Hawaiian Islands Weather details & Aloha Paragraphs / December 26-27, 2013

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

79  Lihue, Kauai
82  Honolulu, Oahu
82  Molokai
83  Kahului, Maui
83  Kona, Hawaii
79  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 810pm Thursday evening:

Kailua Kona – 76
Lihue, Kauai – 70

Haleakala Summit –   36 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea Summit – 28 (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

Trade winds continuing through Friday…becoming north
to northeast at times into next week

A few windward showers at times – generally sunny leeward
beaches – increasing showers over Maui and the
Big Island Friday night…into the weekend

Small Craft Wind Advisory…over those windiest coasts and
channel waters across the Hawaiian Islands

A visual picture of the trade winds moving across the islands
from the northeast – in real time / red color are strongest winds

High Surf Advisory...north and west shores of Kauai, Oahu,
Molokai, north shores of Maui…and west shore of the Big
Island too – through Thursday night

High Wind Warning…Big Island summits – winds of 45-70
mph, with gusts over 75 mph through this evening

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

14  Poipu, Kauai – NE
30  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – NNE
21  Molokai – NE
31  Lanai – NE
25  Kahoolawe – ENE
24  Lipoa, Maui – SE
40  Waikoloa, Big Island – NE

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

0.05  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.17  Poamoho RG 1, Oahu
0.14  Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.39  Puu Kukui, Maui
1.87  Kawainui Stream, 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 ~~~

Moderate trade winds, with locally stronger gusts into next week. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the Pacific Ocean. ~~~ We find high pressure systems to the northeast of the state, with the tail-end of an associated ridge extending southwest…north and northeast of Hawaii. At the same time, we see gale and storm low pressure systems far to the northeast and northwest, with an associated cold front draping down, located well northwest of our islands. ~~~ Our local winds will continue to come in from the trade wind direction, and be moderately strong, locally quite strong in gusts. The winds will take on a more northerly orientation this weekend. The Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa summits on the Big Island have winds blowing between 45-60 mph, thus the wind advisory in effect through 6am Friday morning. As noted above, our winds will veer around to the north…bringing somewhat cooler weather to our islands.

We’ll find a few showers, mostly along the windward sides, especially during the night and early morning hours…lots of sunshine during the days on the leeward beaches. Satellite imagery shows a few low clouds around the islands, and offshore in most directions, along with an area clouds…associated with a low pressure system east of the Big Island. Here’s the looping radar image, showing that there are some showers being carried towards the windward sides of the islands…at the time of this writing. There’s been a trough of low pressure located out to the east of the state of Hawaii the last several days. It has now decided to begin moving westward towards us, and will bring increasing showers to the eastern islands later Friday…lasting into the weekend. Looking at this larger satellite image, which is in the looping mode, we can see both the counterclockwise area of low pressure to our east, and the approaching cold front to our northwest. 

We’ll find increasing clouds and showers later Friday on the eastern islands…with a weak cold front arriving later Saturday into Sunday. The models continue showing this cold front approaching the state later tomorrow into the weekend from the northwest. This front will move down into our island chain, although it’s still a question just how far it will make it before stalling. There are some of the forecast models slowing it down over the Kauai side of the state, while others bring it down as far as Maui…stay tuned. This rather weak front will bring its associated showery weather to our windward sides…although nothing too exaggerated is expected. Meanwhile, an area of showery clouds will impact the eastern islands later Friday into the weekend. ~~~ Looking further ahead, it appears that New Year’s Eve and New Years Day will have trade winds, and light passing windward showers…with generally good weather expected along our leeward beaches. As we move into the second half of next week, the models are showing another cold front approaching the state later next week. I’ll be back early Friday morning with your next new weather narrative. I hope you have a great day here in Hawaii, or wherever you happen to be spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.

World-wide tropical cyclone activity:

Atlantic Ocean: The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1st through November 30th. Here’s the 2013 hurricane season summary

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

Caribbean Sea:

Gulf of Mexico:

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: The Eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15th through November 30th. Here’s the 2013 hurricane season summary

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