HONOLULU – A Kona Low has the Hawaiian islands trapped under a wet, messy weather pattern that continues Friday.
The FOX Forecast Center said that the abundant moisture will move westward, increasing the available moisture for heavy rain throughout the state.
Flood Watches remain in effect for the entire state through Friday as several inches of rain have fallen in many areas of the islands and more is expected into the weekend. The heaviest rain is expected on the southern-facing windward slopes as the area of low pressure draws in surges of tropical moisture from the south.
“Over portions close to Honolulu, there have been reports of big rocks, boulders, the size of small cars sliding down the mountains,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Craig Herrera said. “Thankfully, no one has been hurt or injured, but this is the type of rain that will do that.”
Radar estimates indicate that Windward Haleakala has received 1 to 2 feet of rainfall due to southeasterly surface flow that has caused rain and storms to be concentrated on the terrain. The rainfall rate in this area has been consistently around 2 inches per hour, with occasional bursts of up to 4 inches per hour.
HOW MOUNTAINS CAN HOG THE RAIN
Steady heavy rain has also been concentrated on the southeast and the windward slopes of the Hilo and Puna Districts of the Big Island. Rain rates have been equivalent to those seen on Maui.
Showery conditions with periods of heavy rain will continue, which could lead to flash flooding where the rain becomes focused or anchors for a given amount of time.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, periodic development of rain in bands will be expected on Friday though uncertainty remains high about the timing and location of these bands.
Conditions should begin to improve late in the weekend through early next week, with drier air moving in and as the trades return.
The flood threat for Hawaii may have a silver lining – easing the drought. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report indicates that over 93% of the state is currently experiencing moderate drought, with 75% facing severe drought.
It wasn’t heavy rain but heavy snows that fell across Hawaii’s Mauna Kea summit due to the Kona Low.
The inactive volcano Mauna Kea, which stands at an elevation of 13,800 feet, has received several inches of snow.
A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for the Big Island summits until 6 a.m. local time Friday. Up to 5 inches of snow is expected to fall, accompanied by southwest winds gusting up to 35 mph.
Footage from Derek Petrowski captured Wednesday shows gusty wind and snow outside the Keck Observatory, an astronomical observatory near the summit of Mauna Kea.
Petrowski said that he “arrived at work to see that the Kona low weather system brought freezing temps and precipitation to the Summit of Mauna Kea overnight.”
According to Petrowski, the snow on Hawaii’s Big Island was the first of the year.
Kona Lows have had a history of trouble with Hawaii with their tropically infused downpours overwhelming the state with torrential rain and sometimes damaging wind gusts.
A Kona Low that struck in December 2021 dropped 2 feet of rain in Maui, washing some cars away. On Oahu, strong winds at Honolulu’s airport blew a shed into parked planes, damaging the aircraft.
At Mauna Kea’s summit, wind gusts over 100 mph created whiteout conditions, blowing around the 10 inches of snow that fell during the storm.
HOW A TROPICAL PARADISE IS HOME TO THE RAINIEST SPOT IN THE NATION
Meanwhile, back in 2018, a Kona Low dropped a record-setting 49.69 inches of rain in 24 hours over Waipa Gardens on Kauai on April 14-15.