Air TemperaturesThe following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Monday:

81 Lihue, Kauai

81 Honolulu, Oahu

79 Molokai

87 Kahului, Maui

85 Kona, Hawaii

75 Hilo, Hawaii



Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops around the state… as of 810pm Monday evening:

Kailua Kona – 79

Hilo airport – 72


Haleakala Summit –   45 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)

Mauna Kea Summit – 39 (13,000+ feet on the Big Island)



Hawaii’s MountainsHere’s a link to the live web cam on the summit of near 13,800 foot Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. This web cam is available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon shining down during the night at times. Plus, during the nights you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise and sunset too… depending upon weather conditions. Here’s the Haleakala Crater webcam on Maui – if it’s working.

Tropical Cyclone activity in the eastern and central PacificHere’s the latest weather information coming out of the National Hurricane Center, covering the eastern north Pacific. You can find the latest tropical cyclone information for the central north Pacific (where Hawaii is located) by clicking on this link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. A satellite image, which shows the entire ocean area between Hawaii and the Mexican coast… can be found here. The 2012 hurricane season is over in the eastern and central Pacific… resuming on May 15th and June 1st 2013.

 

Aloha Paragraphs



http://www.swide.com/binaries/content/gallery/swide2/article-inside/2013/01/23/top-destinations-for-pet-lovers/best-travel-destinations-with-dogs-hawaii.jpg

 

 

Our winds will blow from the south and southeast, rather hot and muggy during the days at sea level…a few showers here and there – Kauai will see increased rainfall tonight

 



The following numbers represent the most recent top wind gusts (mph), along with directions as of Monday evening:

16  Makaha Ridge, Kauai – SE

25  Kuaokala, Oahu – SE

22  Molokai – SSE

17  Kahoolawe – SSW

22  Kapalua, Maui – SW

22  Kohala Ranch, Big Island – WSW



Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands as of Monday evening:

0.33  Puu Lua, Kauai

0.13  Waianae, Oahu

0.11  Molokai

0.00  Kahoolawe

0.12  Kaupo Gap, Maui

1.62  Kealakomo, Big Island



We can use the following links to see what’s going on in our area of the north central Pacific Ocean. Here’s the latest NOAA satellite picture – the latest looping satellite image… and finally the latest looping radar image for the Hawaiian Islands.


~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~



Winds blowing from the south and southeast, at least in most areas, through Tuesday…returning trade winds Wednesday for a few days. Here’s a weather chart showing a near 1031 millibar high pressure system, located well to the northeast of the islands. This high pressure cell has an associated ridge of high pressure extending southwest from its center, over the Maui County at the time of this writing. Meanwhile, an approaching cold front is edging in closer to the islands. Our local winds will continue from the south and southeast, bringing volcanic haze riding up over the smaller islands in places…from the vents on the Big Island. The trade winds will finally kick-in again by mid-week, although will slack-off again starting early Friday, as the next cold front approaches the Kauai side of the chain this coming weekend.


Satellite imagery shows clear to partly cloudy skies over the island chain, with a large area of high clouds over the ocean to our north. These high cirrus clouds, associated with the approaching cold front, will drift over the Aloha state locally tonight. Kauai and perhaps Oahu will see the most clouds, and some showers through Tuesday. The other islands will clearing out tonight into Tuesday morning, with more of those afternoon clouds forming over and around the mountains again. Here’s the looping radar image, showing just a few scattered showers, moving along in the south to southeast wind flow. We’ll see some showery clouds approaching Kauai and perhaps Oahu, and the southeast side of the Big Island…some of which will be heavy. As the cold front stalls near Kauai, and then pull out to the northwest later Tuesday, we’ll grade back into a fairly typical trade wind weather pattern into Friday.


The computer models continue showing yet another late season cold front approaching the island chain later this week.
 Despite it being late in the spring season for such an occurrence, all of the models are showing its approach, which could bring some increase in showers to Kauai. It would also bring lighter winds from the southeast directions, potentially more voggy skies, and that chance of increased showers. It’s getting to the point now, where it’s becoming more difficult to ignore this model output. Thus, we may have to accept the fact that yet another weekend cold front will influence our weather…like this past weekend. I’ll be sure to let you know what the forecast will be for the Friday through Sunday time frame…as the particulars change between now and then.



Here on Maui [517pm HST]:
  The weather today was pretty much a carbon copy of what we saw Sunday. It appears that there won’t be much change going into Tuesday. Most of the showers around the state will be focused over Kauai and perhaps Oahu, and the southeast side of the Big Island. Turning around in my seat, here in my Kula weather tower, I still see signs of the vog down in the central valley…although it does seem to be thinning again at the moment. The sea breezes, coming up slope from the Kihei area, kept my wind chimes sounding off during the day, and actually still now as I listen. The early evening sunshine is warm, with my thermometer reading 74.5F degrees. In contrast, the Kahului airport, down near the ocean, was showing 82 degrees at the same time. Kahului reached 87 this afternoon, and was the hot spot around the state again…as it has been lately. At the same time, the Haleakala Crater was measuring in at 52 degrees. There may be just enough high cirrus clouds around this evening, that we could see a little color at sunset.

 



World-wide tropical cyclone activity:

Atlantic Ocean/Caribbean Sea: There are no active tropical cyclones

 

Gulf of Mexico: There are no active tropical cyclones

 

Eastern Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

 

Central Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

 

Western Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

 

South Pacific Ocean: Newly formed tropical cyclone 23P (Zane) has formed in the northern Coral Sea, offshore from Queensland, Australia. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map, along with the satellite image.

 

North and South Indian Oceans: There are no active tropical cyclones