HILO — Flooding caused the closures of at least two roads in Hilo Tuesday afternoon, according to Hawaii County Civil Defense.
Ponding caused police to close East Kawailani Street, between Kamalii Street to Hoonani Place, and Kukila Street off Railroad Avenue in the Kanoelehua Industrial Area. Kukila has poor drainage and is often flooded during heavy rains.
Police reported poor driving conditions in Hamakua, Hilo, Puna and Ka‘u due to heavy downpours.
The stormy weather also led to one school in East Hawaii to be closed today. Classes at Kua O Ka La Public Charter School in Pahoa were canceled because of on-campus flooding.
Thundershowers hit East Hawaii Monday night and continued into Tuesday afternoon, although the thunder and lightning ceased in Hilo, at least temporarily, in the late afternoon.
Windward rain gauges took a pounding, as well. Totals for the 24-hour period ending 3 p.m. Tuesday showed Waiakea Experimental Station with 5.96 inches, Hilo International Airport with 5.32 inches and Pahoa with 5.07 inches.
Derek Wroe, forecaster for the National Weather Service in Honolulu expected “heavy showers with a chance of a thunderstorm” to continue through Tuesday night “and then taper off” by this morning.
Atop Maunakea, a fresh dusting of snow showed up on webcam photos late Tuesday afternoon and most observatories reported sub-freezing temperatures.
Asked about the possibility of more snow, Wroe said, “I think freezing rain and ice are more likely.”
The road to the summit remained closed to the public at the 9,200-foot level Tuesday afternoon because of icy conditions, freezing temperatures, high humidity and heavy fog.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.