High Wind — Big Island Summit, Hawaii

2019-02-07 to 2019-02-10 · Big Island Summit, Hawaii

Event narrative

Mainly SW to W winds were sustained anywhere from 60 to 135 mph, with gusts as high as 161 mph, at the summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island. Winds were somewhat less at the summit of Haleakala on Maui. Blizzard-type conditions occurred from time to time with blowing snow and freezing precipitation, especially on Haleakala above 6000 feet. As an aside, snow at that elevation on Maui, 6000 feet, is extremely rare.

Wider weather episode

A powerful storm low moved to a position just north and northeast of Hawaii and wreaked havoc on the islands. The system brought fierce winds to most areas, with lower level winds exceeding 50-knot gusts on Kauai at Port Allen and Barking Sands; and enhanced surf, especially along north- and west-facing shores. Surf heights in some locales reached above 50 feet for north-facing shores, and above 30 feet for west-facing shores. And the very strong winds at the summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island, and the summit of Haleakala on Maui, produced blizzard-type conditions for a time as the feature affected the region. No significant injuries were reported. The costs of damages, public and private, were not available.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 799802. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.