What weather is around your part of the Big Island...? (Hilo: house, subdivision)

[mokeeman]

What is the PREVAILING weather in your locale...? Mention vog as well as your seasonal changes; please, include your Kona-Winds days in your report...! Please write this as you would describe the weather to someone on the mainland.

[mdand3boys]

We are in Nanawale subdivision, far end, around 400 feet elevation. 80-83 degrees every day. It rains at least 1x per day and at least 1x per night. However, these rain showers last from only 5 minutes to an hour or so, then clears up. We get less rain than the upper end of the subdivision and often leave the house in sun and encounter rain or wet streets 5+ streets away from home. If we drive into Hilo, we often drive through rain along hwy 130 near Hawaiian Paradise Park entrances. Hilo is definitely warmer during the day than where we are.

Being East of the vent, no VOG noticeable here, and have not heard much about it from locals, especially after the collapse in the vent on June 30th. Sulfur dioxide emission rates are way down from last winter. Kona wind days wouldn't be a factor here since we are East of the active vents and the Kona winds would be going North.

[hotzcatz]

Are coqui frogs part of the weather?

[cynmkolohe]

We are in Hilo town at the bottom of the area known as Waiakea Uka. We get some of the heaviest rain when we have rainy days in Hilo. But, on clear days, there can be fluffy cloud cover (great for gardening--not so hot) or it can be crystal clear with very bright sun (sunscreen required if working outside). Our rainy season generally lasts from November to March--during that period there can be several days of heavy clouds and plenty rain.

As for vog, we do get it at times. When the winds shift and blow from the South/West, we can see haze and sense a change in the air. This can vary from day to evening--countless times I've watched the 5:00 news and our winds are from the NE, but by the 10:00 news the winds have shifted and are coming in from another direction. "Variable winds" is the key word. But usually, those periods are short-lived and it is not too much of a problem for us. On "kona-wind" days or when some weather system is blocking the trades, we close the windows and use a dehumidifier if we are home and the vog seems like an annoyance.

If I were describing our weather conditions to someone on the mainland, I would say there is a lot of variety in our weather and when it rains, it can really rain, so always have both an umbrella and sunscreen handy!

By the way...Tip for anyone considering living in Hilo: check flood maps carefully!!! Be sure you know what the risks are for your area.

[wikiwikirunner]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Are coqui frogs part of the weather?

i laughed at this

[cynmkolohe]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Are coqui frogs part of the weather?

I guess if you consider that there seems to be less coqui noise when/where the weather gets very cool at night, they could fit that catagory?

[Kohala Coast tennis]

Wet side Waimea is misty and cool a lot of the time. Biblical downpours are regular. Huge clouds rise up from Waipio Valley, towering white, grey, rose and black. Turn and watch them whisp into nothing; massive clouds dissolving into hot dry western air. When the sun occasionally shines intense in clear blue skies, we steam in the tropical heat. Delicious.

[cynmkolohe]

Wet-side Waimea can be so amazingly beautiful! It's awesome to watch the sky change against the hills.

I spend a good bit of time each month at a home on Kawaihae Rd at about 1500 ft elevation. It's amazing how the weather can change from that elevation up to Waimea. Countless times I've left from my weekend there thinking the weather is clear and sunny (and therefore must be that way everywhere) only to drive into a rain shower in Waimea and then into heavy rains on my way back to Hilo. There's an invisible line there somewhere....

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

We are in Discovery Harbour near South Point. Constant trade winds that get pretty powerful at times. We are at 1200 feet elevation, about 5 miles inland. We have no need for air conditioning or heat. The trade winds keep us comfortable and it's never cool enough for artificial heating. Our subdivision goes from 800 elevation to 1500, and the weather can be very different from one part of the subdivision to another. We get more rain at 1200 feet than they do at 800 feet. We have no need for irrigating plants, but it doesn't rain overly much. More rain in winter than summer, average about 40 inches a year.

[KonaKat]

Hotter than heck in Kona lately!