Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Wednesday, December 11, 2024 78° Today's Paper


High surf advisory issued for isles

A high surf advisory for the east facing shores of isles from Kauai to the Big Island is in effect from today until 6 a.m. Saturday.

The National Weather Service said strong, northeast winds will produce rough surf above advisory levels along east facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and the Big Island today and tonight, which will decline through Saturday. The advisory for north and west facing shores has been canceled.

The World Surf League Billabong Pipe Masters, meanwhile, has been called off for today due to strong, onshore winds. The next call will be at 7 a.m. Saturday.

Strong breaking waves and currents make swimming dangerous. Beachgoers, swimmers and surfers should exercise caution and heed all advice from ocean safety officials.

Below freezing temperatures of 29 degrees Fahrenheit with intermittent winds of 40 miles per hour created stretches of black ice on the road to upper Haleakala National Park on Maui, leading to a temporary closure beyond the 8,000-foot elevation mark at 9 a.m. Although the road reopened about 20 minutes later, motorists are advised to use caution due to lingering patches of black ice.

“We briefly closed due to the long stretch of black ice,” said Pauline Angelakis of the National Park Service. “Once the ice melted, we reopened the road…This is the first significant instance of black ice this month where we’ve actually had to close the road at upper elevations.”

For updates, Angelakis recommends checking Haleakala National Park’s Facebook page.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory above 9,000 feet at Haleakala summit due to freezing rain which may change to snow expected from 4 p.m. today through noon on Saturday.

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