Wettest counties in Iowa

Written by:
May 5, 2023
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Wettest counties in Iowa

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 Iowa 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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#50. Warren County

- Five-year precipitation average: 35.60 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 30.58 inches (#49 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.35 inches below norm
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Lucas Oglesbee // Shutterstock

#49. Tama County

- Five-year precipitation average: 35.64 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 30.46 inches (#43 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.66 inches below norm
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SevenMaps // Shutterstock

#48. Hardin County

- Five-year precipitation average: 35.67 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 33.89 inches (#81 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.86 inches above norm
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#47. Mahaska County

- Five-year precipitation average: 35.73 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 30.43 inches (#44 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.40 inches below norm
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#46. Taylor County

- Five-year precipitation average: 35.77 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 31.08 inches (#45 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.31 inches below norm
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SevenMaps // Shutterstock

#45. Franklin County

- Five-year precipitation average: 35.81 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 31.87 inches (#61 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.03 inches below norm
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#44. Marion County

- Five-year precipitation average: 35.95 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 31.98 inches (#56 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.60 inches below norm
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#43. Clarke County

- Five-year precipitation average: 36.05 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 30.82 inches (#44 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.90 inches below norm
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#42. Story County

- Five-year precipitation average: 36.11 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 37.97 inches (#100 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 6.06 inches above norm
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#41. Wapello County

- Five-year precipitation average: 36.22 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 30.00 inches (#35 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -4.50 inches below norm
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#40. Cerro Gordo County

- Five-year precipitation average: 36.40 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 32.51 inches (#69 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.72 inches above norm
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#39. Jefferson County

- Five-year precipitation average: 36.47 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 28.97 inches (#23 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -5.96 inches below norm
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Melissa L Oltman // Shutterstock

#38. Grundy County

- Five-year precipitation average: 36.61 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 33.89 inches (#70 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.77 inches above norm
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#37. Van Buren County

- Five-year precipitation average: 36.66 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 29.44 inches (#25 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -5.66 inches below norm
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#36. Poweshiek County

- Five-year precipitation average: 36.78 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 30.14 inches (#40 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.96 inches below norm
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#35. Monroe County

- Five-year precipitation average: 36.92 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 32.06 inches (#49 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.20 inches below norm
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IN Dancing Light // Shutterstock

#34. Washington County

- Five-year precipitation average: 36.97 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 28.82 inches (#22 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -5.48 inches below norm
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#33. Worth County

- Five-year precipitation average: 36.98 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 32.03 inches (#66 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.12 inches above norm
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SevenMaps // Shutterstock

#32. Butler County

- Five-year precipitation average: 37.19 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 34.32 inches (#78 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.47 inches above norm
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#31. Ringgold County

- Five-year precipitation average: 37.25 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 30.14 inches (#33 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -4.49 inches below norm
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#30. Linn County

- Five-year precipitation average: 37.33 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 34.11 inches (#75 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.07 inches above norm
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#29. Lucas County

- Five-year precipitation average: 37.33 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 32.36 inches (#53 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.49 inches below norm
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#28. Louisa County

- Five-year precipitation average: 37.54 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 28.88 inches (#26 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -5.55 inches below norm
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#27. Henry County

- Five-year precipitation average: 37.62 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 29.55 inches (#22 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -5.72 inches below norm
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#26. Decatur County

- Five-year precipitation average: 37.63 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 30.96 inches (#40 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.32 inches below norm
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#25. Johnson County

- Five-year precipitation average: 37.75 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 32.36 inches (#53 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.41 inches below norm
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#24. Davis County

- Five-year precipitation average: 37.92 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 33.66 inches (#53 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.60 inches below norm
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Eddie J. Rodriquez // Shutterstock

#23. Des Moines County

- Five-year precipitation average: 37.99 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 30.62 inches (#32 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -4.59 inches below norm
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#22. Muscatine County

- Five-year precipitation average: 38.01 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 34.16 inches (#66 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.32 inches below norm
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#21. Black Hawk County

- Five-year precipitation average: 38.25 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 36.21 inches (#81 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.74 inches above norm
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#20. Mitchell County

- Five-year precipitation average: 38.43 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 33.16 inches (#72 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.18 inches above norm
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#19. Wayne County

- Five-year precipitation average: 38.72 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 33.19 inches (#50 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.87 inches below norm
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#18. Jones County

- Five-year precipitation average: 38.78 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 36.16 inches (#80 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.51 inches above norm
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#17. Cedar County

- Five-year precipitation average: 38.81 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 35.62 inches (#70 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.46 inches above norm
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#16. Floyd County

- Five-year precipitation average: 38.96 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 33.12 inches (#71 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.00 inches above norm
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Doug Lambert // Shutterstock

#15. Buchanan County

- Five-year precipitation average: 39.04 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 35.79 inches (#80 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.58 inches above norm
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#14. Appanoose County

- Five-year precipitation average: 39.31 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 34.51 inches (#54 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.67 inches below norm
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#13. Lee County

- Five-year precipitation average: 39.54 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 32.01 inches (#39 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.51 inches below norm
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#12. Scott County

- Five-year precipitation average: 39.69 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 37.12 inches (#83 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.22 inches above norm
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Kuehner // Shutterstock

#11. Fayette County

- Five-year precipitation average: 39.84 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 35.70 inches (#80 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.40 inches above norm
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#10. Dubuque County

- Five-year precipitation average: 40.06 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 35.78 inches (#79 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.37 inches above norm
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April Taymen // Shutterstock

#9. Bremer County

- Five-year precipitation average: 40.37 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 35.46 inches (#79 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.25 inches above norm
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Eddie J. Rodriquez // Shutterstock

#8. Clinton County

- Five-year precipitation average: 40.39 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 39.51 inches (#100 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 4.54 inches above norm
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SevenMaps // Shutterstock

#7. Howard County

- Five-year precipitation average: 40.60 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 36.27 inches (#90 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 3.70 inches above norm
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#6. Jackson County

- Five-year precipitation average: 40.64 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 39.41 inches (#101 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 5.34 inches above norm
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Designs2Rise // Shutterstock

#5. Delaware County

- Five-year precipitation average: 40.79 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 37.19 inches (#93 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 3.86 inches above norm
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#4. Chickasaw County

- Five-year precipitation average: 40.92 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 32.73 inches (#64 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.36 inches above norm
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#3. Clayton County

- Five-year precipitation average: 41.44 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 37.65 inches (#98 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 4.45 inches above norm
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#2. Winneshiek County

- Five-year precipitation average: 41.58 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 39.59 inches (#107 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 6.50 inches above norm
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#1. Allamakee County

- Five-year precipitation average: 42.15 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 39.97 inches (#109 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 7.21 inches above norm

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