HONOLULU, Hawaii – Parts of the Hawaiian Islands may look more like a winter wonderland, while other areas of the state see flooding rains thanks to a storm system known as a Kona Low.
These types of storms happen when there is a switch in the prevailing wind direction over the islands. Typically, Hawaii’s weather is dominated by the trade winds which blow from the northeast. A Kona Low changes the wind direction to the southwest, bringing moisture-rich air over the leeward or “kona” side of the mountains. That abundant moisture interacts with the topography of the islands and can create tremendous amounts of precipitation.
Locally breezy and cool north winds will gradually weaken through Wednesday and shift to the south by Wednesday night, increasing humidity. The significant moisture surge will moves into the islands on Thursday and remain in place through Saturday.
The National Weather Service in Honolulu said the moisture would fuel what is expected to be a prolonged period of rainfall, with heavy showers and thunderstorms potentially affecting both windward and leeward areas of all islands.
A Flood Watch for the entire state is in effect as heavy rain will start on The Big Island on Thursday and quickly spread across the rest of the state.
With temperatures on the summits of the Big Island near or below freezing, there is the potential for heavy snow. The NWS said accumulations greater than 6 inches are possible, and winds gusting up to 70 mph could produce near-blizzard conditions at times.
A Winter Storm Watch is in effect for the Big Island summits from Thursday morning through Saturday afternoon. The NWS advised anyone planning travel to the summits, including hikers and campers, to monitor the latest forecasts and consider postponing their trip until the weather improves.
Travel could be very difficult to impossible with blowing snow reducing visibility to zero at times, the NWS warned.
The snow will also mix with fire as the summit eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, within Halemaʻumaʻu crater.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the eastern lake remains active and is about 25 acres in size. The small southern lava fountain is also still active. Click here to view a live-stream video of the lava lake.