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 Illinois 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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1 / 50#50. Calhoun County
- Five-year precipitation average: 42.12 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 40.85 inches (#83 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 3.16 inches above norm
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2 / 50#49. Scott County
- Five-year precipitation average: 42.17 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 39.06 inches (#79 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.21 inches above norm
#48. Jersey County
- Five-year precipitation average: 42.17 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 40.91 inches (#80 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 3.06 inches above norm
#47. Macon County
- Five-year precipitation average: 42.26 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 40.08 inches (#85 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.70 inches above norm
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5 / 50#46. Greene County
- Five-year precipitation average: 42.52 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 40.80 inches (#87 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 3.54 inches above norm
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#45. Jo Daviess County
- Five-year precipitation average: 42.59 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 43.63 inches (#117 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 9.76 inches above norm
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7 / 50#44. Morgan County
- Five-year precipitation average: 42.61 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 39.81 inches (#89 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 3.08 inches above norm
#43. Moultrie County
- Five-year precipitation average: 42.74 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 37.85 inches (#56 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.11 inches below norm
#42. Montgomery County
- Five-year precipitation average: 43.34 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 43.06 inches (#97 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 5.32 inches above norm
#41. Sangamon County
- Five-year precipitation average: 43.41 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 39.90 inches (#92 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 3.69 inches above norm
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#40. Edgar County
- Five-year precipitation average: 44.17 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 35.56 inches (#38 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.95 inches below norm
#39. St. Clair County
- Five-year precipitation average: 44.58 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 40.13 inches (#71 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.20 inches above norm
#38. Madison County
- Five-year precipitation average: 44.67 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 42.23 inches (#87 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 3.97 inches above norm
#37. Bond County
- Five-year precipitation average: 44.87 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 40.73 inches (#74 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.43 inches above norm
#35. Christian County
- Five-year precipitation average: 45.10 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 41.06 inches (#93 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 4.22 inches above norm
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17 / 50#34. Monroe County
- Five-year precipitation average: 45.50 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 40.25 inches (#69 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.69 inches above norm
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18 / 50#33. Coles County
- Five-year precipitation average: 46.68 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 39.05 inches (#69 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 0.82 inches above norm
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19 / 50#32. Clinton County
- Five-year precipitation average: 46.69 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 38.68 inches (#49 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.02 inches below norm
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20 / 50#30. Shelby County
- Five-year precipitation average: 47.33 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 42.90 inches (#98 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 4.50 inches above norm
#29. Washington County
- Five-year precipitation average: 47.44 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 37.71 inches (#38 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.06 inches below norm
#28. Fayette County
- Five-year precipitation average: 47.54 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 42.03 inches (#84 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 3.19 inches above norm
#27. Crawford County
- Five-year precipitation average: 47.58 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 40.21 inches (#50 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.74 inches below norm
#26. Clark County
- Five-year precipitation average: 47.80 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 40.66 inches (#68 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.04 inches above norm
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#25. Jefferson County
- Five-year precipitation average: 48.19 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 37.35 inches (#32 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -4.52 inches below norm
#24. Gallatin County
- Five-year precipitation average: 48.35 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 38.70 inches (#23 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -6.09 inches below norm
#23. Jackson County
- Five-year precipitation average: 49.02 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 38.14 inches (#31 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -4.85 inches below norm
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29 / 50#22. Hamilton County
- Five-year precipitation average: 49.16 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 37.80 inches (#27 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -4.83 inches below norm
#21. Marion County
- Five-year precipitation average: 49.21 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 42.07 inches (#70 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.62 inches above norm
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31 / 50#20. Franklin County
- Five-year precipitation average: 49.25 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 38.55 inches (#38 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.63 inches below norm
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32 / 50#19. Cumberland County
- Five-year precipitation average: 49.27 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 43.82 inches (#95 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 4.41 inches above norm
#18. White County
- Five-year precipitation average: 49.34 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 39.77 inches (#41 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.48 inches below norm
#17. Saline County
- Five-year precipitation average: 49.59 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 38.78 inches (#26 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -5.36 inches below norm
#16. Jasper County
- Five-year precipitation average: 49.71 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 46.36 inches (#95 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 6.11 inches above norm
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#15. Williamson County
- Five-year precipitation average: 50.42 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 40.01 inches (#37 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.51 inches below norm
#14. Wayne County
- Five-year precipitation average: 50.47 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 39.25 inches (#42 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.76 inches below norm
#13. Effingham County
- Five-year precipitation average: 50.92 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 49.72 inches (#112 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 10.26 inches above norm
#12. Edwards County
- Five-year precipitation average: 51.63 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 42.09 inches (#58 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.74 inches below norm
#11. Richland County
- Five-year precipitation average: 51.85 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 46.55 inches (#92 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 5.42 inches above norm
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#10. Clay County
- Five-year precipitation average: 51.88 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 45.14 inches (#91 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 4.84 inches above norm
#9. Union County
- Five-year precipitation average: 52.11 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 42.01 inches (#42 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.05 inches below norm
#8. Hardin County
- Five-year precipitation average: 52.44 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 39.69 inches (#27 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -6.08 inches below norm
#7. Wabash County
- Five-year precipitation average: 52.50 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 44.64 inches (#70 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.62 inches above norm
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46 / 50#5. Pulaski County
- Five-year precipitation average: 52.56 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 43.79 inches (#52 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.94 inches below norm
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47 / 50#4. Johnson County
- Five-year precipitation average: 52.58 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 42.68 inches (#42 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.27 inches below norm
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48 / 50#3. Alexander County
- Five-year precipitation average: 52.84 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 42.88 inches (#48 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.31 inches below norm
#2. Pope County
- Five-year precipitation average: 53.96 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 41.82 inches (#36 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -4.91 inches below norm
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50 / 50#1. Massac County
- Five-year precipitation average: 54.15 inches
- Precipitation over the past year: 44.24 inches (#49 rainiest year since 1895)
- Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.88 inches below norm
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