Hawaii visitors are thankful for paradise while residents learn to deal with cold weather

HONOLULU (KHON2) — The winter storm means some Hawaii visitors are even more grateful to be in paradise right now. However, residents who currently call the East Coast home are finding ways to cope.

Sunny beaches and clear skies are all Minnesota native Diane Jorde wanted.

It’s not exactly the perfect weather for her friends and family in the land of 10,000 lakes.

“They said it was like 20 degrees below the temp, and then with windchill it was 35 degrees below or something crazy,” Jorde said when discussing the temperature at home. “You know, it’s so exciting to be here in Hawaii. It’s almost like being in Minnesota. You don’t want to go to your mailbox, it’s so cold.”

Chris Elliott, a Texan with friends in New York, also likes to be on the islands.

“We shared videos this morning of them knee-deep in snow and shaking out on the streets of New York City, and we sent them pictures of Waikiki Beach. So, I’m pretty happy about that,” Elliott said.

Then there’s Kiralee Kuraoka, a Hawaiian-born Boston University student who’s spending her first winter on the mainland in 12+ inches of snow, but that doesn’t stop her from having fun.

“They plowed the sidewalks. Where me and my friends went to play in the snow, there was about 18 inches of snow, I think it was up to my knees.

Kuraoka said the wind was the worst. She thought her friends were joking when they loaned her a pair of ski goggles.

“I kind of thought they were just dramatic because I’m from Hawaii,” Kuraoka said. “But when I tried to run upwind – I kept getting snow in my eyes, so I just put on ski goggles and it made everything a lot easier.”

While freezing temperatures are alien to Hawaii, the Northeast is well-prepared for storms like this one.

“I’m not worried about her, people know how to dress and people know what to do,” Jorde explained. “And the schools, when it’s below zero, they don’t let them go outside and have breaks and stuff like that. They would keep things inside, but in these cold places, they’re primed for it.”