Rain, sleet, snow, hail, wintry mix. Precipitation takes on many forms, and the degree to which climate change affects precipitation levels comes down to something almost everyone learns about in school—Earth’s water cycle. A system in endless motion, the water cycle traces the process through which water exists in its three primary phases—liquid, solid, and gas—as it moves perpetually between the Earth and its atmosphere.
Increases in precipitation frequency and intensity are markers of climate change. When temperatures rise and oceans grow warmer, the amount of water that evaporates into the atmosphere—and the speed at which it does so—also increases. As atmospheric circulation carries the moisture-rich air over land or pushes it into a storm system, heavy rain or snow is often the result.
The continental U.S. on average received about 30 inches of precipitation between March 2022 and February 2023. Traditionally “wet” regions—such as Washington state and Alaska in the northwest and Georgia and Mississippi in the southeast—continue to have some of the rainiest counties in the United States. Other areas such as Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, as well as pockets of the South and of California, experience the opposite extreme: drought, also largely a product of climate change.
Stacker cited data from the National Centers for Environmental Information to identify the counties in Oregon that receive the most precipitation through rain, sleet, or snow. Counties are ranked by five-year precipitation averages in inches as of February 2023 with rainfall over the past year serving as a tiebreaker. Supplementary data on how last year’s precipitation compares to the 100-year average for the area is also included.
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#36. Gilliam County
– Five-year precipitation average: 10.28 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 12.65 inches (#101 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.43 inches above norm
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#35. Harney County
– Five-year precipitation average: 10.87 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 10.86 inches (#33 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.98 inches below norm
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#34. Lake County
– Five-year precipitation average: 11.81 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 12.08 inches (#35 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.31 inches below norm
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#33. Sherman County
– Five-year precipitation average: 11.81 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 15.44 inches (#106 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.29 inches above norm
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#32. Crook County
– Five-year precipitation average: 11.93 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 12.62 inches (#35 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.05 inches below norm
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#31. Malheur County
– Five-year precipitation average: 12.20 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 12.33 inches (#64 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.23 inches below norm
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#30. Morrow County
– Five-year precipitation average: 13.39 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 16.81 inches (#109 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.71 inches above norm
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#29. Wheeler County
– Five-year precipitation average: 14.22 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 15.47 inches (#60 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.56 inches below norm
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#28. Jefferson County
– Five-year precipitation average: 15.73 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 16.83 inches (#45 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.52 inches below norm
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#27. Wasco County
– Five-year precipitation average: 17.60 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 19.97 inches (#69 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.21 inches below norm
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#26. Grant County
– Five-year precipitation average: 18.89 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 19.49 inches (#50 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.28 inches below norm
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#25. Deschutes County
– Five-year precipitation average: 18.91 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 20.78 inches (#37 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.85 inches below norm
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#24. Baker County
– Five-year precipitation average: 19.10 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 19.19 inches (#40 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.95 inches below norm
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#23. Umatilla County
– Five-year precipitation average: 20.69 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 23.88 inches (#111 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 3.50 inches above norm
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#22. Klamath County
– Five-year precipitation average: 22.10 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 24.14 inches (#42 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.92 inches below norm
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#21. Wallowa County
– Five-year precipitation average: 26.11 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 26.34 inches (#58 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.10 inches below norm
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#20. Union County
– Five-year precipitation average: 28.50 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 28.23 inches (#63 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.52 inches below norm
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#19. Jackson County
– Five-year precipitation average: 29.98 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 32.88 inches (#45 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.93 inches below norm
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#18. Douglas County
– Five-year precipitation average: 44.89 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 49.08 inches (#48 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -4.18 inches below norm
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#17. Josephine County
– Five-year precipitation average: 46.54 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 51.06 inches (#59 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.30 inches below norm
Yanqiang Dai // Shutterstock
#16. Washington County
– Five-year precipitation average: 49.00 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 51.95 inches (#50 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.84 inches below norm
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#15. Columbia County
– Five-year precipitation average: 49.90 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 49.46 inches (#31 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -6.98 inches below norm
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#14. Benton County
– Five-year precipitation average: 52.75 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 55.87 inches (#58 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.31 inches below norm
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#13. Hood River County
– Five-year precipitation average: 52.85 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 57.73 inches (#60 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.71 inches below norm
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#12. Yamhill County
– Five-year precipitation average: 53.18 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 56.85 inches (#50 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -4.08 inches below norm
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#11. Lane County
– Five-year precipitation average: 55.41 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 59.92 inches (#48 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -4.06 inches below norm
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#10. Marion County
– Five-year precipitation average: 55.49 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 61.55 inches (#60 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.04 inches below norm
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
#9. Multnomah County
– Five-year precipitation average: 55.54 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 62.22 inches (#67 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.26 inches below norm
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#8. Coos County
– Five-year precipitation average: 57.38 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 59.41 inches (#33 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -9.45 inches below norm
Cynthia Liang // Shutterstock
#7. Polk County
– Five-year precipitation average: 58.05 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 62.89 inches (#51 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.83 inches below norm
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#6. Linn County
– Five-year precipitation average: 59.85 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 64.82 inches (#48 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -4.76 inches below norm
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#5. Clackamas County
– Five-year precipitation average: 65.40 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 72.83 inches (#63 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.52 inches below norm
Manuela Durson // Shutterstock
#4. Curry County
– Five-year precipitation average: 71.67 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 74.62 inches (#38 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -11.51 inches below norm
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#3. Clatsop County
– Five-year precipitation average: 79.03 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 78.19 inches (#31 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -10.96 inches below norm
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#2. Lincoln County
– Five-year precipitation average: 82.13 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 88.90 inches (#62 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.05 inches below norm
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#1. Tillamook County
– Five-year precipitation average: 92.31 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 95.53 inches (#48 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -5.66 inches below norm
Stacker
Stacker is a news organization that produces and distributes data journalism to the world’s news organizations. Founded in 2017, Stacker combines data analysis with rich editorial context, drawing on authoritative sources and subject matter experts to drive storytelling. This article has been republished pursuant to a CC BY-NC 4.0 License.