USGS - science for a changing world

Pacific Islands Water Science Center

  home   information/data   studies   publications   recent conditions   drought   flood   about   contact
Hanawi Stream near Nahiku, Maui, Hawaii.

Would you like to receive email of quarterly updates? Would you like to receive an email of quarterly updates?

DATA CENTER

Recent hydrologic conditions, Hawaii

A summary of recent rainfall, streamflow, and groundwater conditions in Hawaii is provided below. These web pages are prepared in collaboration with the Hawaii State Commission on Water Resource Management and the County Water Departments and provide water-resource managers, scientists, and the public with timely information on the status and trends of hydrologic conditions in Hawaii.

RAINFALL

Kauai--Below-average rainfall. During November 2012 - January 2013, rainfall was about 75 percent of average. As of January 2013, rainfall near the summit of Mt. Waialeale on Kauai was below average 9 of the last 12 months. During February 2012 - January 2013, rainfall was about 88 percent of average.

Oahu--Below-average rainfall. During November 2012 - January 2013, rainfall was about 75 percent of average. As of January 2013, rainfall at Poamoho, near the crest of the Koolau Range on Oahu, was below average 8 of the last 12 months. During February 2012 - January 2013, rainfall was about 107 percent of average.

Maui--Below-average rainfall. During November 2012 - January 2013, rainfall was about 72 percent of average. As of January 2013, rainfall at Puu Kukui, the summit of the West Maui Mountains, was below average 7 of the last 12 months. During February 2012 - January 2013, rainfall was about 78 percent of average.

Link to Drought Monitor from NOAA, USDA, and the National Drought Mitigation Center and Standardized Precipitation Index from NWS Honolulu Forecast Office, both include rainfall data from Hawaii.

STREAMFLOW

Links to USGS WaterWatch for current streamflow conditions in Hawaii. Links open in a new browser window.

  • Real-time streamflow map-- tracks short-term changes (over several hours) in rivers and streams. Although the general appearance of the map changes very little from one hour to the next, individual sites may change rapidly in response to major rain events or to reservoir releases.
  • Daily streamflow map-- shows average streamflow conditions for the previous day. The map is similar in appearance to the "Real-time streamflow map" but less likely to reflect the influence of short-term events such as reservoir releases and short-duration precipitation events.
  • Monthly average streamflow map-- shows the average streamflow conditions for the past month. By averaging over past month, the values on the map are more indicative of longer-term streamflow conditions than either the "Real-time streamflow" or the "Daily streamflow" maps.
  • Flood and high flow map-- shows the location of streamgages where the water level is currently at or above flood stage (depicted as a black triangle) or at high flow (depicted as blue circles). The high flow conditions are expressed as percentiles that compare the current (i.e., within the past several hours) instantaneous flow value to historical daily mean flow values for all days of the year.
  • Drought flow map-- shows the location of streamgages where the water level is currently below normal 7-day average streamflow. The low flow conditions are expressed as percentiles that compare the recent flow value to historical daily mean flow values.
  • Streamflow duration hydrographs-- compare recent streamflow record with historical data for active stream gages.

GROUNDWATER LEVELS

Links to USGS Groundwater Watch for current water-level conditions in Hawaii. Links open in a new browser window.

Water level network map-- shows recent groundwater levels compared to historical monthly mean groundwater levels. A list of wells in the network and links to available data and statistics are provided below by County

In addition to the USGS streamflow, groundwater level, and rainfall data for the sites shown above, the National Weather Service, Weather Forecast Office in Honolulu provides rainfall hydrology data and graphics for Hawaii.

USGS Home Water Climate Change Core Science Ecosystems Energy&Env. Health Hazards

Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

Download if needed: Excel Viewer PDF Reader Powerpoint Viewer Word Viewer QuickTime Player

Take Pride in America logo USA.gov logo U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://hi.water.usgs.gov/recent/hawaii/index.html
Page Contact Information: Pacific Islands WSC Webmaster
Page Last Modified: Tuesday, 05-Feb-2013 18:52:02 EST