By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Science Writer
It may seem like Arctic weather to longtime Hawai‘i residents, but weather forecasters say the chill you feel is not particularly extraordinary.
"It’s just winter weather," said Jeff Powell, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu.
Weather statistics indicate these chilly nights, depending on where you live, are 3 to 13 degrees warmer than the record lows for the date.
For many Island residents, though, it’s plenty chilly.
"I have an electric blanket that my dog sleeps on, and I had to borrow it the last couple of nights," said Dawna Krueger, director of the Iao Preschool in Wailuku, Maui.
Tourists complained that Hawai‘i isn’t supposed to be so cold, said Fia Mattice, assistant manager at the Volcano Art Center Gallery on the Big Island. She admitted to wearing "a T-shirt, a big sweater and something over that."
Lisa Raymond, who lives in Kula at the 3,500-foot level, said it was 42 degrees at home Sunday night. The temperature dropped to 50 at Volcano and 63 at Kahului.
Powell said a combination of factors is making it seem cooler than normal.
The cold front that swept through over the weekend helped bring in cold air from the north. Low pressure to the northeast is playing a part, and the air has been rather dry. "It’s easier for dry air to lose heat than moist air," he said.
Advertiser staff writer Christie Wilson contributed to this report.
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