More rain, more pain
The upper Midwest, especially western Michigan, has seen some of the largest increases in total annual precipitation since 1901. Overall, since 1990, the United States has had only seven years with below average precipitation. All this extra precipitation stresses aging water systems, often resulting in urban flooding.
Yearly U.S. precipitation vs average annual precipitation
Change in United States precipitation, 1901-2021
The number of inches above or below average
This map looks at precipitation changes by U.S. climate divisions, as defined by the NOAA.
U.S. land experiencing extreme single-day precipitation
The percentage land area where a much greater than normal portion of total annual precipitation has come from single-day events.
Note: All data is for the contiguous 48 states. The map was last updated in 2022. The yearly precipitation data is from 2022 and "0" equals the average precipitation from 1901 to 2000. The single day data is from 2021 and is a nine-year moving average.
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.