EDIBLE CANNA IN WAIMEA DISTRICT OF HAWAII 6 
Ookala, the wind is from the southeast. As a result, the wind in- 
creases considerably in velocity through Waimea. 
Occasionally the prevailing trade winds are supplanted by Kona 
(south) winds. These usually give rise to unsettled weather with 
strong winds and are regarded as deleterious both to health and to 
crop growth. 
Table lfcompares the climatological data of Waimea and other 
districts. 
Table 1. — Comparison of climatological data of Waimea and other districts ! 
Locality 
Length 
of 
record 
Waimea 
Ookala 
Honokaa 
Ahualoa homesteads . 
Puuhinei Paddock.. 
Years 
11 
13 
11 
7 
Alti- 
tude 
Temperature 
Num- 
ber of 
cloudy 
days s 
Maxi- 
mum 
Mini- 
mum 
Mean 
maxi- 
mum 
Mean 
mini- 
mum 
Annual 
mean 
Feet 
2,700 
400 
1,042 
2,551 
1,500 
op 
83 
88 
91 
°F 
34 
53 
53 
op 
69.8 
79.0 
79.3 
F 
55.4 
64.7 
63.7 
°F 
62.9 
71.9 
71.5 
231 
220 
184 
Annual 
precipi- 
tation 
Inches 
43.50 
118. 00 
72.98 
117. 53 
19.00 
1 Taken from the monthly publication Climatological Data, Hawaiian Section, U. S. Dept. Agr. Weather 
Bur. (IS). 
* 0.01 inch of rain or more. 
The rainfall is copious on the rising slope of practically all the 
Hamakua district, but decreases rapidly toward the west on the 
comparatively level plains of Waimea. In progressing from Ookala 
(400 feet) to Ahualoa homesteads (2,551 feet) the rainfall remains 
practically constant, 118 inches of rain falling at the former place, 
and 117 inches at the latter place. From Ahualoa homesteads to 
Waimea, a distance of approximately 10 miles, the elevation increases 
only 1 59 feet, whereas the annual rainfall decreases to 43 inches. At 
Puuhinei Paddock (1,500 feet), about 10 miles west of Waimea, 
the rainfall is only 19 inches. 
Notwithstanding the lower annual rainfall, the Waimea district 
gives the appearance of being as well watered as are the lower levels 
where the precipitation is several times as heavy. As is shown by 
the table, Waimea exceeds the lower levels in number of cloudy days; 
that is, days during which 0.01 inch or more of rain falls. With the 
temperature so frequently at the dew point, heavy dews and almost 
daily fogs occur, and the rate of evaporation is of course compara- 
tively small. These factors, together with the loose soil and com- 
paratively level topography which prevents losses by run-offs, make 
possible the maximum utilization of the rainfall by the crops. 
The table shows that Waimea has a mean temperature of about 
9° F. less than the lower windward levels. The range from the mean 
maximum to the mean minimum is the same, being 14.3° F. at Ookala 
and 14.4° F. at Waimea. The extreme range over a period of 13 
years at Ookala was 35° F. and at Waimea 49° F. The lowest 
recorded temperature at Waimea was 34° F. 
In Table 2 are given the monthly and annual precipitation for the 
years 1919-1926, and a summary of the average monthly precipi- 
tation for the years 1891-1918. 
