Wettest counties in South Dakota

Written by:
May 5, 2023
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Wettest counties in South Dakota

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 South Dakota 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. Potter County

- Five-year precipitation average: 19.49 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 18.90 inches (#79 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.22 inches above norm
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#49. Hughes County

- Five-year precipitation average: 19.49 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 19.47 inches (#93 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.25 inches above norm
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#48. Walworth County

- Five-year precipitation average: 19.60 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 18.17 inches (#67 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.24 inches above norm
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#47. Jones County

- Five-year precipitation average: 19.82 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 16.95 inches (#58 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.45 inches below norm
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#46. Edmunds County

- Five-year precipitation average: 20.17 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 21.42 inches (#96 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.52 inches above norm
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#45. McPherson County

- Five-year precipitation average: 20.40 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 20.49 inches (#86 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.77 inches above norm
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#44. Mellette County

- Five-year precipitation average: 21.14 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 18.35 inches (#69 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.08 inches above norm
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#43. Faulk County

- Five-year precipitation average: 21.53 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 22.36 inches (#98 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 3.48 inches above norm
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#42. Brown County

- Five-year precipitation average: 21.76 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 20.66 inches (#68 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.53 inches above norm
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#41. Hyde County

- Five-year precipitation average: 21.78 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 21.37 inches (#95 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 3.22 inches above norm
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#40. Bennett County

- Five-year precipitation average: 22.08 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 16.50 inches (#46 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.76 inches below norm
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#39. Lyman County

- Five-year precipitation average: 22.50 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 19.68 inches (#79 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.31 inches above norm
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#38. Tripp County

- Five-year precipitation average: 22.72 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 18.59 inches (#48 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.52 inches below norm
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#37. Spink County

- Five-year precipitation average: 22.73 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 21.19 inches (#77 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.13 inches above norm
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#36. Buffalo County

- Five-year precipitation average: 22.78 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 19.63 inches (#78 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.69 inches above norm
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#35. Jerauld County

- Five-year precipitation average: 23.25 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 19.23 inches (#55 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.60 inches below norm
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#34. Beadle County

- Five-year precipitation average: 23.33 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 19.66 inches (#60 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.65 inches below norm
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#33. Brule County

- Five-year precipitation average: 23.37 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 18.73 inches (#52 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.45 inches below norm
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#32. Sanborn County

- Five-year precipitation average: 23.40 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 18.43 inches (#37 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.68 inches below norm
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#31. Marshall County

- Five-year precipitation average: 23.56 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 19.89 inches (#48 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.22 inches below norm
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#30. Aurora County

- Five-year precipitation average: 23.78 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 18.72 inches (#42 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.76 inches below norm
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#29. Todd County

- Five-year precipitation average: 23.84 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 19.14 inches (#59 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.28 inches below norm
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#28. Hand County

- Five-year precipitation average: 23.84 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 22.04 inches (#93 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.66 inches above norm
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#27. Day County

- Five-year precipitation average: 23.88 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 20.91 inches (#54 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.82 inches below norm
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#26. Lawrence County

- Five-year precipitation average: 24.16 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 21.36 inches (#43 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.51 inches below norm
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#25. Miner County

- Five-year precipitation average: 24.56 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 20.06 inches (#46 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.02 inches below norm
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#24. Clark County

- Five-year precipitation average: 24.89 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 20.43 inches (#51 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.49 inches below norm
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#23. Davison County

- Five-year precipitation average: 24.93 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 19.72 inches (#41 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.06 inches below norm
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#22. Roberts County

- Five-year precipitation average: 24.93 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 21.55 inches (#55 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.46 inches below norm
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#21. Hanson County

- Five-year precipitation average: 24.99 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 20.38 inches (#43 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.86 inches below norm
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#20. Gregory County

- Five-year precipitation average: 25.39 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 20.17 inches (#50 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.63 inches below norm
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#19. Charles Mix County

- Five-year precipitation average: 25.68 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 19.98 inches (#37 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.51 inches below norm
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#18. Yankton County

- Five-year precipitation average: 25.75 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 18.23 inches (#16 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -6.59 inches below norm
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#17. Kingsbury County

- Five-year precipitation average: 25.78 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 19.70 inches (#36 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.63 inches below norm
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#16. Bon Homme County

- Five-year precipitation average: 25.79 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 19.07 inches (#18 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -5.05 inches below norm
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#15. Douglas County

- Five-year precipitation average: 25.90 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 20.41 inches (#42 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.03 inches below norm
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#14. McCook County

- Five-year precipitation average: 25.92 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 21.16 inches (#38 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.74 inches below norm
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#13. Clay County

- Five-year precipitation average: 25.93 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 19.36 inches (#15 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -6.15 inches below norm
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#12. Hutchinson County

- Five-year precipitation average: 25.95 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 20.08 inches (#33 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.58 inches below norm
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#11. Grant County

- Five-year precipitation average: 25.96 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 22.43 inches (#50 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.86 inches below norm
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#10. Codington County

- Five-year precipitation average: 26.46 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 23.07 inches (#61 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.12 inches above norm
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#9. Union County

- Five-year precipitation average: 26.47 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 19.94 inches (#15 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -6.13 inches below norm
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#8. Lake County

- Five-year precipitation average: 26.76 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 23.12 inches (#59 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.56 inches below norm
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#7. Hamlin County

- Five-year precipitation average: 26.93 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 22.38 inches (#56 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.34 inches below norm
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#6. Turner County

- Five-year precipitation average: 27.02 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 20.24 inches (#20 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -4.95 inches below norm
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#5. Deuel County

- Five-year precipitation average: 27.97 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 24.83 inches (#67 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.93 inches above norm
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#4. Minnehaha County

- Five-year precipitation average: 28.33 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 23.48 inches (#46 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.62 inches below norm
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#3. Brookings County

- Five-year precipitation average: 28.36 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 23.78 inches (#69 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.66 inches above norm
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#2. Moody County

- Five-year precipitation average: 28.66 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 23.72 inches (#62 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.22 inches below norm
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#1. Lincoln County

- Five-year precipitation average: 29.86 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 20.81 inches (#19 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -4.93 inches below norm

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