It is a sticky rainy day on Maui. Hurricane Ana is passing to the south of the islands. The storm is close enough to bring us grey skies and steady rain, but far enough that there is no accompanying wind. That said, there are few on the island complaining about the weather. The forecast earlier in the week had Ana coming a lot closer and likely bringing some damaging winds. Today’s weather is also a far cry from some of the beautiful fall weather that we have been experiencing. Last week, I saw a couple of signs of fall on Maui that I thought were worth sharing. While we don’t get fall colors and there isn’t a drastic difference in temperature, the signs of fall are clear for those that look.
This first picture captures an image of fall that you might expect to see on the mainland. Then again, I think it is safe to say that this Upcountry Pumpkin Patch has better views than the average mainland pumpkin patch.
The two images above are a distinctly Hawaiian sign of fall. I took these photos at Ho’okipa Beach Park last week during the first High Surf Advisory of the season. Usually during late September or Early October, we see our first big swells of the year on the North Shore of Maui. The national weather service issues a high surf advisory when wave heights of 15 feet or greater are likely. The combination of big swells and steady trade winds brought out windsurfers and kitesurfers to sample nature’s offerings.
Ana is supposed to linger near the Hawaiian islands for a couple of days keeping the chance of rain in the forecast and maintaining humid conditions. By early next week, Ana should clear out and we will have a return to our beautiful fall weather.
