{"id":245487,"date":"2026-01-15T05:05:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T05:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/245487\/"},"modified":"2026-01-15T05:05:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T05:05:16","slug":"big-island-ends-extremely-dry-2025-with-a-mostly-dry-december-big-island-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/245487\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Island ends extremely dry 2025 with a mostly dry December : Big Island Now"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Big Island missed out on rainfall from a few passing fronts in December, keeping the majority of the island pretty dry and below average \u2014 many places at less than 50% of their normal rainfall \u2014 for the last month of 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, the Big Island had an extremely dry year.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bigislandnow.com\/file\/bigislandnow\/2023\/12\/drought-naio.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/drought-naio-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-363951\"\/><\/a>Year-to-date rainfall values for a majority of Big Island rain gauges were generally 30% to 70% of average for the year. (Photo File: Mauna Kea Forest Restoration Project website)<\/p>\n<p>Hilo Airport had its second-driest December in the past 35 years, collecting just 3.84 inches of rainfall compared with its normal 12.07 inches, or just 32% of average.<\/p>\n<p>Kawai Nui Stream recorded its driest December on record \u2014 since 2010 \u2014 with 4.13 inches collected throughout the month, or 31% of its average total of 13.42 inches of rainfall for the last month of the year.<\/p>\n<p>Other significantly dry rain gauge sites around the island last month included:<\/p>\n<p>Mauna Loa Observation Station: 0 inches (0% of average 1.32 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Puhe CS: 0.02 inches (1% of average 1.76 inches).<\/p>\n<p>P\u014dhakuloa Training Area Range 17: 0.04 inches (2% of average 1.73 inches).<\/p>\n<p>P\u014dhakuloa Training Area K\u012bpuka \u02bbAlal\u0101: 0.08 inches (6% of average 1.38 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Kahua Ranch: 0.47 inches (8% of average 6.25 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Pu\u2018u Mali: 0.22 inches (8% of average 2.9 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Waimea Plain: 0.34 inches (9% of 3.69 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Honoka\u2018a: 0.8 inches (9% of average 9.3 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Kamuela 1: 0.56 inches (11% of average 4.88 inches).<\/p>\n<p>N\u0113n\u0113 Cabin: 0.74 inches (13% of average 5.58 inches).<\/p>\n<p>P\u014dhakuloa Training Area West: 0.29 inches (16% of average 1.85 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Pu\u2018u Wa\u2018awa\u2018a: 0.33 inches (17% of average 1.99 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Ka\u02bb\u016bp\u016blehu: 0.31 inches (18% of average 1.72 inches).<\/p>\n<p>All other gauges around the island reporting to the National Weather Service saw at least 20% of their monthly December rainfall average.<\/p>\n<p>ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD<\/p>\n<p>Portions of the Kona districts on the west side of the island actually did see some unseasonably high rainfall last month, with 2 to 3 inches throughout the course of December, because of deep tropical moisture and southerly winds ahead of a couple of those fronts.<\/p>\n<p>Several sites between H\u014dnaunau and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport ended December with above average rainfall totals.<\/p>\n<p>Sites that were at average or above last month included:<\/p>\n<p>H\u014dnaunau: 2.81 inches (100% of average 2.8 inches).<\/p>\n<p>K\u0101\u02bbin\u0101liu: 3.3 inches (121% of average 2.73 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Puho CS: 2.29 inches (124% of average 1.84 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Kealakekua: 3.64 inches (133% of average 2.74 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Wai\u2018aha: 3.59 inches (135% of average 2.66 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Waiki\u2018i: 25.85 inches (105% of average 24.67 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Waik\u014dloa: 13.07 inches (103% of average 12.72 inches).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bigislandnow.com\/file\/bigislandnow\/2026\/01\/December-rainfall-totals-map-from-NWS.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"655\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/December-rainfall-totals-map-from-NWS-1024x655.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-421392\"\/><\/a>Map Graphic Courtesy: National Weather Service<\/p>\n<p>Only 13 other rain gauges around the island saw at least 50% of their average December rainfall, but still did not reach their norms.<\/p>\n<p>The highest monthly total rainfall on the Big Island for December came at the Honoli\u2018i Stream gauge near Hilo, with 7.88 inches. That was still, however, just 46% of its monthly average.<\/p>\n<p>ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD<\/p>\n<p>Highest daily rainfall total was collected by the Saddle Road Quarry gauge with 5.16 inches, which was still just 44% of its average December total of 12.82 inches.<\/p>\n<p>Seven sites in the H\u0101m\u0101kua and Hilo districts reported their driest calendar years in their respective periods of record, most notably the Hilo Airport with its driest year since 1949.<\/p>\n<p>The airport rain gauge collected just 58.95 inches or rainfall throughout the entire year, only 49% of its annual average of 120.39 inches.<\/p>\n<p>The other 6 driest sites were:<\/p>\n<p>Kamuela (since 1997): 17.01 inches (29% of average 57.96 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Laup\u0101hoehoe: 54.05 inches (35% of average 156.12 inches)<\/p>\n<p>Mountain View: 89.42 inches (52% of average 172.4 inches)<\/p>\n<p>Wai\u0101kea Uka (since 1991): 82.35 inches (42% of average 196.2 inches)<\/p>\n<p>University of Hawai\u02bbi\u00a0Wai\u0101kea Experimental Station (since 2010): 75.41 inches (47% of average 161.73 inches)<\/p>\n<p>Waimea Plain Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil Climate Analysis Network (NRCS SCAN) site (since 2012): 11.96 inches (27% of average 44.54 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Hakalau Remote Automatic Weather Stations (RAWS) also had its second-driest calendar year since 2004. It recorded 49% of its annual average: 37.78 inches compared with 77.75 for its norm.<\/p>\n<p>ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere, year-to-date values were generally 30% to 70% of average for the year. However, the beneficial rainfall during the summer helped keep portions of the Kona and Kohala districts above average for the year.<\/p>\n<p>Sites that saw above average rainfall throughout 2025 included:<\/p>\n<p>Wai\u2018aha: 85.11 inches (180% of average 47.3 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport: 12.75 inches (129% of average 9.87 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Kealakekua: 65.08 inches (116% of average 56.24 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Kaloko-Honok\u014dhau: 22.38 inches (114% of average 19.56 inches).<\/p>\n<p>K\u0101\u02bbin\u0101liu: 59.19 inches (109% of average 54.51 inches).<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Ahumoa: 22.46 inches (106% of average 21.22 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Waiki\u2018i: 25.85 inches (105% of average 24.67 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Waik\u014dloa: 13.07 inches (103% of average 12.72 inches).<\/p>\n<p>Pu\u2018u Wa\u2018awa\u2018a: 24.6 inches (101% of average 24.36 inches).<\/p>\n<p>The Kawai Nui Stream rain gauge recorded the highest year-to-date total with 112.32 inches, which was still 83% of its average 135.26 inches.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bigislandnow.com\/file\/bigislandnow\/2026\/01\/Year-to-date-Big-Island-rainfall-totals-map-from-NWS.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"655\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Year-to-date-Big-Island-rainfall-totals-map-from-NWS-1024x655.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-421393\"\/><\/a>Map Graphic Courtesy: National Weather Service<\/p>\n<p>December began with dry and stable conditions throughout the state, as light southeasterly winds and localized land and sea breezes prevailed ahead of an approaching front.<\/p>\n<p>A weak front stalled Dec. 3 near Kaua\u02bbi, bringing showers embedded in southerly flow to Kaua\u02bbi and Ni\u02bbihau into Dec. 4.<\/p>\n<p>High pressure rebuilt northeast of the state as the front retreated back to the west, allowing east to east-southeasterly trade winds to strengthen, with typical scattered windward and mauka showers.<\/p>\n<p>Winds weakened and veered southeasterly to southerly again by about Dec. 8-9 as another front approached. That front brought a wetter pattern statewide through Dec. 11, followed by cooler northerly winds in its wake.<\/p>\n<p>A stronger mid-month front that proved to be the most significant weather-maker of December then moved over the islands, with trade winds returning from Dec. 21-23, bringing more stable conditions.<\/p>\n<p>Moisture from a remnant front was pushed south during that period, enhancing showers along windward slopes and producing rainfall of about 1 to 2 inches on most islands.<\/p>\n<p>Drier and locally breezy trades prevailed through Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, followed by weakening winds and a shift back toward an east-southeasterly direction ahead of another front.<\/p>\n<p>The month ended with moderate trades and generally dry conditions, despite a brief surge of moisture the morning of Dec. 30 that slightly enhanced windward showers.<\/p>\n<p>No significant impacts were reported.<\/p>\n<p>The monthly rainfall summary was prepared by National Weather Service Forecast Office Honolulu Senior Service Hydrologist Tina Stall.<\/p>\n<p>News reporter Nathan Christophel contributed to this story.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Big Island missed out on rainfall from a few passing fronts in December, keeping the majority of&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":245488,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[106975,106976,123618,246,123619,61,60,123620,123621,46687,82,123622,123623],"class_list":["post-245487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-big-island-news","tag-big-island-now","tag-december-rainfall-summary","tag-environment","tag-extremely-dry-2025","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-many-places-received-less-than-50-of-their-average-december-rainfall","tag-mostly-dry-december","tag-national-weather-service","tag-science","tag-year-end-rainfall-summary","tag-year-to-date-averages-generally-30-to-70-of-average"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=245487"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245487\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/245488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=245487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=245487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=245487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}