February was dry on Kauaʻi, especially west of Port Allen

An ongoing dry spell on Kauaʻi seems to be continuing.

According to preliminary data from the National Weather Service, the agency’s Līhuʻe weather station recorded a meager 0.34 of an inch of rain through the first 7 days of this month. That’s already almost an entire inch behind average.

Below average rainfall has been the trend on the Garden Isle and February rainfall totals at most of the island’s rain gauges followed suit.

Leeward sites were particularly dry, as all rainfall totals west of Port Allen were less than 50% of average.

The Līhuʻe VS gauge recorded 2.77 inches of rain throughout February, or 55 % of its average of 5.06 inches. The Līhuʻe Airport rain gauge saw even less, collecting 0.92 of an inch last month, just 25% of its 3.63-inch average.

The other parched gauges on Kauaʻi in February were:

• Waimea Heights, with 0.56 of an inch of rain, 22% of its average of 2.54 inches.
• Waimea Tank recorded 0.54 of an inch, which is 21% of its 2.52-inch average.
• Waiʻalae saw 3.41 inches of rain, or 29% of its average 11.67 inches.
• Puʻu Lua had 1.64 inches, a 27% departure from its average of 6.16 inches.
• Anahola recorded a total of 1.07 inches for the month, or 26% of its average of 4.10 inches.

The U.S. Geological Survey rain gauge on top of Mount Waiʻaleʻale had the highest monthly total of 24.95 inches, or 102% of average, and the highest daily total of 3.42 inches Feb. 5.

For more February rainfall totals from around Kaua’i, click here.

Drier and more stable conditions kept rainfall totals below average in many areas of the state last month, and much less compared to January.

A weak cold front dropped into the state Feb. 2 from the north and produced 3 to 5 inches of rainfall along the windward slopes of Haleakalā on Maui and the windward Hāmākua and Kohala regions of the Big Island.

A cool, stable airmass with fresh to strong trade winds moved over the state Feb. 3 and remained in place through Feb. 6.

Easterly trade winds veered to a southeasterly direction Feb. 9 as the subtropical high pressure system shifted eastward to a center position roughly halfway between Hawaiʻi and California.

The strongest cold front of the month moved across the main Hawaiian Islands on Feb. 15. North-facing slopes throughout the state picked up about 1 to 3 inches of rain.

After that front passed, a generally benign weather pattern settled in over the state from Feb. 16-23. Fresh to strong trade winds started Feb. 24 and persisted through the end of the month.

Those trades produced rather wet conditions along windward slopes throughout the state, with daily totals reaching 1 to 2 inches in some locations.

There were no significant flood events during February anywhere in the state.

A combination of a wet January and dry February resulted in near average rainfall totals for the year through the end of February at most Kauaʻi rain gauges. Mount Waiʻaleʻale had the highest year-to-date total of 42.18 inches, or 86% of its average of 49.20 inches.

For more year-to-date rainfall totals from around the island, click here.

The National Weather Service Hawaiʻi synopsis from just before 4 p.m. Friday said strong and gusty trade winds will persist through this weekend as high clouds stream overhead throughout the islands.

Showers will remain focused over windward slopes, with brief showers periodically blown across leeward areas from Maui to Kauaʻi, and spotty showers developing along the Kona slopes on the Big Island each afternoon.

A period of enhanced rainfall is possible Monday as trade winds decline.

Trade winds will likely be disrupted late Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by a front expected to move down the island chain by about Thursday.