Annual and monthly(April to September)precipitation data from 20 stations in Shaanxi Province for the period 1951 to 2000 are used in relative statistical calculations.The characteristics of rainfall stability and change revealed by these calculations are analyzed.Results show that average precipitation has changed little,but there have been short and long periods of the change,with change particularly evident in the 1990s.Precipitation trends are forecasted,and further analysis reveals that precipitation will tend toward an increase in the period 2001-2010.Finally,the influence of rainfall on river flow,soil and water loss and desertification are analyzed.