Hawaii, 2003

Heavy Rain in Hawaii, December 2, 2003

December 2, 2003 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy showers caused ponding of roadways, and minor stream and drainage ditch flooding in the Kau and Puna districts on the Big Island of Hawaii. However, no serious injuries or property damage were reported.

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

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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.

Heavy showers caused ponding of roadways, and minor stream and drainage ditch flooding in the Kau and Puna districts on the Big Island of Hawaii. However, no serious injuries or property damage were reported.

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 2, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 2, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours 15 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
10 AM HST TUE DEC 2 2003

.SYNOPSIS...A COLD FRONT IS STALLING NEAR THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII.
HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED FROM KAUAI TO MAUI BUT A CHANCE OF HEAVY
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ON THE BIG ISLAND. HIGH
PRESSURE WILL BRING A RETURN OF TRADEWINDS FROM KAUAI TO MAUI THIS
EVENING AND THE TRADES WILL SPREAD TO THE BIG ISLAND BY WEDNESDAY
EVENING. TRADEWINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

&&

.DISCUSSION...AT 10 AM A SURFACE LOW WAS 650 MILES NORTHEAST OF MAUI
NEAR 28N 150W WITH A FRONTAL CLOUD BAND TRAILING SOUTHWEST OVER THE
ALENUIHAHA CHANNEL. NORTH WINDS AND MORE STABLE CONDITIONS HAVE
SPREAD SOUTHWARD BEHIND THE FRONT AS FAR AS MAUI. THE FRONTAL BAND
IS STALLING NEAR THE BIG ISLAND AND THE THREAT OF HEAVY SHOWERS OR
THUNDERSTORMS REMAINS THERE.

A SURFACE HIGH FAR NORTHWEST OF THE ISLANDS IS FORECAST TO MOVE
TOWARDS THE EAST SOUTHEAST OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. AS IT DOES...
WINDS FROM KAUAI TO MAUI WILL SHIFT FROM NORTH TO EAST NORTHEAST AND
BECOME TRADEWINDS. THE TRADEWINDS WILL SPREAD OVER THE BIG ISLAND BY
WEDNESDAY EVENING. THE THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL END TONIGHT BUT
REMNANTS OF THE FRONT...WHICH WILL BECOME A SHEARLINE...WILL KEEP
THE WINDWARD SIDE OF THE BIG ISLAND CLOUDY AND RAINY THROUGH
THURSDAY. THE GFS MODEL SHOWS THE SHEARLINE MOVING BACK
NORTHWESTWARD OVER THE OTHER ISLANDS THURSDAY NIGHT BUT IT IS A
LITTLE SOON TO TRUST THAT FORECAST. THERE MAY BE LITTLE LEFT OF THE
SHEARLINE BY THEN. TRADEWINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. A
NEW FRONT MAY REACH THE ISLANDS EARLY NEXT WEEK BUT...AGAIN...IT IS
TOO EARLY TO COUNT ON THAT HAPPENING.

&&

.MARINE...THE LOW NORTHEAST OF THE ISLANDS GENERATED A NEW SWELL
THAT HAS ALREADY REACHED THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. A HIGH SURF
ADVISORY WAS ISSUED AT 10 AM FOR NORTH AND EAST FACING SHORES. THE
HIGH SURF IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY BIG ISLAND VOLCANO SUMMITS CANCELLED AT 8 AM.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR NORTH AND EAST SHORES ISSUED 10 AM.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR NORTH SWELL.

&&

DONALDSON

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Hawaii

When
December 2, 12:15 PM HST to 7:00 PM HST
Where
Hawaii County, Pahala
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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

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: 5327911.