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 Pennsylvania 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. Cumberland County
- Five-year precipitation average: 47.60 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 40.84 inches (#54 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.59 inches below norm
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2 / 50#49. Clearfield County
- Five-year precipitation average: 47.60 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 42.44 inches (#67 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.34 inches above norm
#48. Greene County
- Five-year precipitation average: 47.61 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 44.42 inches (#86 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 3.42 inches above norm
#47. McKean County
- Five-year precipitation average: 47.70 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 45.05 inches (#77 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.72 inches above norm
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5 / 50#46. Juniata County
- Five-year precipitation average: 47.73 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 43.34 inches (#78 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.78 inches above norm
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6 / 50#45. Mifflin County
- Five-year precipitation average: 47.74 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 43.37 inches (#88 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.52 inches above norm
#44. Adams County
- Five-year precipitation average: 47.93 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 41.04 inches (#50 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.17 inches below norm
#43. Clinton County
- Five-year precipitation average: 48.03 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 41.46 inches (#75 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.96 inches above norm
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9 / 50#42. Cameron County
- Five-year precipitation average: 48.07 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 41.32 inches (#68 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.10 inches above norm
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10 / 50#41. Butler County
- Five-year precipitation average: 48.08 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 41.31 inches (#63 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.63 inches above norm
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#40. Centre County
- Five-year precipitation average: 48.12 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 41.40 inches (#70 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.53 inches above norm
#39. Crawford County
- Five-year precipitation average: 48.14 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 45.73 inches (#78 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 3.03 inches above norm
#38. Clarion County
- Five-year precipitation average: 48.22 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 45.40 inches (#78 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.32 inches above norm
#37. Forest County
- Five-year precipitation average: 48.47 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 46.36 inches (#82 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.65 inches above norm
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15 / 50#35. Perry County
- Five-year precipitation average: 48.54 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 42.38 inches (#65 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.19 inches below norm
#34. York County
- Five-year precipitation average: 48.58 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 40.97 inches (#55 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.38 inches below norm
#33. Erie County
- Five-year precipitation average: 48.76 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 50.26 inches (#119 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 7.44 inches above norm
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19 / 50#32. Lycoming County
- Five-year precipitation average: 48.97 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 42.20 inches (#73 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.89 inches above norm
#31. Elk County
- Five-year precipitation average: 49.01 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 45.01 inches (#80 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.04 inches above norm
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#30. Warren County
- Five-year precipitation average: 49.02 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 47.43 inches (#90 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 3.89 inches above norm
#29. Venango County
- Five-year precipitation average: 49.05 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 45.06 inches (#80 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 3.01 inches above norm
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23 / 50#28. Wayne County
- Five-year precipitation average: 49.28 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 48.56 inches (#101 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 6.01 inches above norm
#27. Susquehanna County
- Five-year precipitation average: 49.34 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 46.03 inches (#105 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 5.37 inches above norm
#26. Delaware County
- Five-year precipitation average: 49.71 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 41.54 inches (#42 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.68 inches below norm
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#25. Columbia County
- Five-year precipitation average: 49.80 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 42.95 inches (#68 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.56 inches above norm
#24. Wyoming County
- Five-year precipitation average: 50.21 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 44.02 inches (#93 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 3.54 inches above norm
#23. Dauphin County
- Five-year precipitation average: 50.39 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 42.65 inches (#59 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.36 inches below norm
#22. Philadelphia County
- Five-year precipitation average: 50.64 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 40.62 inches (#35 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.47 inches below norm
#21. Cambria County
- Five-year precipitation average: 50.92 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 45.84 inches (#84 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.40 inches above norm
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31 / 50#20. Armstrong County
- Five-year precipitation average: 51.04 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 46.82 inches (#99 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 4.65 inches above norm
#19. Lancaster County
- Five-year precipitation average: 51.07 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 43.86 inches (#79 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.98 inches above norm
#18. Pike County
- Five-year precipitation average: 51.37 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 46.41 inches (#79 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.21 inches above norm
#17. Lackawanna County
- Five-year precipitation average: 51.46 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 47.82 inches (#102 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 5.74 inches above norm
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35 / 50#16. Indiana County
- Five-year precipitation average: 51.51 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 48.05 inches (#96 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 4.12 inches above norm
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#15. Luzerne County
- Five-year precipitation average: 51.62 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 45.48 inches (#89 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.62 inches above norm
#14. Sullivan County
- Five-year precipitation average: 51.76 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 44.19 inches (#65 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.34 inches above norm
#13. Somerset County
- Five-year precipitation average: 51.77 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 45.87 inches (#80 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.42 inches above norm
#12. Bucks County
- Five-year precipitation average: 51.80 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 45.17 inches (#62 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.27 inches below norm
#10. Westmoreland County
- Five-year precipitation average: 52.34 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 46.68 inches (#97 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 4.40 inches above norm
#9. Montgomery County
- Five-year precipitation average: 52.61 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 44.87 inches (#63 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.12 inches above norm
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43 / 50#8. Chester County
- Five-year precipitation average: 52.88 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 46.88 inches (#84 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.03 inches above norm
#7. Berks County
- Five-year precipitation average: 53.10 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 43.67 inches (#61 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.51 inches below norm
#5. Northampton County
- Five-year precipitation average: 54.53 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 46.77 inches (#68 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.10 inches above norm
#4. Lehigh County
- Five-year precipitation average: 54.67 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 46.60 inches (#70 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.22 inches above norm
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48 / 50#3. Schuylkill County
- Five-year precipitation average: 54.71 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 46.29 inches (#63 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.14 inches below norm
#2. Carbon County
- Five-year precipitation average: 57.35 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 49.45 inches (#69 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.97 inches above norm
#1. Monroe County
- Five-year precipitation average: 58.37 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 52.58 inches (#92 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 4.73 inches above norm
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