Wettest counties in Oregon
Canva
Wettest counties in Oregon
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 Oregon 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.
Arpad Jasko // Shutterstock
#36. Gilliam County
– Five-year precipitation average: 10.28 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 12.65 inches (#101 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 1.43 inches above norm
Canva
#35. Harney County
– Five-year precipitation average: 10.87 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 10.86 inches (#33 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.98 inches below norm
Dominic Gentilcore PhD // Shutterstock
#34. Lake County
– Five-year precipitation average: 11.81 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 12.08 inches (#35 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.31 inches below norm
Canva
#33. Sherman County
– Five-year precipitation average: 11.81 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 15.44 inches (#106 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.29 inches above norm
Canva
#32. Crook County
– Five-year precipitation average: 11.93 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 12.62 inches (#35 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.05 inches below norm
Hugh K Telleria // Shutterstock
#31. Malheur County
– Five-year precipitation average: 12.20 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 12.33 inches (#64 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.23 inches below norm
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
#30. Morrow County
– Five-year precipitation average: 13.39 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 16.81 inches (#109 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 2.71 inches above norm
Tomas Nevesely // Shutterstock
#29. Wheeler County
– Five-year precipitation average: 14.22 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 15.47 inches (#60 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.56 inches below norm
Canva
#28. Jefferson County
– Five-year precipitation average: 15.73 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 16.83 inches (#45 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.52 inches below norm
Canva
#27. Wasco County
– Five-year precipitation average: 17.60 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 19.97 inches (#69 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.21 inches below norm
Dee Browning // Shutterstock
#26. Grant County
– Five-year precipitation average: 18.89 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 19.49 inches (#50 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.28 inches below norm
Canva
#25. Deschutes County
– Five-year precipitation average: 18.91 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 20.78 inches (#37 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.85 inches below norm
Canva
#24. Baker County
– Five-year precipitation average: 19.10 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 19.19 inches (#40 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.95 inches below norm
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
#23. Umatilla County
– Five-year precipitation average: 20.69 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 23.88 inches (#111 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: 3.50 inches above norm
Canva
#22. Klamath County
– Five-year precipitation average: 22.10 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 24.14 inches (#42 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.92 inches below norm
Canva
#21. Wallowa County
– Five-year precipitation average: 26.11 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 26.34 inches (#58 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.10 inches below norm
Canva
#20. Union County
– Five-year precipitation average: 28.50 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 28.23 inches (#63 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.52 inches below norm
Canva
#19. Jackson County
– Five-year precipitation average: 29.98 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 32.88 inches (#45 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.93 inches below norm
Canva
#18. Douglas County
– Five-year precipitation average: 44.89 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 49.08 inches (#48 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -4.18 inches below norm
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
#17. Josephine County
– Five-year precipitation average: 46.54 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 51.06 inches (#59 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.30 inches below norm
Yanqiang Dai // Shutterstock
#16. Washington County
– Five-year precipitation average: 49.00 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 51.95 inches (#50 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.84 inches below norm
kenneth korb // Shutterstock
#15. Columbia County
– Five-year precipitation average: 49.90 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 49.46 inches (#31 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -6.98 inches below norm
cpaulfell // Shutterstock
#14. Benton County
– Five-year precipitation average: 52.75 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 55.87 inches (#58 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.31 inches below norm
Canva
#13. Hood River County
– Five-year precipitation average: 52.85 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 57.73 inches (#60 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.71 inches below norm
Canva
#12. Yamhill County
– Five-year precipitation average: 53.18 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 56.85 inches (#50 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -4.08 inches below norm
Canva
#11. Lane County
– Five-year precipitation average: 55.41 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 59.92 inches (#48 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -4.06 inches below norm
Canva
#10. Marion County
– Five-year precipitation average: 55.49 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 61.55 inches (#60 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -2.04 inches below norm
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
#9. Multnomah County
– Five-year precipitation average: 55.54 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 62.22 inches (#67 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -0.26 inches below norm
Canva
#8. Coos County
– Five-year precipitation average: 57.38 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 59.41 inches (#33 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -9.45 inches below norm
Cynthia Liang // Shutterstock
#7. Polk County
– Five-year precipitation average: 58.05 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 62.89 inches (#51 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -3.83 inches below norm
Canva
#6. Linn County
– Five-year precipitation average: 59.85 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 64.82 inches (#48 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -4.76 inches below norm
Canva
#5. Clackamas County
– Five-year precipitation average: 65.40 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 72.83 inches (#63 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.52 inches below norm
Manuela Durson // Shutterstock
#4. Curry County
– Five-year precipitation average: 71.67 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 74.62 inches (#38 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -11.51 inches below norm
Canva
#3. Clatsop County
– Five-year precipitation average: 79.03 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 78.19 inches (#31 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -10.96 inches below norm
Canva
#2. Lincoln County
– Five-year precipitation average: 82.13 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 88.90 inches (#62 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -1.05 inches below norm
Canva
#1. Tillamook County
– Five-year precipitation average: 92.31 inches
– Precipitation over the past year: 95.53 inches (#48 rainiest year since 1895)
– Precipitation compared to 1901-2000 average: -5.66 inches below norm
