Kona lows. You’ve probably heard about them in Hawaii surf reports, like this one by SURFER’s forecast team.
While Hawaii is usually dominated by tradewinds, Kona Lows reverse wind patterns and makes it super strong, which means choppy, blown-out surf.
But there’s more to it than that as explained in the video below.
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In the video above, KHON2 meteorologist Chevy Chevalier goes into the details.
Opening the video, he jumps right into it:
“The Kona Low. It’s one of the most problematic weather systems we have here in Hawaii. But what exactly is a Koan Low? Let’s find out.
“The word ‘kona’ means ‘leeward’ in the Hawaiian language, and that is why we call it a Kona Low.
“A Kona Low is a subtropical low that develops on the leeward side of the island chain. It is a cold core as opposed to warm core systems that are tropical cyclones.
“But you should never underestimate the danger these systems pose to the island chain, flooding being the primary concern. They can be just as dangerous as a tropical cyclone.”
He explains that during a Kona Low, “the typical northeast trade wind pattern is reversed.” That means the winds come out of the southwest during a Kona Low.
They don’t pass quickly, and instead, tend to stick around for “a few or even several days, because there is nothing to push them out of the area.”
Eventually, Chevalier says, “They stay till they dissipate or move away from the state.”
While Kona Lows mean wind and rain for surfers, they also cause thunderstorms, which are rare in Hawaii.
Chevalier warned that the biggest concern with a Kona Low is flooding.
But for surfers, it’s all about the wind.
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