The unusually intense storm will hammer Hawaii on Sunday and into the week with widespread high winds and potentially damaging coastal flooding in unusual locations of the island chain. There is even a chance of some mountaintop snow in at least one unusual location. A High Wind Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) for the whole archipelago.
NWS is warning of winds gusting up to 60mph, blowing westerly at first before turning northwest on Sunday night.
The warning is in place across all islands in the Hawaii archipelago, and will remain in place until at least 6am local time (4pm GMT) on Monday.
Peak winds are expected on Sunday afternoon, with major hazards expected.
The NWS warned of driving hazards, damage to roofs, flying debris and downed trees.
Widespread power outages are also expected across the island chain.
There are also warnings of this fast-moving storm generating waves reaching 40 to 60 feet, which pose a risk to boats and could come very near the Hawaiian Islands, particularly the northern shores.
The National Weather Service in Honolulu says these waves could cause “unprecedented coastal flooding to north and west facing shores late Saturday and Sunday”.
The north shores of Hawaii are no stranger to high surf generated from distant North Pacific storms in the winter months.
However, swells generated by this intensifying storm will produce “giant, disorganised waves” which pose the risk of flooding.
NWS also warned of “extreme harbour surges” along north and west-facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai and north-facing shores of Maui this weekend.
Authorities are stressing the potential for “significant damage to coastal property and infrastructure,” with “evacuations and road closures possible.”
Experts are calling this storm an unusual one.
Instead of approaching from the west or northwest, this storm will stream in from south of the Aleutian Islands to near the Hawaiian Island chain this weekend.
It is also an unusually cold storm for the Hawaiian islands.
Given the cold nature, snow could fall not only on the typical Big Island summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, but potentially atop Haleakala, a broad shield volcano on Maui.
Low temperatures in Honolulu may dip into the upper 50s Fahrenheit (around 10C) on Sunday or Monday – not cold by some standards, but very unusual for the warm islands.
That deep cold air aloft could also fuel some bands of thunderstorms over the islands Sunday into Monday, if the atmosphere is moist enough.