FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM City and County lifeguard Bill Goding looked at an empty Ala Moana Beach Park from Tower 1B yesterday. Kona conditions, gray skies, onshore winds and occasional showers kept most people off the beach.

Rainfall sets a record

Forecasters predict showers will be limited to Windward and mountain areas today

KONA WINDS and spotty showers brought rain to Leeward Oahu yesterday, resulting in record rainfall at the Honolulu Airport, but not enough to cause flooding or damage.

And while National Weather Service forecasters say Thanksgiving Day looks good, they predict the rain may return for the weekend.

As of 7 p.m., Honolulu Airport received eight-tenths of an inch of rain yesterday, enough for the record for the day, but not enough for any watches or warnings to be posted, said Tom Birchard, a weather service forecaster. The old record for Nov. 22, two-tenths of an inch, was set in 1964.

The rain and wind was due to a cold front that was pushing through Kauai last night on its way down the island chain, expected to dissipate over Maui tonight.

That cold front triggered some clouds and showers that pushed into Leeward areas thanks to the Kona winds, Birchard added.

The front line will make its way to Oahu today, but with light tradewinds, showers should be confined mostly to Windward and mountain areas, he said.

Meanwhile, another front will likely bring Kona winds and showers back to the state over the weekend, Birchard said, but "take it with a big grain of salt."

With forecast models contradictory, Birchard said there are a number of possibilities with the weekend weather. But, at least early in the weekend, a southerly flow will take over.

The weather pattern "is changing from day-to-day," Birchard said. "We have fairly fast systems to our north" pushing cold fronts toward the state every few days.