November was marked by chilly nights and a rainy spell toward month’s end — causing three weather records to be broken and another tied in Hilo, according to the National Weather Service.
On Nov. 30, the final day of the month, 5.14 inches of rain was measured at Hilo International Airport, shattering the record of 3.85 inches set for that date in 1968.
And on Nov. 23, Thanksgiving Day, the 2.13 inches tallied at the airport edged the previous record of 1.99 inches set in 1955.
A couple of record-low temperatures were recorded at the Hilo airport, as well.
The mercury dipped to 60 degrees on Nov. 20, beating the prior record for that date of 61, set in 1961, by a single digit. And on Nov. 17, the overnight low of 62 degrees tied the record set on that date in 1964.
“It was cooler, mainly in the second half of the month. The beginning wasn’t unusually cool. But the (temperature) pattern was unusual, something you’d find more in December, January, deep winter as opposed to a fall type of pattern,” said Kevin Kodama, a hydrologist for the National Weather Service in Honolulu.
It was also a rainier November than normal in Hilo.
The recorded total of 20.53 inches is 32.45 percent higher than the monthly norm of 15.5 inches.
But the rainfall total is less than half the record of 45.9 inches set in November 2000. That’s the year an upper-level low-pressure system mingling with the remnants of Tropical Storm Paul caused 26.22 inches of rain to fall at Hilo airport in a 24-hour period on Nov. 1 and 2.
The resulting flood caused an estimated $90 million in damage to the Big Island and triggered disaster declarations from then-Gov. Ben Cayetano and then-President Bill Clinton.
“There were a few records set across the islands, but everything is backstopped against November 2000,” Kodama said. “That was such an amazing event, so everything is kind of overshadowed by it.”
Most rain gauges on the windward side reported above-normal precipitation for November. Saddle Quarry had by far the highest rainfall total for the month, an eye-popping 66.95 inches, more than five times its normal total of 13.02 inches.
Hakalau checked in with 34.61 inches, more than triple its 10.56 average. And Glenwood, normally one of the island’s wetter spots, experienced 40.07 inches of rain in November, 159 percent of its norm of 25.18 inches.
Ka‘u gauges also indicated higher-than-normal rainfall. Pahala measured 10.47 inches, 132 percent more than its usual 7.93 inches and Kapapala Ranch reported 11.47 inches, a 159 percent increase over its 7.18 inches average. And the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Kona measured 2.84 inches of rain, more than twice its norm of 1.28 inches.
The abundance of rainfall wasn’t an islandwide phenomenon, however. Kahuku Ranch got only 0.38 inches, less than a fifth of its normal November. Kaupulehu in Kona received just under a half-inch, 37 percent of its norm. And Kaloko-Honokohau National Memorial Park was positively parched, with only 0.15 inches for the month, just 14 percent of its usual amount.
The South Kona coffee belt, which has its rainier season in the summer, received about the normal amount of rainfall. Kainaliu tallied 3.18 inches, 102 percent of its average. Kealakekua was at 95 percent of its norm with 3.1 inches. Honaunau was slightly wetter with 4.23 inches, more than an inch more than its November norm of 3.12 inches.
Although the nights have remained cool in December, no records have been set in Hilo, although the low temperatures last week of 59 on Thursday and 61 on Tuesday and Wednesday were but a single digit higher than the record lows for those dates.
The mercury dipped to 59 at Hilo airport again on Friday, but that was two degrees warmer than the record low.
According to Kodama, East Hawaii residents can expect more of the same.
“At least through the first two weeks of December, it looks like it’s going to stay pretty much as it is now, with several weak fronts coming in over the next few days, keeping us pretty cool,” he said.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
