Hawaii, 2002

Winter Storm in Hawaii, February 20, 2002

February 20, 2002 · NWS HFO · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

An upper low produced wind gusts over 50 mph, dropping wind chill temperatures well below zero degrees Fahrenheit, and one to three inches of snow above the 11,000-foot level of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii. However, there were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS HFO wrote it up.

An upper low produced wind gusts over 50 mph, dropping wind chill temperatures well below zero degrees Fahrenheit, and one to three inches of snow above the 11,000-foot level of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii. However, there were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Honolulu, HI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 20, 4:00 AM HST, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 20, 4:00 AM HST, 0 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
4 AM HST WED FEB 20 2002

SUMMARY...THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE OLD COLD FRONTAL BAND...NOW A
SHEARLINE CLOUD BAND...HAS CLEARED KAUAI AND OAHU AND WILL CONTINUE
TO PASS SOUTHEAST DOWN THE ISLAND CHAIN TODAY. HOWEVER...THE BIG
ISLAND WILL REMAIN BENEATH MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES THROUGH FRIDAY. A
BRIEF PERIOD OF HEAVY SHOWERS IS POSSIBLE FOR THE BIG ISLAND THIS
MORNING AS A PREFRONTAL CONVECTIVE BAND PASSES THROUGH. NORTH TO
NORTHEAST WINDS WILL SETTLE DOWN TO 10 TO 20 MPH TRADES FROM TONIGHT
THROUGH THE COMING WEEKEND. ANOTHER COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED NEXT
MONDAY.

DISCUSSION...THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE SHEARLINE CLOUD
BAND...FORMERLY A COLD FRONTAL BAND...BECAME QUITE RAGGED AS IT
PASSED OVER KAUAI AND OAHU THIS MORNING. SKIES OVER THESE ISLANDS
ARE PARTLY CLOUDY AT MOST...A SIGN OF WHAT IS AHEAD FOR THE OTHER
ISLANDS WITHIN THE NEXT 12 HOURS OR SO. THE OVERNIGHT HILO SOUNDING
IS QUITE UNSTABLE...WITH A K INDEX OF 32. CLOUD TOPS EMBEDDED WITHIN
THE SHEARLINE CLOUD BAND...AND MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTHEAST...HAVE
COOLED DRAMATICALLY OVER THE ALENUIHAHA CHANNEL WITHIN THE PAST TWO
HOURS. IT IS NOT COMPLETELY CLEAR IF THIS COOLING IS DUE TO SUDDEN
STRONG CONVECTION AND THE EXISTENCE OF HEAVY SHOWERS OR
MIDLEVEL-BASED UPLIFTING. SURFACE WINDS ARE FROM THE NORTH ACROSS
THE ALENUIHAHA CHANNEL...AND THESE CLOUD TOPS DO NOT BEHAVE LIKE THE
TOPS OF DEEP CONVECTION IN A SHEARED ENVIRONMENT. HOWEVER...NORTH
KOHALA RADAR DATA SHOWS GREATER THAN 45 DBZ RETURNS IN SPOTS AT THE
5500 FT LEVEL. THIS RADAR DATA COMPELS ME TO KEEP THE POSSIBILITY OF
HEAVY SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST FOR THE BIG ISLAND THROUGH THIS
MORNING.

LIKE THE SMALLER ISLANDS SEE NOW...THE BIG ISLAND CAN EXPECT 10 TO
25 MPH NORTHEAST WINDS THIS AFTERNOON AS THE SHEARLINE PASSES. THIS
FLOW IS QUITE DRY FOR THE SMALLER ISLANDS...BUT WE EXPECT ENOUGH
LINGERING MOISTURE TO KEEP BIG ISLAND SKIES MOSTLY CLOUDY THROUGH
FRIDAY. HOWEVER...PARTIAL CLEARING IS EXPECTED EACH AFTERNOON
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. WINDS WILL SETTLE DOWN TO 10 TO 20 MPH TRADES
STATEWIDE FROM TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. THE RECENT CHAIN OF EVENTS
WILL BE REPEATED NEXT MONDAY WHEN ANOTHER COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO
REACH THE ISLANDS.

SURF...WE SEE TWO SWELL EPISODES DURING THE REMAINDER OF THIS WEEK.
ONE IS SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE AT KAUAI AND OAHU BEACHES AROUND NOON
TODAY. BUOY ONE IS BEGINNING TO SHOW INCREASED ENERGY AT 17 SECONDS
AS OF 2 AM. ESTIMATES OF SURF HEIGHTS ON THE NORTHWEST SHORES OF
KAUAI AND OAHU ARE 10 TO 15 FEET. A SIMILAR SIZED OR PERHAPS A FOOT
OR TWO HIGHER SWELL WILL ARRIVE NEXT SATURDAY.

POWELL

HFO.....WARNINGS.....NONE
.       WATCHES......NONE
.       ADVISORIES...HIGH SURF NORTHWEST SHORES ALL ISLANDS

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, North and East Hawaii

When
February 20, 4:00 AM HST to 4:00 PM HST
Where
North and East Hawaii forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, South Hawaii

When
February 20, 4:00 AM HST to 4:00 PM HST
Where
South Hawaii forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER

Winter Storm, West Hawaii

When
February 20, 4:00 AM HST to 4:00 PM HST
Where
West Hawaii forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Hawaii in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, February 2002

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5281086, 5281087, 5281088.