Most precipitation-prone counties in Indiana
Rain, sleet, snow, hail, winter mix. Precipitation occurs in various formats, and the extent to which climate change impacts precipitation rates comes down to a fundamental concept almost everyone learns in school—Earth’s water cycle. A system in constant flux, the water cycle follows the pathway through which water exists in its three main forms—liquid, solid, and gas—as it transitions perpetually between the Earth and its atmosphere.
Escalations in precipitation frequency and severity are indicators of climate change. As temperatures increase and oceans become warmer, the volume of water that vaporizes into the atmosphere—and the rate at which this happens—also escalates. When air circulation transports the moisture-filled air over land or channels it into a storm system, intense rain or snow is often the result.
The continental U.S. averaged approximately 30 inches of precipitation from March 2022 to February 2023. Historically “wet” locations—like Washington state and Alaska in the northwest and Georgia and Mississippi in the southeast—continue to house some of the wettest counties in the United States. Conversely, areas like Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, along with sections of the South and California, undergo the opposite scenario: drought, which is also significantly a consequence of climate change.
Stacker utilized information from the National Centers for Environmental Information to ascertain the counties in Indiana that receive the largest amount of precipitation via rain, sleet, or snow. The counties are listed based on five-year precipitation averages in inches as of February 2023, with rainfall statistics from the past year used as a tiebreaker. Additional data on how last year’s precipitation stacks up against the 100-year average for the region is also provided.
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#50. Hendricks County
– Five-year precipitation average: 42.80 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 35.62 inches (#32 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -3.89 inches below average
#49. Randolph County
– Five-year precipitation average: 42.92 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 34.33 inches (#27 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -4.47 inches below average
#48. Marion County
– Five-year precipitation average: 43.03 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 36.84 inches (#38 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -2.30 inches below average
#47. Parke County
– Five-year precipitation average: 43.95 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 36.02 inches (#40 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -2.84 inches below average
#46. Putnam County
– Five-year precipitation average: 44.72 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 37.13 inches (#40 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -3.30 inches below average
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#45. Vigo County
– Five-year precipitation average: 45.07 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 37.80 inches (#50 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -1.78 inches below average
#44. Henry County
– Five-year precipitation average: 45.22 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 37.75 inches (#41 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -2.02 inches below average
#43. Wayne County
– Five-year precipitation average: 45.61 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 36.49 inches (#34 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -3.06 inches below average
#42. Hancock County
– Five-year precipitation average: 45.66 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 38.54 inches (#47 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -0.81 inches below average
#41. Johnson County
– Five-year precipitation average: 45.90 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 37.56 inches (#37 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -3.08 inches below average
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#40. Morgan County
– Five-year precipitation average: 45.91 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 37.84 inches (#39 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -2.76 inches below average
#39. Franklin County
– Five-year precipitation average: 46.02 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 38.31 inches (#44 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -2.26 inches below average
#38. Union County
– Five-year precipitation average: 46.32 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 38.34 inches (#45 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -1.88 inches below average
#37. Clay County
– Five-year precipitation average: 46.34 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 39.40 inches (#51 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -1.19 inches below average
#36. Fayette County
– Five-year precipitation average: 46.42 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 39.05 inches (#49 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -1.09 inches below average
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#35. Rush County
– Five-year precipitation average: 46.54 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 38.97 inches (#47 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -1.48 inches below average
#34. Shelby County
– Five-year precipitation average: 46.85 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 38.22 inches (#40 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -2.36 inches below average
#33. Sullivan County
– Five-year precipitation average: 47.76 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 40.54 inches (#54 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -0.40 inches below average
#32. Owen County
– Five-year precipitation average: 47.81 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 39.32 inches (#43 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -2.61 inches below average
#31. Monroe County
– Five-year precipitation average: 48.24 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 38.99 inches (#35 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -3.80 inches below average
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#30. Dearborn County
– Five-year precipitation average: 48.65 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 41.78 inches (#60 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: 0.75 inches above average
#29. Brown County
– Five-year precipitation average: 48.70 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 38.55 inches (#38 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -3.26 inches below average
#28. Decatur County
– Five-year precipitation average: 48.93 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 38.57 inches (#36 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -2.98 inches below average
#27. Bartholomew County
– Five-year precipitation average: 48.99 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 38.14 inches (#40 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -3.09 inches below average
#26. Posey County
– Five-year precipitation average: 49.18 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 39.32 inches (#33 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -4.63 inches below average
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#25. Jennings County
– Five-year precipitation average: 49.32 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 39.45 inches (#38 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -3.15 inches below average
#24. Ripley County
– Five-year precipitation average: 49.55 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 40.73 inches (#47 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -1.59 inches below average
#23. Greene County
– Five-year precipitation average: 49.85 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 41.97 inches (#54 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -0.70 inches below average
#22. Vanderburgh County
– Five-year precipitation average: 50.13 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 38.35 inches (#30 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -5.57 inches below average
#21. Jackson County
– Five-year precipitation average: 50.23 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 40.60 inches (#48 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -1.73 inches below average
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#20. Ohio County
– Five-year precipitation average: 51.37 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 44.70 inches (#75 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: 3.21 inches above average
#19. Gibson County
– Five-year precipitation average: 51.91 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 41.91 inches (#48 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -1.36 inches below average
#18. Scott County
– Five-year precipitation average: 52.02 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 43.74 inches (#61 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: 1.19 inches above average
#17. Daviess County
– Five-year precipitation average: 52.02 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 49.33 inches (#93 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: 6.25 inches above average
#16. Knox County
– Five-year precipitation average: 52.10 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 48.01 inches (#87 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: 5.32 inches above average
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#15. Switzerland County
– Five-year precipitation average: 52.32 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 46.21 inches (#78 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: 4.01 inches above average
#14. Pike County
– Five-year precipitation average: 52.60 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 47.37 inches (#82 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: 3.78 inches above average
#13. Jefferson County
– Five-year precipitation average: 52.73 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 46.59 inches (#80 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: 3.37 inches above average
#12. Warrick County
– Five-year precipitation average: 52.98 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 41.41 inches (#46 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -2.39 inches below average
#11. Lawrence County
– Five-year precipitation average: 53.10 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 46.00 inches (#71 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: 2.09 inches above average
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#10. Washington County
– Five-year precipitation average: 53.57 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 43.47 inches (#51 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -0.63 inches below average
#9. Spencer County
– Five-year precipitation average: 54.23 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 43.63 inches (#54 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -1.03 inches below average
#8. Floyd County
– Five-year precipitation average: 54.37 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 40.66 inches (#38 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -2.85 inches below average
#7. Harrison County
– Five-year precipitation average: 54.40 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 42.01 inches (#41 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -2.49 inches below average
#6. Clark County
– Five-year precipitation average: 54.53 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 42.94 inches (#51 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: -0.26 inches below average
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#5. Martin County
– Five-year precipitation average: 54.69 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 48.85 inches (#83 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: 4.93 inches above average
#4. Dubois County
– Five-year precipitation average: 55.62 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 48.80 inches (#81 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: 4.53 inches above average
#3. Perry County
– Five-year precipitation average: 55.72 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 46.24 inches (#59 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: 0.82 inches above average
#2. Crawford County
– Five-year precipitation average: 55.75 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 46.65 inches (#63 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: 1.34 inches above average
#1. Orange County
– Five-year precipitation average: 55.87 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 49.04 inches (#75 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation relative to 1901-2000 average: 4.15 inches above average
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By Stacker
