Kona Low

We heard a hurricane-like storm was on its way, but we had an appointment to bring the car to the dealership for some much-needed repairs and long-overdue maintenance.

The "Kona Low" is a type of seasonal cyclone in the Hawaiian Islands, usually formed in the winter from winds coming from the westerly "kona" (normally leeward) direction. They are mainly cold core cyclones, which places them in the extratropical cyclone rather than the subtropical cyclone category. Hawaii typically experiences two to three annually, which can affect the state for a week or more. Among their hazards are heavy rain, hailstorms, flash floods and their associated landslides, high elevation snow, high winds which result in large surf and swells, and waterspouts.

Of course, the worst of that hits the top of the volcano. So we set out for Kahului along the Hana Highway with confidence the weather would hold off until we got back. And it did; but the photos below show what we drove through…before the worst of the storm hit.