GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Trying to beat the unseasonably warm October weather yesterday, Bella Sarmiento, left, Derrick Sarmiento, Chascity Sarmiento, Brendan Sarmiento and Lynn Acob enjoyed shave ice with azuki beans at the Waiola Store in the McCully area.
Warm weather
extends summerTemperatures have been
over 89 degrees 33 days
since June
Shave ice sales usually drop off in the fall as the days grow shorter and the weather cools down.
Not this year.
"It's kind of like an extended summer," said Jerry Lee, the owner of Waiola Store in McCully, where a steady stream of customers lined up for the refreshing treat yesterday.
Autumn officially began Sept. 23, but you can't tell from the weather.
National Weather Service officials say Honolulu hasn't had that many record-breaking days, but it has definitely been warmer than usual for the last eight months.
Average temperatures, which are calculated by averaging the high and low temperatures in the day, have been anywhere from 1.8 degrees to 0.5 degrees higher than normal since February.
In August, the hottest month of the year, the average temperature was 84.4 degrees at the Honolulu Airport, 1.3 degrees above normal, and the temperature has been 90 degrees or higher for 33 days since June.
"The features that have made it dry have also made it warm," said Andy Nash, the science and operations officer for the weather service office in Honolulu. "We're under control of more high pressure than normal, so we're not getting a lot of rainfall nor clouds."
And when it has rained, it has also been humid. The low pressure systems that bring rain have also brought Kona winds from the south, making for muggy days and nights.
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Popo Chung, left, and Colleen Schiman stopped yesterday for shave ice being served up by Koven Gu at the Waiola Store.
In addition, because it hasn't been raining that much, the ground is warmer and the nights don't cool off as much.
That's not really news to Tammie Harada, who was eating shave ice with her children yesterday.
Harada said she normally goes for shave ice on Thursdays and Fridays, but because of the weather, "we might come on Saturday."
Katelyn Harada, 9, said she eats shave ice and goes swimming to stay cool.
Brother Quinten said this year has been the hottest ever, "and I'm four."
Harada said she expects her electricity bill to go up from running air conditioning.
Hawaiian Electric Co. said power use is up about 2 percent so far this year, although some of the increase is due to the boom in new housing.
"When it's hot, people use electricity," said HECO spokesman Jose Dizon.
Honolulu set a record for peak demand at 1,273 megawatts last month.
Nash said tradewinds should return this weekend, which should make it more comfortable.
"But we're not looking for any big cool downs or any big rainmakers for the next five to six days," he said.
As winter approaches, temperatures should begin to drop, but the long-term forecast suggests it still will be warmer than normal and the drought will continue, he said.
Lee has mixed feelings about the hot weather. On the one hand, the shave ice business is booming. But without air conditioning, the temperature is hotter inside the store than outside on the sidewalk.
"The hands are freezing, but the back is sweating," he said.
