KETCHIKAN — An Alaska city known for abundant precipitation is living up to its reputation this summer.
Rain on Wednesday in Ketchikan pushed the city past its previous record for summer precipitation. As of 7 a.m., the city had received 44.20 inches (112.27 centimeters) of rain in June, July and August, according to the National Weather Service.
That was slightly higher than the previous record of 44.16 inches (112.17 centimeters) set in 1967, the Ketchikan Daily News (http://bit.ly/2wj6zoG) reported.
Additional rain Wednesday means the record summer rain totals will grow.
“This month has been 109 percent above normal,” said Wes Adkins, a National Weather Service meteorologist. “We have progressively gotten wetter through the summer. What really was noteworthy in August (is that) as of this point we are number three for the third wettest August on record.”
Ketchikan often receives upward of 13 feet (3.96 meters) of precipitation annually. The rainy summer does not mean residents can expect less rain later in the year, Adkins said.
“October is the wettest month in Ketchikan and I think anyone living there can attest to that,” Adkins said. “A typical amount of precipitation for Ketchikan for October is 21 inches of rain; . I can understand how to many people this feels like a very early October.”
Other Alaska Panhandle communities also are experiencing wet summers, said National Weather Service meteorologist Edward Liske.
