Honaka'a - 197 days of rain - what kind and when? (Hilo: rent, home)

[Mahrie]

Morning!

On the coast, just below Honaka'a, all reports say that the Hamakua area receives 197 days and 76 inches of rain annually. I don't mind rain, I even like 'fresh' rain, but there's something about gray skies that drag me down. It's the only weather characteristic that affects me adversely, and I have to know if the property I'm about to buy is going to be in the right location for our family. Can anyone help me out here? Does it rain all day or is nighttime more likely? If you're familiar with the area, I'd sure appreciate a heads up.

Mahala

Mahrie.

[nullgeo]

Originally Posted by Mahrie

Morning!

On the coast, just below Honaka'a, all reports say that the Hamakua area receives 197 days and 76 inches of rain annually. I don't mind rain, I even like 'fresh' rain, but there's something about gray skies that drag me down. It's the only weather characteristic that affects me adversely, and I have to know if the property I'm about to buy is going to be in the right location for our family. Can anyone help me out here? Does it rain all day or is nighttime more likely? If you're familiar with the area, I'd sure appreciate a heads up.

Mahala

Mahrie.

You can relax, you're going to a good place ... the skies change almost daily along the Hamakua coast ... there is plenty wonderful rain ... and most days sun as well ... and when you get stuck in the occasional pattern of gray that becomes unrelenting for a bit, you can simply drive a short, easy, beautiful 15 minutes or so from Honaka'a through to Kamuela and the dry side ... sun's most always out there if you get to missing it.

From your descriptions of your B.C. location I am wondering if you are the Bella Coola area? I live in Washington's San Juans part time, and part time Hawaii, and part in California (professional wandering bum). Big Island green on the Hilo side should work well for you. Enjoy. Aloha.

[leilaniguy]

Many rainy days are shower days, a few minutes of rain followed by sun off and on all day. We also get "rainshine", gloriously sunny and pouring rain at the same time. This makes some of the best rainbows.

[Mahrie]

Thanks, Nullgeo!

'Wandering bum,' eh? LOL! I can relate.

I appreciate you taking the time to answer my query. A few gray days at a time I can handle. I don't have time to just take off for pleasure often though, so I need home to be a place that inspires both DH and me, as we both work twelve-hour days most of the time, and I was becoming concerned about all that I read on the Net.

While I'm thoroughly familiar with the Bella Coola area, no, DH and I live in an old ghost town, a relic from the goldrush days, and it's called Bralorne. I couldn't tell you how many people live there at the moment but there were, IIRC, 22 when we first moved there twelve years ago from a couple of mountains over.

Our youngest daughter lives near Seattle with her Colorado-born husband. Small world, no?

Shalom Aleichem,

Mahrie.

[Mahrie]

Well, leilaniguy, who can resist a rainbow?

I especially like the double ones we occasionally see, a couple of which I've been allowed to capture on film. Awesome!

Thank you for your help.

Shalom,

Mahrie.

[hotzcatz]

On the Hamakua coast, the exact elevation and location make a huge difference as to the amount of sunshine and rain. Below Honokaa, there is Haina Camp and a few large expensive estates. Those should get less rain than above Honokaa which is the Ahualoa area. Just on the Waimea side of Honokaa, it starts getting frequent fogs, although those don't last all that long - usually just long enough to get the laundry hanging on the line nice and damp. On the Hilo side of Honokaa is Paauhau Camp, that has more sun and less rain than Honokaa. Even from one side of Honokaa to the other, there is a difference in rain and sunshine. There is also a lot of difference in temperature between these different areas. Which specific area are you interested in?

[Mahrie]

Hello, Hotzcatz!

I'll tell you when we close the deal. How's about that?

Love,

Mahrie.

[hotzcatz]

As you wish, although it's a bit hard to relocate after closing the deal. I wasn't asking for specific directions, just a general area. You have visited the area first, haven't you? If it's below Honokaa and it's in the camps it could be rather different than you're used to. Of course, that also depends on what you are used to. There are a couple of nice places along in there, though, and Honokaa gets a lot of sunshine yet enough rain to keep things very green. It also has a nice rodeo and peace parade each year. Not much beach or ocean access, though.

[Mahrie]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

As you wish, although it's a bit hard to relocate after closing the deal. I wasn't asking for specific directions, just a general area. You have visited the area first, haven't you? If it's below Honokaa and it's in the camps it could be rather different than you're used to. Of course, that also depends on what you are used to. There are a couple of nice places along in there, though, and Honokaa gets a lot of sunshine yet enough rain to keep things very green. It also has a nice rodeo and peace parade each year. Not much beach or ocean access, though.

Umm... it would be significantly harder to relocate prior to closing the deal, Katz - y'don't get the keys 'til then!

Yep, I've visited the area, I've seen quite a bit of the beautiful BI, but as I told you earlier, Maui was always 'home' to me, and I thought it always would be. S'funny how things work out, isn't it?

BTW, my acreage is cliff top and consequently fronts on to the ocean - no beach though, which is fine, as my swimming pool is big enough, and if I feel an irrepressible urge to go snorkeling, I'll aim my wheelchair west.

As I said, the door's always open.

Kettle's always on.

Mahalo.

Mahrie.

[hotzcatz]

True, it is difficult to relocate prior to closing the deal, but a lot of folks rent in the area for awhile first. It saves a lot of effort later if they find somewhere else they prefer or they discover Hawaii is their vacation spot and not the spot they wanna live or whatever revelations they get after they move in.

Yeah, it's hard to find ocean access along this coast. There are a few areas, but they are all very rocky and not sandy at all. If you can get to the ocean, though, the fishing can be pretty good. The white sandy beaches are over on the Kohala coast so it's about a forty five minute drive away.

Shootz! Swimming pool, eh? We can throw the pool parties at your house!

For today's Honokaa weather report, it started out hot and sunny, then around lunchtime it went over to a bit of drizzle although you could still see it was clear out over the ocean. Then it did a soft rain for about an hour, now it's clear again. So, I guess this is one of those 197 annual "rainy" days. Hang the laundry in the morning and get it in by lunchtime.

Hmm, which way is west? Is that towards the mountain (mauka) or towards the ocean (makai)? Perhaps it's towards Maui? You should be able to see that from your cliff?