Why does the amount of precipitation decrease inland?

The amount of rainfall that an area receives depends on the climate, location, and surrounding environment. Areas near the ocean or another large body of water will tend to receive more rain on average than inland areas because the wind picks up moisture over the water and dries out the further inland it travels. read more

It doesn't, always. As an air mass travels over water, it loads itself up. If you then force that air upward, to pass over land, hills or mountains, then the air will cool and the water will fall out. read more

Precipitation decreases as one moves inland toward the northwest. Figure 7.41 illustrates the effect of location on the seasonal variation of precipitation as one moves away from the ocean. As one moves poleward the precipitation decreases and becomes more seasonal. Figure 7. 42 Latitudinal variation of precipitation through the U.S. read more

Elevation affects precipitation significantly, especially in a mountain environment. On the windward side of a mountain, precipitation is increased. As air parcel rises due to increasing elevation on the windward side of the mountain, the air parcel cools, condenses, and it rains. read more