Record Hawaii Hailstone

[Boris Konon]

Classic supercell complete with hook on the NE side of Oahu on 3/9 sets
record hail size for the state.

SXHW70 PHFO 221910 AAA
RERHFO

RECORD EVENT REPORT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
910 AM HST THU MAR 22 2012

...NEW STATE RECORD HAILSTONE IN HAWAII...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PERSONNEL HAVE MEASURED A HAILSTONE
COLLECTED IN KANEOHE DURING THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ON THE MORNING
OF MARCH 9TH 2012. THE HAILSTONE HAD A LENGTH OF 4 AND ONE QUARTER
INCHES. ACCORDING TO HISTORICAL DATA THIS HAILSTONE SETS THE RECORD FOR THE
LARGEST HAILSTONE TO HAVE FALLEN IN HAWAII. THIS NEW RECORD HAS BEEN
OFFICIALLY CONFIRMED BY THE STATE CLIMATE EXTREMES COMMITTEE AND
WILL BE ADDED TO THE RECORD BOOK IN THE ARCHIVES OF THE NATIONAL
CLIMATIC DATA CENTER.


$$
CANTIN

 

[Ben Corby]

Has there been any insight into what prompted the formation of this supercell? One does not expect to see a hook echo over Oahu, followed by pictures of a tornadic waterspout just offshore.

 

[rdale]

Weatherbrains did a special with the WCM a few weeks ago. They get a few of these events per year, so it wasn't completely unheard of.

 

[Michael Snyder]

My take-
I lived in Hawaii for 4 years and came to understand the Island Weather rather well.

While you would get 1-4 Kona Storms a year, and maybe a 1-3 strong fronts a year, although something like this with midwest sized freak hail is extremely rare, and probably wont be seen again in our lifetimes.

ANY hail in Hawaii is extremely rare, much less 4.25" hail.
Severe thunderstorms overland are extremely rare, and wind damage, tornado damage equally as rare.
The only time I was there when Hawaii did get small pellet sized hail it made the news and was quite a big deal. With local residents saying they have never seen or heard of anything like it.

Im sure this storm was anchored over the terrain of the Koolaus, which happens a time or two a year, but the fact that the updrafts could support hail that size over a small island known for its stable trade winds is probably one of the most unusual occurrences in our lifetime, taking probability of a single event into account.

I dont think Hail has ever been recorded in Kaneohe before this event
If I had to guess this is a 1 in 500 year event, if not higher.

 

[Michael Snyder]

By several of these events per year did they mean Thunderstorms?

Because I can guarantee you that they dont get several severe storms a year, and they almost NEVER get hail.
I saw maybe one severe thunderstorm in 4 years and that was associated with a KONA storm, and many with some nice wind and Freakishly heavy rain, but not severe criteria. Saw a few weak waterspouts, funnel clouds.

Any tornadoes are usually started as water spouts and are much more likely to knock some coconuts off the trees than to do any actual damage.