Mauka rain and leeward sun forecast for isles
As low temperatures dip into the 60s, moderate tradewinds will bring cloudy skies and showers for windward and mauka areas of the Hawaiian Islands today and tomorrow, while leeward sides of islands will see mostly sunny skies.
For the weekend, light Kona winds could lessen the chance of rain in windward areas and shift light rainfall to leeward areas in the afternoons, National Weather Service forecaster Jonathan Hoag said.
At the Honolulu Airport, December rainfall was 3.1 inches, slightly over the December average of 2.9 inches, Hoag said. However, the airport's year-end total was 11.7 inches, well below its average of 18.3 inches.
"Tradewinds were persistent through most of December, with at least some showers most days of the month. We totaled up to a pretty good amount," Hoag said.
The exception was the band of heavy rain that moved over each island Dec. 4-8, starting with Kauai and ending with the Big Island, Hoag added. That batch of rain came with strong Kona winds that blew down trees and power lines, causing electrical failures on Oahu and flooding on Maui.
Statewide rainfall totals for December have not yet been compiled.