New AccuWeather climate analysis reveals a 2.7% drop in US annual precipitation since 1995 while heavy flooding rainfall events have dramatically increased
A new climate analysis released by AccuWeather has revealed a decline in total annual precipitation across the contiguous United States since 1995.
AccuWeather’s new climate analysis reveals that while it rains less overall nationwide, downpours are growing more intense — reshaping infrastructure, agriculture, and everyday life.
A new climate analysis released by AccuWeather on Monday has revealed a 2.7% decline in total annual precipitation across the contiguous United States since 1995. This equates to a 1% decrease in rainfall per 11 years.
The analysis uses AccuWeather’s Data Suite – the most detailed, complete and accurate global collection of historic, current and forecast weather data – and challenges the perception that total annual rainfall has been increasing. This report shows overall precipitation is actually decreasing, but importantly, the study also found that rain that does fall tends to occur in shorter, more intense bursts. This results in conditions that contribute to more damaging floods, infrastructure failures, and growing economic losses.
Since 1995, the following new key findings include:
•Extremely high-impact days with heavy rainfall amounts of greater than 3-inches has increased dramatically by a significant 35%, on average 15 per year
•The frequency of 2-inch single-day rainfall events has increased by 24%
•The number of days with 1-inch of rain has increased by 14%
•The sharp increases in high-intensity rainfall events now occurring each year results in long-term risks for agriculture, insurance, fire risk and infrastructure, and future water availability
“The real story here is not just that it rains less overall — it’s that the rain we do get tends to occur in more dangerous, explosive bursts,” said Dr. Joel Myers, Founder and Executive Chair at AccuWeather. “In agriculture, sudden downpours can cause rapid runoffs and flooding, thereby disrupting planting schedules, and sometimes surges in insect activity, and reduce yields, all of which can threaten food supply and contribute to higher prices for consumers."
Infrastructure can come under strain, as storm drains, culverts, and roadways designed for 20th-century rainfall patterns are increasingly at risk of being overwhelmed by today’s heavier downpours. The economic toll is mounting, as more intense rain events contribute to more billion-dollar disasters, higher insurance claims, and new public health and safety risks.
“The impacts of more intense flooding events can be more negative than positive in agriculture, leading to potential disruptions in planting, washing away seeds, flooding fields, and potentially lowering overall yields,” said Paul Pastelok, AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Expert.
“We are witnessing a fundamental reshaping of America’s climate story,” said Steve Root, Climate Analysis Project Lead at AccuWeather. “This research is the first step toward a deeper understanding — one that will help governments, insurers, farmers, and agricultural companies prepare for what is ahead to make the best weather-impacted decisions."
AccuWeather’s Data Suite and its interpretation by our climate experts, is available to companies for long-range planning. Importantly, these numbers in this study are averages for the United States—Individual regions, and especially locales may differ significantly from these results.
The new data released today is part of an ongoing analysis by AccuWeather’s Climate Center. Additional insights and analysis will continue to be released, focusing on regional impacts across the U.S., disaster potential, public and business impacts and other key findings.
A volunteer walks the course in the rain during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Data analysis and methodology explained
The analysis was made possible through the depth and precision of the AccuWeather Data Suite, which integrates nearly 2,100 industrial-grade, government-calibrated weather sensors across 44 U.S. climate zones. By normalizing data across regions and applying proprietary quality-control algorithms, researchers ensured that wetter areas did not overshadow trends in drier ones. This comprehensive approach provides one of the clearest long-term views of precipitation patterns to date, offering crucial insights for understanding the effects of climate change on rainfall across the United States.
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