It was a wet weekend for Hawaii Island’s windward side — and a monsoonal Monday to start the week.
In the 48-hour period ending at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Hilo International Airport logged 4.9 inches of rain. Other nearby locales measured similar amounts over the same period. That includes Laupahoehoe, with 4.79 inches, Pahoa with 4.58 inches, and Glenwood with 5.32 inches.
Some East Hawaii spots were even wetter. Mountain View measured 7.61 inches, the relatively new U.S. Geological Survey gauge at Honolii Stream tallied 8.37 inches, and Waiakea Uka recorded an eye-popping 10.08 inches.
“We’ve had an upper-level disturbance above us, and it’s made things unstable, and just having the strong trades brings in a lot of moisture very efficiently,” Kevin Kodama, senior hydrologist for the National Weather Service in Honolulu, said Tuesday. “I mean, if the low-level winds were lighter, we wouldn’t have as much rainfall.”
The weather caused minor flooding and some road issues. Early Tuesday afternoon, according to Hawaii County Civil Defense, a fallen tree near the 54-mile marker on Highway 19 temporarily blocked both lanes of traffic on the Honokaa side of Waimea.
“It’s going to be rainy the next couple of days, the roads are wet, so don’t rush around. Take your time, and be safe,” Kodama said.
The seven-day forecast for Hilo International Airport on the weather service’s website estimates a 90% chance of rain tonight and Thursday night, 80% during the day on Thursday, and 60% on Friday.
“In a couple of days, I think it’ll start to ease off, especially before the weekend,” Kodama said.
The forecast predicts an inch to 2 inches of rainfall possible today, tonight and Thursday, tapering off to between three-quarters of an inch to an inch Thursday evening. On Friday and Saturday, the forecast just states the chances of precipitation without a prediction of how much rain will fall.
The same system that brought rain to the windward side of the island also brought winter weather, with a dusting of snow atop Maunakea on Monday and Tuesday.
Maunakea Rangers closed the Maunakea Access Road at the Visitor Information Station at the 9,200-foot level, preventing public access to the mountain’s summit because of fog, ice and snow on the road.
A winter weather advisory also was posted Tuesday for the summits of Maunakea and Mauna Loa.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
