Hawaiian Islands Weather details & Aloha Paragraphs / December 1-2, 2013

Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures (F) were recorded across the state of Hawaii Sunday:

76  Lihue, Kauai
78  Honolulu, Oahu
81  Molokai
85  Kahului, Maui
88  Kona, Hawaii
83  Hilo, Hawaii

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops on Maui and the Big Island…as of 543pm Sunday evening:

Kahului, Maui – 82
Honolulu, Oahu – 70

Haleakala Summit –   45 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea Summit – 39 (13,000+ feet on the Big Island)

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’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.

Aloha Paragraphs

<Yellow and red reflect the heaviest showers>


This unsettled weather event is now taking focus on the island of
Molokai into the night…perhaps the rest of Maui County later?

Kauai, Oahu, and the Big Island will see some passing shower
activity, although in parts of Maui County…it will be
locally heavy with possible flooding

 Flood Advisory…active on Oahu and Molokai

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

12  Port Allen, Kauai – SE
17  Kahuku Trng, Oahu – SW
16  Molokai – SE
18  Lanai – SSW
18  Kahoolawe – SE
14  Hana, Maui – SE
24  South Point, Big Island – NE

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

7.42  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
2.90  Palehua, Oahu
0.84  Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.52  Kula Branch Station, Maui
0.38  Pali 2, 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 ~~~

Our winds are coming in from the southeast through southwest depending upon location…generally quite light for the time being. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the Pacific Ocean. We see two low pressure systems to the north-northwest of the state, with an associated, comma-shaped cold front over the central Hawaiian Islands now.  Rich tropical moisture is coming into many parts of the state, via this conveyor belt of Kona wind.

We’ll see the rainy weather sliding eastward over parts of Maui County into the night. Satellite imagery shows an active cold front over the central islands, with locally heavy rain falling. We can also see the back edge of this cloud field offshore to the west of Kauai. There are embedded heavy rain bearing clouds associated with this cold front over parts of Maui County at this time. Here’s the looping radar image, showing moderate to heavy showers falling, mostly around Molokai…being carried along on the southwesterly wind flow. The heavy showers embedded in this cloud field will cause localized flooding…gradually migrating east over Maui County.

This surface cold front has moved slowly into the state today, while at the same time an upper level low pressure system has moved overhead as well. This combination of weather features is prompting locally heavy rainfall. The weather models had, at least at one point, the cold front stalling over the Kauai Channel, and then even Oahu. This might have happened, although that doesn’t seem to have stopped the heavy showers from moving over  into Maui County now.  I’ll continue closely following this wet weather situation, fine tuning the particulars as we move into Monday. By the way, it appears that fairly typical trade wind weather conditions will prevail through most of the upcoming new work week, starting Tuesday. As we get into next weekend our winds will turn to the southeast again, ahead of the next cold front, with returning volcanic haze…and possible showers then too.  I’ll be back early Monday morning with your next new weather narrative. Although if things get severe tonight, I’ll be back here with more updates. I hope you have a great Sunday night wherever you’re spending it. Please drive very carefully if you find yourself in a flooded area, and use caution around streams and low lying areas too! Aloha for now…Glenn.

Friday evening film: My friends here on Oahu want to go see a film later today, so of course I’m game. We’ll be seeing the film called The Book Thief, starring Sophie Nelisse, Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Ben Schnetzer, Nico Liersch…among many others. The synopsis: based on the beloved international bestselling book, The Book Thief tells the story of an extraordinary, spirited young girl sent to live with a foster family in WWII Germany. Intrigued by the only book she brought with her, she begins collecting books as she finds them. With the help of her new parents and a secret guest under the stairs, she learns to read and creates a magical world that inspires them all. ~~~ This film really caught my eye, as one of the trailers before a film I saw recently. It turned out to be as good, if not much better than I thought it was going to be! The two other folks I was with both gave it an A grade, as did I. Here’s the trailer for this dramatic film.

Saturday evening film: My neighbor Jeff and I have decided to go have dinner at Whole Foods, and then see the new film Dallas Buyers Club, starring Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto, Denis O’Hare, Steve Zahn, Michael O’Neil, Dallas Roberts…among many others. The synopsis: Real-life cowboy Ron Woodroof’s free-wheeling life was upended in 1985 when he was diagnosed as HIV-positive and given 30 days to live. Shunned by many of his old friends and bereft of government-approved effective medicines, Ron decided to take matters in his own hands, tracking down alternative treatments from all over the world by means both legal and illegal. Bypassing the establishment, the entrepreneurial Woodroof joined forces with an unlikely band of renegades and outcasts, establishing a hugely successful buyers’ club. ~~~ This film was very different than the film I saw last night, that’s for sure! The subject matter was intense in a different way, taking me inside the inner workings of a world I have no familiarity with. The critics are being very generous with this film, and many of the critics are throwing in words like: Oscar-worthy performances.  ~~~ As it turned out, for the second evening in a row, this film was a real winner. Once again, it wasn’t the easiest film to sit through, centered around the topic of ill health and death. The main thing by far, was the outstanding acting job that Matthew McConaughey did. It carried the film in a major way, and in turn I am moved to give this film an A grade. Here’s the trailer if you’re interested in taking a peek.

Sunday afternoon piece of music – Fryderyk Chopin…Nocturne Piano No. 8 In D Flat Major

Pre-New Year’s Eve Music selection  –  The Rolling Stones…Gimme Shelter / Full Screen

World-wide tropical cyclone activity:

Atlantic Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

Caribbean Sea: There are no active tropical cyclones

Gulf of Mexico: There are no active tropical cyclone

Here’s a satellite image of the Caribbean Sea…and the Gulf of Mexico.

Here’s the link to the National Hurricane Center (NHC)

Eastern Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclone

Here’s a wide satellite image that covers the entire area between Mexico, out through the central Pacific…to the International Dateline.