Drought Information Statement Archive


WET TRADES EASE WINDWARD DRYNESS WHILE LEEWARD DROUGHT EXPANDS IN MAUI COUNTY
1005 AM HST THU JAN 10 2013

SYNOPSIS... WET TRADE WIND CONDITIONS BROUGHT AMPLE AMOUNTS OF RAINFALL TO THE EAST-FACING SLOPES. PERIODS OF STRONG TRADE WINDS HELPED BLOW RAINFALL INTO SOME OF THE LEEWARD AREAS OF THE SMALLER ISLANDS. HOWEVER...LEEWARD AREAS OF MAUI COUNTY AND THE BIG ISLAND REMAINED VERY DRY. THIS PERSISTENT LEEWARD DRYNESS PRODUCED AN EXPANSION OF ...


2012-2013 WET SEASON TWO MONTHS OVERDUE
105 PM HST THU DEC 6 2012

SYNOPSIS... IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER...RECORD LOW PRECIPITATION TOTALS OCCURRED AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS IN THE STATE. FORTUNATELY FOR KAUAI...THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER PRODUCED 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAINFALL WHICH SHOULD HELP BRING SOME DROUGHT RELIEF BUT THE REST OF THE STATE HAS THUS FAR REMAINED DRY. THE DROUGHT DEPICTION FOR KAUAI REMAINED UNC...


VERY SLOW START TO THE 2012-2013 WET SEASON
930 AM HST THU NOV 8 2012

SYNOPSIS... INSTEAD OF A SEASONAL INCREASE IN RAINFALL OCTOBER BROUGHT RECORD LOW PRECIPITATION TOTALS AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS ACROSS THE STATE. MOST OF THE RECORDS BROKEN WERE ON KAUAI AND OAHU WHICH RESULTED IN A DEGRADATION OF EXISTING DROUGHT CONDITIONS. ON KAUAI...EXISTING SEVERE DROUGHT...OR D2 CATEGORY CONDITIONS IN THE U.S. DROUGHT M...


THE 2012-2013 WET SEASON BEGINS WITH MORE THAN HALF OF THE STATE IN DROUGHT
930 AM HST THU OCT 4 2012

SYNOPSIS... THE 2012 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS DRY SEASON HAS CONCLUDED AND AS EXPECTED...LARGE AREAS OF THE STATE...ESPECIALLY IN THE LEEWARD AREAS OF MAUI COUNTY AND THE BIG ISLAND...HEAD INTO THE NEW WET SEASON UNDER SIGNIFICANT DROUGHT. AREAS OF EXTREME DROUGHT...OR THE D3 CATEGORY IN THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR MAP...REMAIN FIRMLY IN PLACE. IN MA...


LEEWARD DROUGHT WORSENS ON KAUAI AND LANAI
915 AM HST THU SEP 6 2012

SYNOPSIS... PERSISTENT AND STABLE TRADE WIND CONDITIONS KEPT MOST OF THE LEEWARD AREAS VERY DRY THROUGHOUT AUGUST. THE SUSTAINED DRYNESS ON THE ISLAND OF LANAI RESULTED IN A DOWNGRADE FROM SEVERE DROUGHT...OR THE D2 CATEGORY IN THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR MAP...TO EXTREME DROUGHT...OR THE D3 CATEGORY...OVER THE LEEWARD SLOPES OF THE ISLAND. S...


AGRICULTURAL DROUGHT WORSENING ON KAUAI
920 AM HST THU AUG 9 2012

SYNOPSIS... DRY JULY WEATHER WORSENED EXISTING DROUGHT CONDITIONS OVER THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF EAST AND SOUTHEAST KAUAI. AS A RESULT...MODERATE DROUGHT...OR THE D1 CATEGORY IN THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR MAP...WAS DOWNGRADED TO SEVERE DROUGHT...OR THE D2 CATEGORY...FROM KEALIA TO KOLOA. ADDITIONAL AREAS OF SEVERE DROUGHT ACROSS THE STATE INCL...


DROUGHT REDEVELOPS OVER KAUAI AND OAHU
1055 AM HST FRI JUL 13 2012

SYNOPSIS... A STRONG START TO THE 2012 DRY SEASON HAS ALREADY PRODUCED NEW DROUGHT IMPACTS OVER PORTIONS OF KAUAI AND OAHU. MODERATE DROUGHT...OR THE D1 CATEGORY IN THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR MAP...HAS REDEVELOPED OVER THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF KAUAI AND OVER LEEWARD OAHU. DROUGHT CONDITIONS ALSO REMAIN FIRMLY IN PLACE OVER LEEWARD AREAS OF MAU...


A FAST START TO THE DRY SEASON IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
850 AM HST THU JUN 7 2012

SYNOPSIS... THE 2012 DRY SEASON HAS STARTED HARD AND FAST...ESPECIALLY IN MOST OF THE LEEWARD AREAS OF THE STATE WHERE MAY RAINFALL TOTALS CAME IN BELOW AVERAGE. AN EXISTING AREA OF EXTREME DROUGHT...OR THE D3 CATEGORY IN THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR MAP...SPREAD FROM THE SOUTH KOHALA DISTRICT AND THE POHAKULOA REGION OF THE HAMAKUA DISTRICT I...


ANOTHER WET SEASON GONE AND THE DROUGHT CONTINUES IN LEEWARD MAUI COUNTY AND THE BIG ISLAND
845 AM HST THU MAY 3 2012

SYNOPSIS... LOWER THAN NORMAL RAINFALL IN APRIL KEPT DROUGHT FIRMLY IN PLACE OVER LEEWARD AREAS OF MAUI COUNTY AND THE BIG ISLAND. IN MAUI COUNTY...EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS...OR THE D3 CATEGORY IN THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR MAP...CONTINUED OVER WESTERN MOLOKAI AND SOUTHWEST MAUI FROM KIHEI TO MAKENA. SEVERE DROUGHT...OR D2 CATEGORY CONDIT...


DROUGHT HOLDING FIRM IN LEEWARD MAUI COUNTY AND THE BIG ISLAND
805 AM HST THU APR 5 2012

SYNOPSIS... EARLY MARCH LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS DRENCHED MOST OF KAUAI AND OAHU. WINDWARD AREAS OF MAUI COUNTY AND THE BIG ISLAND RECEIVED AMPLE RAINFALL BUT LEEWARD AREAS...ESPECIALLY ON THE BIG ISLAND...HAD ONLY LIMITED AMOUNTS OF RAIN. THUS...THE DROUGHT LIVES ON FOR YET ANOTHER MONTH. DURING MARCH...WESTERN MOLOKAI GOT ENOUGH RAIN TO IMP...


MAUI COUNTY DROUGHT WORSENS WHILE KAUAI AND OAHU GET DRENCHED
320 AM HST THU MAR 8 2012

SYNOPSIS... LATE FEBRUARY AND EARLY MARCH LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS BROUGHT TORRENTIAL RAINFALL TO THE WEST HALF OF THE STATE BUT PRODUCED MUCH LOWER AMOUNTS OVER THE DROUGHT-PLAGUED AREAS OF MAUI COUNTY AND THE BIG ISLAND. WESTERN MOLOKAI...WHICH HAD BEEN UNDER EXTREME DROUGHT...OR D3 CATEGORY CONDITIONS ON THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR MAP...WORSE...


LEEWARD DROUGHT WORSENS ON THE BIG ISLAND AND MAUI COUNTY
1020 AM HST THU FEB 2 2012

SYNOPSIS... FOLLOWING VERY WET CONDITIONS OVER THE WINDWARD SLOPES DURING DECEMBER...THE NEW YEAR HAS STARTED OUT DRY IN MOST AREAS EXCEPT FOR THE ISLAND OF KAUAI. LEEWARD DROUGHT WORSENED ON THE BIG ISLAND WITH EXISTING EXTREME DROUGHT...OR D3 CATEGORY CONDITIONS ON THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR MAP...EXPANDING NORTHWARD INTO RANCH LANDS NEAR W...


PERSISTENT TRADES KEEP MOST WEST-FACING BIG ISLAND AND MAUI SLOPES UNDER DROUGHT
905 AM HST FRI JAN 6 2012

SYNOPSIS... PERSISTENT TRADE WINDS BROUGHT ABUNDANT AMOUNTS OF RAIN TO THE EAST-FACING SLOPES OF THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. MANY OF THE LEEWARD SLOPES...ESPECIALLY ON THE BIG ISLAND AND MAUI...RECEIVED VERY LITTLE RAIN. AS A RESULT...EXTREME DROUGHT...OR D3 CATEGORY CONDITIONS ON THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR MAP CONTINUES IN THE SOUTH KOHALA D...


LEEWARD BIG ISLAND DROUGHT WORSENS
930 AM HST THU DEC 8 2011

SYNOPSIS... PERSISTENT TRADE WIND CONDITIONS DURING NOVEMBER HELPED BRING NEAR TO ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL TOTALS TO MANY OF THE WINDWARD SLOPES OF THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. HOWEVER...THE PERSISTENT TRADES MEANT LITTLE RAINFALL OCCURRED OVER LEEWARD AREAS. ON THE BIG ISLAND... EXTREME DROUGHT...OR D3 CATEGORY CONDITIONS ON THE U.S. DROUGHT MO...


DROUGHT WORSENS IN OCTOBER BEFORE THE RAINS BEGIN
230 PM HST THU NOV 3 2011

SYNOPSIS... BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL OVER MOST AREAS OF THE STATE DURING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER RESULTED IN AN INCREASE IN DROUGHT INTENSITY AND COVERAGE IN ALL FOUR HAWAII COUNTIES. ALL OF THIS OCCURRED PRIOR TO THE ONSET OF WET CONDITIONS WHICH COMMENCED AT THE END OF OCTOBER AND CONTINUES TODAY. IT IS TOO SOON TO KNOW THE FULL IMPACT OF THE ...


DRY SEPTEMBER INCREASES BIG ISLAND DROUGHT INTENSITY
225 PM HST THU OCT 6 2011

SYNOPSIS... WELL BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL DURING THE WARMEST TIME OF THE YEAR COMBINED TO INCREASE DROUGHT INTENSITY OVER THE LEEWARD AREAS OF THE STATE. THE GREATEST CHANGES OCCURRED ON THE BIG ISLAND WHERE EXTREME DROUGHT...OR D3 CATEGORY CONDITIONS ON THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR MAP...HAS ONCE AGAIN STARTED. THE COVERAGE OF D3 IS CURRENTLY ALO...


DROUGHT IMPACTS INCREASING ON THE BIG ISLAND AND MAUI COUNTY
1035 AM HST THU SEP 8 2011

SYNOPSIS... WELL BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL COMBINED WITH SEASONALLY WARM TEMPERATURES INCREASED DROUGHT CONDITIONS IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY OVER LEEWARD AREAS OF THE BIG ISLAND AND MAUI COUNTY. A MONTH AGO ONLY A SMALL SECTION OF THE SOUTH KOHALA DISTRICT ON THE BIG ISLAND CONTAINED SEVERE DROUGHT...OR D2 CATEGORY CONDITIONS ON THE U.S. DROUGH...


BIG ISLAND DROUGHT WORSENING AGAIN WITH BELOW NORMAL JULY RAINFALL
920 AM HST THU AUG 4 2011

SYNOPSIS... BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL AND WARMER TEMPERATURES DURING JULY HAVE RESULTED IN A WORSENING OF DROUGHT CONDITIONS ON THE ISLAND OF HAWAII. THUS...THE AREA OF MODERATE DROUGHT...OR D1 CATEGORY CONDITIONS ON THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR MAP...SPREAD FROM THE SOUTH KAU DISTRICT INTO THE SOUTH KONA DISTRICT AND NORTHEASTWARD TOWARD THE VOLCANO...


LEEWARD BIG ISLAND AND MAUI COUNTY DROUGHT EXPECTED TO WORSEN OVER THE SUMMER
142 PM HST MON JUL 11 2011

SYNOPSIS... THE EFFECTS OF SPRING RAINFALL CONTINUED TO PRODUCE IMPROVEMENTS IN DROUGHT CONDITIONS OVER LEEWARD PORTIONS OF THE BIG ISLAND AND MAUI COUNTY. THIS IMPROVEMENT TREND IS EXPECTED TO END AS DRIER AND WARMER CONDITIONS TAKE HOLD DURING THE HEART OF THE 2011 DRY SEASON. DURING THE MONTH OF JUNE...A POCKET OF SEVERE DROUGHT...OR D2 C...


LATE WET SEASON RAINFALL HELPS EASE BIG ISLAND DROUGHT
650 AM HST THU JUN 2 2011

SYNOPSIS... RAINFALL DURING APRIL AND EARLY MAY HELPED REDUCE AGRICULTURAL DROUGHT CONDITIONS OVER PORTIONS OF THE LEEWARD BIG ISLAND SLOPES. THIS HELPED KNOCK DOWN A STUBBORN POCKET OF EXTREME DROUGHT...OR D3 CATEGORY CONDITIONS ON THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR MAP...TO SEVERE DROUGHT...OR D2 CONDITIONS OVER THE POHAKULOA AREA. THE BIG ISLAND ...


AGRICULTURAL DROUGHT DECREASES IN MAUI COUNTY
910 AM HST THU MAY 5 2011

SYNOPSIS... AGRICULTURE CONDITIONS HAVE RECOVERED ENOUGH FROM RAINFALL EARLIER IN THE YEAR TO WARRANT AN IMPROVEMENT IN DROUGHT DEPICTION OVER PORTIONS OF MAUI COUNTY. THUS...SEVERE DROUGHT...OR D2 CATEGORY CONDITIONS ON THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR MAP...HAS BEEN CHANGED TO MODERATE DROUGHT...OR THE D1 CATEGORY...OVER SOUTHWEST MAUI FROM KAONO...