Thunderstorm Wind, Hawaii
- When
- February 25, 12:20 PM HST to 12:50 PM HST
- Where
- Hawaii County, 3 mi N of Captain Cook
- Measured
- 70 kt (81 mph)
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 19.533, -155.917
Damaging Wind in Hawaii, February 25, 2002
A rancher in the North Kona District of the Big Island of Hawaii observed that high winds from a thunderstorm, estimated at about 80 mph, had felled several large diameter trees (4 to 5 feet) between the 2500- and 4000-foot elevations. However, he did not report any serious property damage or injuries.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it. 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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.
A rancher in the North Kona District of the Big Island of Hawaii observed that high winds from a thunderstorm, estimated at about 80 mph, had felled several large diameter trees (4 to 5 feet) between the 2500- and 4000-foot elevations. However, he did not report any serious property damage or injuries.
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 25, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 25, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours 20 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 10 AM HST MON FEB 25 2002 SUMMARY...EXPECT TRADE WINDS IN THE 15 TO 30 MPH RANGE ACROSS THE STATE THROUGH TUESDAY...THANKS TO HIGH PRESSURE TO OUR NORTH. SLIGHTLY WEAKER TRADES ARE EXPECTED AFTERWARDS AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT RELAXES. LINGERING INSTABILITY...DUE TO COLD AIR ALOFT...WILL ENHANCE SHOWERS EMBEDDED WITHIN THE TRADES. HEAVY SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE FOR THE BIG ISLAND TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. HOWEVER...A MOISTURE DECREASE FROM THIS TIME YESTERDAY WILL PREVENT FLOODING RAINS FROM DEVELOPING. DISCUSSION...THE UPPER TROUGH IS DEVELOPING OVER AND NORTHEAST OF THE STATE AS EXPECTED...BUT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE ACROSS THE STATE HAS DECREASED FROM 24 HOURS AGO. THE ATMOSPHERE CONTINUES TO DESTABILIZE...SHOWN BY K-INDICES IN THE LOW 30S AND LIFTED INDEX VALUES OF -4.3 AND -6.2 AT HILO AND LIHUE...RESPECTIVELY. COOLING CONTINUES ABOVE 800 MB WITH SLIGHT WARMING SEEN AT LOWER LEVELS AT LIHUE. INITIAL UPLIFT AT LOW LEVELS IS PROVIDED BY STRONG TRADES ENCOUNTERING WINDWARD MOUNTAIN RANGES. GIVEN ENOUGH MOISTURE...WE WOULD HAVE A BIG RAINFALL EVENT ON OUR HANDS. FORTUNATELY OR UNFORTUNATELY...DEPENDING ON YOUR POINT OF VIEW...LOTS OF THE MOISTURE FUELING THE HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS YESTERDAY HAS MOVED SOUTHWEST OF THE STATE. SO...THE END RESULT WILL BE BOUTS OF ENHANCED TRADE WIND SHOWERS THROUGH THE WEEK...WITH A FEW HEAVY SHOWERS OVER THE BIG ISLAND THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...BUT NO FLOODING RAINS ARE EXPECTED. MODELS INDICATE THAT THE UPPER TROUGH WILL STICK AROUND FOR SEVERAL DAYS THEN SLIP SLOWLY OFF TO THE EAST. AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL REPLACE THE TROUGH...WARMING UP MID AND UPPER LEVELS AND STABILIZING THE ATMOSPHERE BY FRIDAY. CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL DECREASE THEN AND AFTERWARDS. AT LOWER LEVELS...THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL LINGER NORTH OF HERE...KEEPING THE TRADES IN THE 15 TO 30 MPH RANGE THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...THEN IN THE 10 TO 25 MPH RANGE AFTERWARDS. POWELL .HFO.....WARNINGS.....NONE . WATCHES......NONE . ADVISORIES...SMALL CRAFT DUE TO STRONG AND GUSTY TRADES
The radar
The South Shore radar (PHWA), 61 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:21 UTC.
Event by event
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Winter Storm in Missouri, February 25 to 26, 2002
- High Wind in Texas, February 25, 2002
- Winter Storm in Illinois, February 25 to 26, 2002
- Winter Storm in Michigan, February 25 to 27, 2002
- Winter Storm in Michigan, February 25 to 26, 2002
- Heavy Snow in Michigan, February 25 to 26, 2002
- Heavy Snow in Illinois, February 25 to 26, 2002
- Winter Storm in Hawaii, February 25 to 26, 2002
- Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, February 25 to 26, 2002
- Blizzard in Alaska, February 25, 2002
- Heavy Snow in Alaska, February 25, 2002
- Hail in Hawaii, February 25, 2002
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: 5281153.