Drought in Hawaii, November 1 to 30, 2008

Name: Drought in Hawaii, November 1 to 30, 2008
Start: 2008-11-01T00:00
End: 2008-11-30T23:59
Location: Hawaii

November 1 to 30, 2008 · NWS HFO · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

Rain over the Aloha State in November helped drought conditions moderately in some locales, but the precipitation did not end the overall effects of long-term dry weather on the islands. County officials continued to impose water restrictions in parched areas.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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: 9

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.

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 Oct 31, 10:00 PM HST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 31, 10:00 PM HST, 2 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1000 PM HST FRI OCT 31 2008

.UPDATE...
SHOWER COVERAGE WITHIN THE STABLE TRADE WIND FLOW HAS INCREASED IN
THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS...AND THE FORECAST HAS BEEN UPDATED TO
INCREASE POPS OVER MAINLY WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS. THE ATMOSPHERE
REMAINS STABLE...WITH LITTLE RAIN MAKING IT OVER TO LEEWARD PORTIONS
OF THE SMALLER ISLANDS...AND RAINFALL TOTALS WILL BE LIGHT FOR
WINDWARD LOCALES.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
MODERATE TRADE WINDS AND A STABLE AND RATHER DRY WEATHER PATTERN
WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. TRADE WINDS WILL EASE DURING THE
FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK AS THE RIDGE NORTH OF THE ISLANDS WEAKENS.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION 830 PM...
FINE TRADE WIND WEATHER IS IN STORE FOR THE WEEKEND. MODERATE
NORTHEASTERLY TRADE WINDS WILL VEER TO A MORE TYPICAL EAST NORTHEAST
DIRECTION BY SUNDAY AS A SURFACE HIGH FAR NORTHWEST OF THE ISLANDS
BEGINS TO MOVE EASTWARD. THIS NORTHEASTERLY FLOW IS CARRYING ONLY
LIGHT SHOWERS IN THE STRATOCUMULUS FIELD MOVING ACROSS THE ISLANDS
TONIGHT. IN ADDITION...A HIGHLY AMPLIFIED PATTERN ALOFT IS PRODUCING
STRONG MID TO UPPER LEVEL RIDGING OVER THE REGION...RESULTING IN
STABLE CONDITIONS WITH AN INVERSION DOWN NEAR 5 KFT ON THE AFTERNOON
LIHUE AND HILO SOUNDINGS. THIS ALL POINTS TO RATHER DRY TRADE WIND
WEATHER WITH LIGHT SHOWERS CONFINED TO WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS.
LEEWARD AREAS WILL EXPERIENCE DRY CONDITIONS...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF
ISOLATED AFTERNOON SHOWERS ON THE KONA SLOPES OF THE BIG ISLAND.

TRADE WINDS WILL EASE DURING THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK. FORECAST
MODELS SHOW THE AMPLIFIED PATTERN ALOFT FLATTENING OUT AS A NORTH
PACIFIC FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE CENTRAL PACIFIC. THE FRONT WILL PUSH
THE SURFACE HIGH OFF TO THE EAST AND DISPLACE THE ASSOCIATED
SUBTROPICAL RIDGE SOUTHWARD TOWARD THE ISLANDS. THIS WILL RESULT IN
A WEAKENING OF THE TRADE WINDS THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK.
WHETHER OR NOT THERE WILL BE ENOUGH WEAKENING OF THE TRADE WIND
FLOW TO HAVE LAND AND SEA BREEZES TAKE OVER IS STILL UNCLEAR...AND
FORECAST MODELS HAVE BEEN TRENDING TOWARD MAINTAINING A GENTLE TRADE
WIND FLOW.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.

&&

CRAIG

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Kauai Windward

When: November 1, 12:00 AM HST to November 18, 6:00 AM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought, Olomana

When: November 1, 12:00 AM HST to November 30, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Olomana forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Molokai Leeward

When: November 1, 12:00 AM HST to November 30, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought, Maui Windward West

When: November 1, 12:00 AM HST to November 30, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Maui Windward West forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Maui Leeward West

When: November 1, 12:00 AM HST to November 30, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Maui Leeward West forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Maui Central Valley

When: November 1, 12:00 AM HST to November 30, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought, South Big Island

When: November 1, 12:00 AM HST to November 30, 11:59 PM HST
Where: South Big Island forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought, Big Island North and East

When: November 1, 12:00 AM HST to November 30, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Big Island North and East forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought, Kohala

When: November 1, 12:00 AM HST to November 30, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Kohala forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought: A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Hawaii in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, November 2008

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: 138366, 138367, 138368, 138369, 138370, 138371, 138372, 138373, 138374.