Hurricane Lester Recap

History of Lester

Lester became the third major (Category 3 or stronger) hurricane of the eastern Pacific hurricane season early Monday morning (Aug. 29). It briefly reached Category 4 intensity, before weakening. 

A Hurricane Hunter reconnaissance mission then found Lester had pulsed back to Category 3 status late Thursday night (Sept. 1) in what was expected to be its last pulse up before its final weakening phase. By early Friday morning (Sept. 2), Lester had weakened back to a Category 2 hurricane.

Lester's center of circulation came no closer than 130 miles from Honolulu on Sept. 3. With its tropical storm-force wind field most expansive in its northern half, tropical storm-force winds never came close to the Hawaiian Islands.

Lester weakened to a tropical storm late Saturday night (Sept. 3), as wind shear and dry air took their toll.

Thereafter, Lester moved well out to sea, first northwestward, then more northward well away from the Hawaii Islands into the open waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Lester was declared post-tropical late Wednesday morning (Sept. 7), nearly 1300 miles north-northwest of Honolulu, Hawaii.

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