While most of Hawaii Island is experiencing moderate drought conditions, the island’s rainfall numbers for February paint a picture that the word “moderate” doesn’t accurately describe.
Hilo International Airport, for example, received just 0.75 inches of rain for the entire month. That’s 7% of its usual 10.22 inches of rain for February.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Kevin Kodama, senior service hydrologist for the National Weather Service, told the Tribune-Herald on Friday.
For the airport, that is its third-lowest February total and the driest February since 2000, when the tarmac gauge received a record low 0.52 inches. That, by the way, was a leap year, so an extra day was added to the month’s calendar.
Also receiving their lowest February rainfall totals since 2000 were Honokaa with 0.65 inches, Kahua Ranch with 0.14 inches, Upolu Airport with 0.23 inches, and Waiakea Uka with 2.11 inches.
Records for the driest February were set at Waimea with 0.13 inches, and the Waimea Upper gauge, 0.17 inches.
And Kaupulehu, home of the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, as well as the Kawaihae and Kohala Ranch areas tied their records for the driest February. That’s because all three registered nary a drop for the month.
“Kohala Ranch is on the (leeward) side of the island, but it’s on the slopes of the Kohala Mountains, so it will usually get some rain going over the summit,” Kodama said. “It’s rare for them to go for a month without any rain.”
Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, where the tarmac drinks sunshine almost every daylight hour, registered 0.04 inches for the month, just 3% of its usual 1.17 inches. And in the Kona coffee belt, the Waiaha rain gauge near downtown Kailua-Kona, with 0.88 inches, had its lowest February rainfall total since 2003.
According to NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information Station, or NIDIS, 152,755 people — 82.5% of the Big Island’s population — are affected by the island’s current drought conditions.
“We’re starting to see impacts on agriculture,” Kodama said. “Pastures are reported to be pretty dry, and I hear catchment folks are hurting, too, so water hauling is up.
“Even on the windward side, that’s happening.”
Perhaps because aridity is the norm on the leeward side, a coastal swath — from a portion of South Kohala to the north, all the way through North Kona and South Kona to western Ka‘u — is listed as “abnormally dry” instead of being in moderate drought.
“The southwest side of the island got some significant rainfall at the end of January, and that’s why they’ve remained in (abnormally dry) status,” Kodama noted.
There is some good news, however, at least for East Hawaii. While the rain gauges rested the first two days of March, some rain has fallen every day since, which means Hilo airport had 1.13 inches for the month as of 8 a.m. Friday. Pahoa was wetter at 1.79 inches.
“We got the trade winds back, finally,” Kodama explained. “In February, we didn’t have too many trade-wind days, so it really hurts rainfall chances on the Big Island. But now that the trades are back in full force — which is what you expect for this time of year — at least the windward side will be getting a nice recharge.
“This rain will be helpful, and within a week or two, we should see the drought knocked down on the windward side, if it keeps up.”
Puna Flower Power already is benefiting from the precipitation uptick.
“We were starting to get close to a critical stage. And by that, I mean our tanks were down to slightly under 50%, and we use about 10% or 15% for watering,” said Vern Inouye, a partner in the Keaau orchid nursery. “So, if we didn’t get any rain this week, we could be in a very critical situation and would have to resort to buying water. But lo and behold, we got some rain over the past couple of days, and we’re back to full capacity now.
“Tanks are full now, and we’re really, really relieved about that. And we have so much surface area, over an acre of roofing to catch water, so it doesn’t take much for the tanks to fill up.”
According to Kodama, while East Hawaii welcomes the rainfall, the trade winds are “not going to do much for the leeward side.”
Indeed, most of the leeward gauges have remained stagnant so far this month. The Waiaha gauge, however, has received 0.51 inches this month, 58% of its entire February total.
Kodama said the trade winds should last “at least for a week and potentially longer.”
“At least for the next seven days, you should see solid trades with showers embedded within them in various amounts, for the east side of the Big Island,” he said.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
