Heavy Rain, Maui
- When
- December 1, 2:30 PM HST to 4:30 PM HST
- Where
- Maui County, 6 mi SSE of Pukalani
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 20.868, -156.617 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain in Hawaii, December 1, 2003
A cold front moving through the state generated heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms, which affected Upcountry Maui during the afternoon hours on the 1st. As was the case elsewhere, the rain caused ponding of roadways, and minor stream and drainage ditch flooding.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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
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 cold front moving through the state generated heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms, which affected Upcountry Maui during the afternoon hours on the 1st. As was the case elsewhere, the rain caused ponding of roadways, and minor stream and drainage ditch flooding. There were no reports of serious property damage or injuries, however.
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 Dec 1, 10:00 AM HST, 4 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 1, 10:00 AM HST, 4 hours 30 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 10 AM HST MON DEC 01 2003 .SYNOPSIS...A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM HAS FORMED NORTH OF THE ISLANDS WITH ITS COLD FRONT APPROACHING KAUAI THIS MORNING. HEAVY SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TODAY AND INTO TONIGHT. DRYER WEATHER WILL MOVE ACROSS THE ISLANDS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. && .DISCUSSION...A LOW NORTH OF THE ISLANDS NEAR 30N 155W WILL MOVE EAST TO NEAR 30N 150W TONIGHT. IT WILL THEN MOVE RAPIDLY TO THE NORTHEAST AND EVENTUALLY BE INCORPORATED INTO A LARGE LOW IN THE GULF OF ALASKA. A COLD FRONT EXTENDING SOUTHWESTWARD FROM THE LOW PASSED OVER KAUAI DURING THE LAST HOUR AND WILL LIKELY REACH OAHU AROUND MIDDAY. THE URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY FOR KAUAI IS FOR THE HEAVY SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ACCOMPANYING THE FRONT. ANOTHER ADVISORY FOR OAHU IS FOR HEAVY SHOWERS MOVING UP FROM THE SOUTHWEST IN ADVANCE OF THE COLD FRONT. BECAUSE THE GROUND IS WET FROM THE WEEKEND RAINS...MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING PLACES IS LIKELY ON BOTH ISLANDS. ADDITIONAL HEAVY SHOWERS WILL ALSO MOVE ACROSS MAUI COUNTY DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...AND HEAVY RAIN MAY FORM OVER THE BIG ISLAND WITH AFTERNOON HEATING. ALTHOUGH THE THREAT OF FLOODING FOR MAUI COUNTY AND THE BIG ISLAND IS RELATIVELY LOW AT THE MOMENT... THAT COULD CHANGE TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE AIR MASS OVER THE ISLANDS IS VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE...BUT DRYER AIR IS LOCATED BEHIND THE FRONT. THE FORECAST WILL LIKELY BE CHANGED A BIT AT 4 PM DEPENDING ON HOW FAST THE FRONT MOVES AND WHERE IT WILL STALL. FOR NOW...IT LOOKS LIKE THE DRYER AIR WILL REACH KAUAI AND OAHU EARLY THAN PRESENTLY FORECAST. .MARINE...SURF ALONG EAST FACING SHORES DROPPED BELOW 8 FEET AND THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY HAS BEEN CANCELLED. ANOTHER SWELL THAT WILL BE GENERATED BY THE FETCH AREA WEST OF THE DEPARTING LOW WILL REACH OUR NORTH AND MAYBE EAST SHORES LATE TUESDAY. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY MAY BE REQUIRED FOR THAT EVENT. && .HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR EAST FACING SHORE IS CANCELLED. && CRAIG
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Heavy Rain
- Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 2003
- Drought in Colorado, December 1 to 31, 2003
- Drought in Wisconsin, December 1 to 9, 2003
- High Wind in Alaska, December 1 to 2, 2003
- Drought in Utah, December 1 to 31, 2003
- Dense Fog in Wyoming, December 1 to 2, 2003
- High Wind in New York, December 1, 2003
- Flood in Illinois, December 1 to 5, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Michigan, December 1 to 2, 2003
- Heavy Rain in Hawaii, December 1, 2003
- Heavy Rain in Hawaii, December 1, 2003
- Heavy Rain in Hawaii, December 1, 2003
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, December 2003
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: 5327901.