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Is Nashville Rainier Than Seattle? The Problem with Averages

According to bestplaces.net, Seattle, Washington averages 38 inches of rain per year, while Nashville gets 49.3 inches of rain per year on average. Thus, on average, Nashville is 29.7% rainier than Seattle. But is Nashville really rainier? When you think of Seattle, you likely think of Starbucks and rainy weather. When you think of Nashville, you probably think of country music and warm weather. Is the weather part of that perception wrong? To really understand the difference, we need to look at more than just the average rainfall. For instance, Seattle has more rainy days per month than Nashville in the Fall, Winter, and Spring. Only in the Summer does Nashville have more rainy days in July and August. See the graph below.

As is evident from the comparison of rainfall in Nashville and Seattle, the problem with averages are that they can be misleading. A full consideration of uncertainty is required. For the reader interested in learning more about uncertainty, check out my book, available at Amazon and through other booksellers.