In terms of precipitation, the Big Island in January was a tale of two halves.
According to Kevin Kodama, senior service hydrologist at the National Weather Service in Honolulu, January rainfall totals from the northeast half of the island were mostly below average, while totals from the southwest half were mostly near to above average.
“This distribution of rainfall is not surprising due to the prevalence of kona winds during the month,” said Kodama, referring to his monthly precipitation report.
Portions of North Kohala, South Kohala and Hamakua are experiencing abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Just a sliver of southwest Maui is also in abnormally dry, with the remainder of the state escaping drought predicted for January due to rain brought by cold fronts.
The drought was forecast because of strong El Nino conditions occurring across the Pacific, according to Kodama. El Nino is a climate pattern caused by warmer-than-normal equatorial Pacific waters.
“Winter rainfall over the Hawaiian Islands during this type of event is usually below average across the island chain. The rainy conditions from multiple cold front passages are very much atypical during January when a strong El Nino is in place,” Kodama said, referring to the state in general.
It was somewhat different on the Big Island.
Waimea received 2.72 inches of rain in January, just 38% of its norm for the month, while Honokaa recorded just 1.39 inches. Laupahoehoe had just 11% of its average January rainfall, or 1.52 inches.
A drier-than-normal January also affected the windward Big Island, which is supposedly in its wet season.
Hilo International Airport received 3.21 inches, 41% of its monthly norm. Upslope, Waiakea Uka tallied 2.92 inches and Piihonua 2.76 inches — both totals 21% of their average January rainfall.
Gordon Inouye, president of orchid wholesaler Puna Flower Power, said January was “very dry” for his winter crop. The company was forced to ration water at its Keaau nursery, cutting back irrigation “at least 50%.”
“We were short of water last Monday,” Inouye added, referring to Jan. 29. “So we ordered 7,000 gallons to be trucked in.
“Then, of course, on Tuesday it started raining.”
Glenwood, in the upper Puna rainforest, recorded 6.32 inches, but that’s just 32% of average, a far cry from its January norm of 19.45 inches.
Some areas, however — as Kodama noted — received near or above average rainfall.
The Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole received 1.6 inches, a quarter-inch more than its January norm.
Three of the four rain gauges in the Kona coffee belt — which, unlike most of the state, experiences its dry season in the winter — had average to above-average rainfall totals.
Kainaliu led the way, with 4.29 inches, 119% of its January average. Honaunau, at 3.36 inches, and Waiaha, at 3.53 inches, checked in at slightly above their norms. The fourth gauge, at Kealakekua, recorded 3.35 inches, 92% of average.
Most of the Ka‘u rain gauges also measured above-average rainfall.
Kapapala Ranch West received 9.3 inches, 157% of its January norm. Pahala tallied 8.35 inches, about a third above its average rainfall. And Kahuku Ranch, at 4.7 inches, received 155% its usual January rainfall of 3.03 inches.
But the Big Island’s highest rainfall total of the month was at the Pali2 gauge in upslope Ka‘u, which recorded 12.8 inches, 22% more than its 10.5 inches norm.
Much of that rain occurred Jan. 9, when the first of five cold fronts to reach the main Hawaiian Islands in January touched the Big Island.
That downpour closed Wood Valley and Kaalaiki roads due to flooding in low-water crossings, Kodama said.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.