Drought Information Statement for the Main Hawaiian Islands 
Valid November 8, 2023
Issued By: WFO Honolulu, HI
Contact Information: w-hfo.webmaster@noaa.gov
This product will be updated December 8, 2023 or sooner if drought conditions change significantly.  
Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements.
Please visit https://www.weather.gov/hfo/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. 

U.S. Drought Monitor
Severe drought covers more than half of the state. 
Drought intensity and Extent
D3 (Extreme Drought): Leeward Maui County and localized regions of the Big Island.
D2 (Severe Drought): Covers more than half the state, and more than 85% of Maui County and the Big Island.
D1 (Moderate Drought): Covers relatively small areas not in D2 or worse.
Kauaʻi County has the best conditions, with D1 and D2 limited to the lower leeward slopes. 

Recent Change in Drought Intensity
One Week Drought Monitor Class Change. 
Drought Worsened: Maui County and the lower leeward slopes of the Kohala Mountains on the Big Island.  
Drought Improved: Limited areas of the Kohala Mountains and the Kauaʻi. 

Precipitation
Below average rainfall totals were recorded over most areas of the state in October. 
Hilo Airport on the Big Island posted its lowest October rainfall total on record (back to 1949).
Records for the lowest October rainfall were broken at more than a dozen sites on Oʻahu.
Image Captions: October 2023 rainfall totals (in inches) from the Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal. 

Summary of Impacts
Agricultural Impacts
Pasture conditions remain very poor in the leeward portions of the state. The worst conditions were on Maui along the leeward slopes of Haleakalā, and on the Big Island along the leeward slopes of Mauna Kea and the lower slopes of the Kaʻū District. Producers are continuing to haul water and supplement food with bales of grass and mineral tubs due to insufficient forage. Some producers have reported shortages of feed from vendors. Invasive species have been increasingly encroaching onto farm lands due to poor forage conditions elsewhere. 

Fire Hazard Impacts
Brush fires continue to be a significant threat to public safety due to the ongoing dry conditions. On October 30, a brush fire ignited in a remote and normally wet area along the Koʻolau Mountains of Oahu. The fire has burned more than 1300 acres so far. No structures have been directly threatened by the fire.

Mitigation Actions
The State Dept. of Transportation has been clearing dry vegetation along roadways in portions of the state to mitigate fire risk. 
The Maui County Department of Water Supply declared a Stage 2 Water Shortage for the Upcountry water service area on Maui. The declaration prohibits use of water for irrigation, watering lawns, washing vehicles, and other non-essential activities.

Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts
Most of the gages across the state indicated well below normal 14-day average flow levels.
The 28-day average flow levels had a similar number of sites in the below normal range.
Image Caption: USGS 14 day average streamflow map valid November 7, 2023

Drought Outlook
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
Over the next 3 months, drought is expected to develop or persist over the entire State of Hawaiʻi.
The ongoing El Niño will likely result in below normal precipitation across the main Hawaiian Islands well into 2024.
Previous strong El Niño events have resulted in less than 50 percent of average rainfall during the October through April Hawaiian Islands wet season.
Image Caption: 
Climate Prediction Center Monthly Drought Outlook Released 08 31, 2023 valid for 09 YYYY