In Hawaii, the trade winds continued to bring rainfall to the east-facing windward slopes. With the exception of Kona on the Big Island, leeward areas have been drier than normal. Degradation was widespread this week, with moderate drought introduced on Niihau and expanded on Oahu. Severe drought was expanded on both Molokai and Maui and moderate drought expanded on Lanai. Kahoolawe had severe drought introduced while moderate drought expanded on the Big Island. Abnormally dry conditions were improved in eastern Alaska based upon the recent rain and snow in the region.
Most locations across the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands have received sufficient to abundant rainfall the past few months, with impactful dryness limited to the northeastern Marshall Islands and the southernmost sections of Micronesia.
Some sites across the Marianas recorded below-normal rainfall from late winter into spring, which is a relatively dry time of year climatologically. In Guam, 6.7 inches fell during February – April 2021, or about 60 percent of normal. But May rains were more generous, topping 7 inches (170 percent of normal). Significant dryness is not an immediate concern, although rainfall around Saipan was only a few tenths of an inch above normal from May through early June.
Nearly 67 inches of rain doused Airai, Palau from February through early June 2021, compared to a normal closer to 40 inches.
Wet weather has also prevailed from western Micronesia through the southern and western Marshall Islands. Since March 1, totals in Micronesia ranged from about 26 inches at Ulithi to more than 87 inches at Kosrae – both near 150 percent of normal. Farther east, more than 60 inches of rain has doused Majuro since March, about twice the normal amount. Reservoirs there are only about 8 percent below the maximum.
Dryness remains problematic in the long term in southernmost Micronesia, and Kapingamarangi remains at D0(L) this week. Rainfall has increased markedly there since March. During the 10 months from May 2020 through February 2021, Kapingamarangi measured less than 39 inches of rain, or about 55 percent of (30 inches below) normal. Since then, over 47 inches have fallen in just over 3 months, which is almost double the normal. But despite the abundant rainfall of late, the effects of the earlier long-term dryness may be lingering though improving. A more definitive assessment of remaining impacts will occur later this month.
Significantly drier-than-normal weather persists at Wojte. Rainfall totals have not been sufficient to match typical water needs since late last year, and water conservation measures are in place. Since December 1, 2020 [just over 6 months], less than 15 inches of rain has fallen here, which is 8 to 9 inches below normal (63 percent).
In American Samoa, rainfall at Pago Pago has been below normal since spring, but enough to meet most water needs. March 1 – June 7, 2021 brought 26 inches of rain, or about 3/4 normal. In addition, July 2020 – February 2021 were exceptionally wet. More than 140 inches of rain pelted Pago Pago, exceeding normal by over 45 inches.
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