JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – The National Weather Service says parts of southeast Alaska are experiencing drought conditions following a winter and spring with lackluster snowfall and rain.

Weather service hydrologist Aaron Jacobs told the Juneau Empire that the conditions have led to the “most significant drought in the wet season in southeast Alaska in 40-plus years.”

According to the weather service, Ketchikan received 11.2 inches of precipitation in October and 7.6 inches in November, less than half the normal amounts expected for the rainiest months of the year.

An indicator in determining droughts is how much precipitation fell compared to how much is expected in a given period.

Ketchikan had 82 percent of its normal precipitation since October. Sitka and Haines are running about 30 percent short of their averages.

Information from: Juneau (Alaska) Empire, http://www.juneauempire.com

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