WASHINGTON – It’s hard to complain about the weather in D.C. this spring. But those warm, sunny days have put the area in a drought.

The rain gauge since January is less than 6 inches, but the average for this time of year is more than 10.

National Weather Service Forecaster Brian Jackson says the driest start on record was back in 2002, and the totals aren’t much less than this year.

“Our 5.7 inches of rain is tied for the third lowest amount that we’ve seen in a period of record for the Washington, D.C. area,” he said.

While many people have sprinker heads going early, the heavy rain last fall is keeping this dry spell from having a bigger effect.

“This has been one of the driest starts to the year that we’ve had,” Jackson said. “We’re [at] about 60 percent of where we’re supposed to be for rainfall this year.”

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