Pair of Kona lows to unload feet of snow, month's worth of rain across Hawaii
The Subaru-Asahi Star Camera perched atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii, captured a rare sighting of red sprites hovering above a distant thunderstorm on Feb. 5.
A deluge of heavy rain continued across the Hawaiian Islands over the weekend as a storm system known as a Kona low lurked to the west of the state and directed a plume of tropical moisture into the region. AccuWeather meteorologists say that Hawaii is getting a short break from downpours before yet another Kona low arrives by the middle of the week.
Anyone heading to Hawaii for a winter break could run into issues with this stormy pattern, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
Rain began in earnest across the islands late Thursday into Friday, local time, and continued to plague the state at the start of the weekend. Weather alerts had been in effect for every square inch of the Big Island into Sunday afternoon, ranging in hazard type from flood watches to high surf advisories and even winter storm warnings at the mountain summits.
"When a Kona low sets up to the west and northwest of Hawaii, it disrupts the normal trade wind patterns. A more southerly wind flow pulls deep tropical moisture northward across the island chain," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.
This shift in the wind pattern results in the heaviest rain focusing on the leeward side of the islands, areas that do not typically receive significant amounts of rain. For example, Honolulu, which is located on the south shore of the island of Oahu, usually ends the month of February with a historical average rainfall of 2 inches.
Honolulu closed in on an inch of rain by the end of the day Sunday, while Wailua on the east shore of Kauai received nearly 3 inches of rain by the end of the weekend.
Pydynowski added that there will be a heightened risk of landslides, flash flooding and road closures due to the fact that the heavy rain is falling over areas that do not typically receive such intense downpours in a short period of time.
Precipitation took the form of snow and ice as temperatures hovered below freezing at the Big Island summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. Snow totals of over a foot were observed on both mountain peaks.
Experts advise only the most seasoned surfers to attempt to venture into the waters along Hawaii's east-facing shores, where surf could build to 7-11 feet.
The heaviest precipitation fell across Hawaii during the first half of the weekend. Into Monday, the Kona low will track farther away from the islands, allowing the plume of tropical moisture to shift to the south and west.
The ongoing reprieve from heavy rainfall may not last long, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. A new Kona low is expected to develop by the middle of the week and send another plume of tropical moisture to the islands. The winter months are typically the most common time for Kona lows to affect Hawaii.
The track of the Kona low will determine exactly where the plume of heaviest precipitation will set up and if it encompasses the entire island chain or only part of the state. There is the potential for several more inches of rain to fall on the leeward side of the islands should the plume of moisture set up directly overhead.
At the very least, residents and visitors throughout the region should be prepared for a wetter week than what is typical, resulting in a continued risk of flooding and disruptions to travel and outdoor plans.
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