ɐn ˈɛɹiə stɹˈɛtʃɪŋ fɹʌmðə nˈɔːɹðɚn sˈaɪd ʌvðə sˈuːɚd pənˈɪnsjʊlə tə ðə kˈɑːbʌk ɹˈɪvɚ vˈæli ˈaɪ.ˈiː., ðə ɹˈiːdʒən ɚɹˈaʊnd kˈɑːtsɪbjˌuː sˈaʊnd ɪz tˈɛknɪkli ɐ dˈɛzɚt, wɪð pˈoːɹʃənz ɹᵻsˈiːvɪŋ lˈɛs ðɐn ʌv pɹɪsˌɪpɪtˈeɪʃən ˈænjuːəli.
An area stretching from the northern side of the Seward Peninsula to the Kobuk River valley (i.e., the region around Kotzebue Sound) is technically a desert, with portions receiving less than  of precipitation annually.