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

76  Lihue, Kauai
79  Honolulu, Oahu
76  Molokai
79  Kahului, Maui
82  Kona, Hawaii
77  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 Monday evening:

 

Kahului, Maui – 73
Port Allen, Kauai – 68


Haleakala Summit –   32
(near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea Summit – 19 (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.

 


Aloha Paragraphs

http://media-cache-cd0.pinimg.com/736x/97/16/72/971672dab59bd0b945a1cb218bcd9f40.jpg

>Look for showers locally, particularly on the Big Island
and perhaps Maui…where a few could be quite generous –
an increase in showers may arrive Wednesday/Thursday
on the other islands

>Our winds will be locally quite gusty…and cool too
through Tuesday


>Looking further ahead, there’s a chance that we may
see a storm over the state this upcoming weekend
bringing rain, gusty winds, and perhaps thunderstorms
to our islands – stay tuned 


Small Craft Wind Advisory…over the coastal and channel
waters across most of the state of Hawaii 
– through 6pm today

Wind Advisory…for lower elevations on the Big Island,
for winds gusting as high as 65+ mph – until 6pm today

High Surf Advisory…north and west shores of Kauai, Oahu
and the north shores of Molokai and Maui – until 6pm today






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

16  Port Allen, Kauai – WNW
28  Kuaokala, Oahu – NNE
24  Molokai – NE
33  Lanai – NE
35  Kahoolawe – NNE
24  Kapalua, Maui – NE
40  Kealakomo, Big Island – SE


Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands as of Monday evening (545pm totals):


1.81  N Wailua ditch, Kauai
0.61  Hakipuu Mauka, Oahu
0.30  Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.22  Hana airport, Maui
2.85  Island Dairy – 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 will come in from the north and northeast…keeping a chill in the air through Tuesday. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the Pacific Ocean. ~~~ We find high pressure systems over the ocean to the north and northeast of the state. At the same time, we see a low pressure system just to the east, with an associated cold front over the ocean…and the tail-end of another cold front to the north of Hawaii. The chilly north and northeast winds will keep winter weather over our islands for the time being.

Satellite imagery shows a large area of deep clouds over the ocean well to the east, with a few towering cumulus clouds over the ocean…not too far northeast of the Big Island and Maui.
Here’s the looping radar image, showing generally light showers falling over the ocean, being carried into our windward sides of Maui and the Big Island, on the north-northeast winds. Looking at this larger satellite image, which is in the looping mode, we can see the impressive area of clouds to the east and northeast of the state…along with the counter-clockwise rotating low pressure system as well. There remains a slight chance of a localized heavy shower, and perhaps even a thunderstorm on the Big Island during the next 24 hours.

The upper level low pressure system over our area, with its very cold air aloft…will keep our atmosphere unstable. The one limiting factor however, continues to be the lack of moisture to feed these showers. The atmosphere remains very dry, keeping shower activity at a distinct minimum. As the low pressure system to our northeast moves southwest in our direction…we could see shower activity pick up around Wednesday for a day or two. ~~~ Looking further ahead, towards this coming weekend, at least some of the computer models are suggesting that we may have a storm in our area.  This could bring windy and rainy weather our way then. The models have latched onto this situation for several days now, which continues to give better and better chances to its prospects. I’ll be bringing you more information on this coming weekend’s situation, along with when this more current possible wet weather might finally arrive over the state. ~~~ I’ll be back early Tuesday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Monday night 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.


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


Here’s a link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC)


Western Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones


South Pacific Ocean:
There are no active tropical cyclones


North and South Indian Oceans:
  Tropical Cyclone 07P remains active in the Southwest Pacific Ocean, here’s the JTWC graphical track map…and a NOAA satellite image

Here’s a link to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)


Interesting:
Thinning out on Antarctica – Pine Island Glacier, located in West Antarctica, is showing signs of thinning making it more susceptible to climatic and ocean variability than at first thought. Scientists led by the British Antarctic Survey have discovered large fluctuations in the ocean heat manifesting itself in the melting of the ice shelf into which the glacier flows. Between 2010 and 2012 the ice shelf into which the ice stream flows has decreased by 50%, most likely due to La Ninã, suggesting a complex interplay between geological, oceanographic and climatic processes.


Driven by acceleration in its flow, Pine Island Glacier has thinned continuously. The acceleration is thought to be caused by thinning of the floating ice shelf created as the glacier slides into the sea. Understanding the cause and effect between ice shelf thinning and glacial response is essential in assessing the contributions to rising sea levels.


Much of the thinning is due to a deep oceanic inflow of Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) on the continental shelf neighboring the glacier. This warmer water then makes its way into a cavity beneath the ice shelf melting it from below.

In 2009, a higher CDW volume and temperature in Pine Island Bay contributed to an increase in ice shelf melting compared to the last time measurements taken in 1994. But observations made in January 2012, and reported now in Science, show ocean melting of the glacier was the lowest ever recorded. The top of the thermocline (the layer separating cold surface water and warm deep waters) was found to be about 250 meters deeper compared with any other year for which measurements exist.


This lowered thermocline reduces the amount of heat flowing over the ridge. High resolution simulations of the ocean circulation in the ice shelf cavity demonstrate that the ridge blocks the deepest ocean waters from reaching the thickest ice enhancing the shelf’s sensitivity to climate variability.


The temperature fluctuations may be explained by particular climatic conditions. In January 2012 the dramatic cooling of the ocean around the glacier is believed to be due to an increase in easterly winds from the La Ninã event in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Normally the winds flow from the west.


The study stresses the importance of both local geology and climate variability in ocean melting in this region.