Hurricane Oho South Of Hawaii Swirls Toward Pacific Northwest

KPIX 5 Morning Weather Anchor Roberta Gonzales answers the questions you never get to ask on-air.

Q: Roberta, I am heading to Hawaii and hear there is a hurricane. Is this true? Darren Morrill; Atherton

A: Hi Darren! There IS a hurricane, but the only impact the Hawaiian Islands will experience is rough surf for the Big Island.

This is an interesting hurricane. In what is being dubbed "a record season of storms in the  Central Pacific," Hurricane Oho is the 7th storm to develop in the Pacific Ocean. It is believed the high number of storms during the hurricane season is due to a strong El Niño.

What makes this hurricane so interesting is, since 1949, no late season (October or later) hurricane has developed south of Hawaii and swirled to the northeast.

The storm track forecast indicates Oho has peaked in its intensity as a category 2 hurricane. It will hold it's strength for the next day before entering colder water and increasing sheer leads to it's weakening and downsizing.

For the Pacific Northwest and western British Columbia, there is a possibility of rain and gusty winds by the end of the week.

Here in Northern California, a small to modest round of mid-period WSW swell should arrive for the weekend with the possibility of sneaker waves and dangerous rip currents. I will certainly keep a watchful eye and keep you posted!

Please send weather questions, observations and photos to me, Gonzales@kpix.cbs.com and I look forward to hearing from you!