The Department of Ecology (Ecology) declared a drought emergency for most of Washington state on Tuesday due to low snowpack and forecasts predicting dry and warm spring and summer seasons.

Service areas encompassing Everett, Seattle, SeaTac and Tacoma are the only spots excepted from the declaration. It's the fourth-earliest drought declaration on record in Washington, according to Ecology.

A drought is declared in Washington state when there is less than 75% of the normal water supply and there is a risk of "undue hardship," according to Ecology. The current drought emergency declaration is a continuation of the conditions that led Ecology to declare a drought in 12 watersheds across the state last year, the department wrote.

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