per year)

The good thing about New York is that many of the attractions that might be appealing for RVers are indoors. Also, if you get fed up with the city, you might want to head upstate to some truly amazing RV destinations.

Don’t forget for next year, that New York City is one of the 8 U.S. Cities with Perfect Weather in June.

6. Orlando, Fla. (50.7 inches per year)

Yes, it’s true that we’ve said “You are never too old for Disney World,” (check out the video below) but if you’re not a fan of rain, use caution when traveling here.

As Travel Trivia notes, storms can come out of nowhere and dump gallons of water — and be gone within 30 minutes. And don’t even get me started on the hurricanes.  

5. Jacksonville, Fla. (52.4 inches per year)

Look, we love Florida for many, many reasons. You can check out some of our extensive coverage here.

The state is especially great in the winter but can be a pain for those who hate rain in the summer. According to BestPlaces.net, August is the month with the most rainy days (14.3) in Jacksonville.

But if you regularly like your temps in the 90s, Jacksonville might be for you. That’s because an average of 19 days in July and 16 days in August are above 90 degrees.

---

Mike and Jennifer’s RV Lifestyle hat collection

Who needs a hat? You do! Dad hats aren’t just for dads. This comfy one’s got a low profile with an adjustable strap and curved visor. Just the thing to wear on your next RV Lifestyle adventure.

---

4. Memphis, Tenn. (53.7 inches per year)

It’s a good thing Memphis is a lot about music — music that is played inside, that is.

Data suggests there are about 10 rainy days per month throughout the year so there isn’t necessarily a rainy season in Memphis. But it’s definitely hot this time of year.

We were in the area a while ago as our grandson was playing in the Dizzy Dean League World Series on a team coached by our son, Scott. The temperature was over 100 very humid degrees for several days. So if that’s your thing, you should be good.

3. Birmingham, Ala. (53.7 inches per year)

Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains is Birmingham, Ala. The area has a rich history with regard to the nation’s manufacturing age as well as the American Civil Rights Movement.

But like Memphis, Birmingham gets a lot of rain and is hot this time of year.

2. Miami, Fla. (61.9 inches per year)

Is it really a surprise to find ANOTHER Florida location on this list?

1. New Orleans, La. (62.7 inches per year)

New Orleans is a frequent destination of ours – in the winter and early spring.

But anyone who’s watched the news during hurricane season –and remembers Katrina– won’t be surprised by this one.

Mike and Jennifer’s Favorite Places in Florida – all 3 ebooks!

We RVers may wander far and wide but it’s true for most of us that we end up with some favorite “Go-To” places – places that draw us back again and again.

Florida is one of those places for us. And we know it is for many RVers looking to get away and explore during the winter. 

That’s why we’ve created three guides, covering Florida’s Atlantic Coast, the Gulf Coast, and the Keys. 

Each of these guides is a seven-day guided exploration of one of the coasts. And each stop is a curated view of the best things that we’ve enjoyed on this trip and want you to experience.

Altogether these guides are over 300 pages of content! 

---

FAQ’s about Florida Gulf Coast beaches of interest to RVers

What is the weather like along Florida’s Gulf Coast?

The weather along Florida’s Gulf Coast can vary depending on the time of year and the specific location. In general, the area experiences hot, humid summers and mild, pleasant winters.

The Panhandle region can be quite cool in January. It is seldom below freezing, but daytime highs are typically in the 50s. It warms up about 10 degrees each month.

You can also generally add about 10 degrees for every 150 miles you travel south down the Florida peninsula.

By the time you hit Naples, daytime highs in January are in the comfortable 70s.

Did Hurricane Ian destroy many beach campgrounds on the Gulf Coast?

While it severely damaged almost two dozen RV parks and campgrounds, about 8-10 campgrounds in the Naples-Ft. Myers area were completely destroyed. Most of the damaged campgrounds have been repaired and reopened.

Check with the Florida Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds if you have questions or concerns.

Are there any websites that can help me get a reservation for a Florida beach campground?

One of the best resources we can recommend is called Campnab. This service monitors parks for cancelations and sends you an alert when an opening matches your criteria. That said, it isn’t magic. The app doesn’t create availabilities. 

The service works – but it is not free.

Campnab offers two ways to use the service. The first is individual pay-per-use scans. These watch for vacancies at a specific park for a specific date. These work well if you know exactly when and where you intend to camp. Pay-per-use scans cost $10 – $20, depending on how frequently you want them to check availability.

The second way to use the service is through a membership. These typically run monthly and are tailored to those who camp more frequently or are looking to maximize their chance of finding a site. Membership allows you to scan multiple parks and/or dates simultaneously. With memberships, you pay a monthly recurring fee ($10, $20, $30, or $50), depending on your needs.

Are there places in Florida where you can literally camp on the beach for free?

Not many. And they are very pricey. If you want to sleep directly on the sand in an RV, you’ll have to stay at a developed commercial campground like Camp Gulf on the Emerald Coast or an RV resort like Big Pine Key Resort in the keys. Some state parks like the Gamble Rogers State Memorial Recreation Area in the Atlantic Coast or  Bahia Honda State Park in the keys or Fort Desto State Park near St. Petersburg have beachside sites, too.

But are there free, unrestricted RV beach camping spots in Florida?

Sorry, none that I know of that would work for RVs.

There is unrestricted camping on wild beaches on a couple of islands, but you need a boat to get there, and it is for tent camping only. If you want to sleep directly on the sand, there is Anclote Key offshore Tarpon Springs, and Shell Key in Pinellas County. Another favorite is Keewaydin Island between Naples and Marco Island but that area remains pretty devasted from Hurricane Ian.