Hawaiian Islands Weather details & Aloha Paragraphs / March 18-19, 2015

Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures (F) were recorded across the state of Hawaii Wednesday…along with the minimum temperatures Wednesday:

81 – 65  Lihue, Kauai
80 – 65  Honolulu, Oahu
80 – 55  Molokai AP
85 – 58  Kahului, Maui
82 – 66  Kailua Kona
84 – 64  Hilo, Hawaii

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

0.07  Waimea Heights, Kauai
0.02  Honolulu, Oahu
0.00  Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.01  Puu Kukui, Maui
0.07  Kulani NWR, Big Island

The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph)…as of Wednesday evening:

13  Puu Opae, Kauai – SW
16  Waianae Valley – SW
09  Molokai – SW
15  Lanai – NNE
15  Kahoolawe – SE
14  Hana, Maui – E
22  Hilo AP, Big Island – SE

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.

Aloha Paragraphs



A cold front is approaching the state from the northwest


Patchy low clouds mixed with clear skies…with the leading
edge of a dissipating cold front near Kauai

Showers mostly around Kauai and Oahu

Here’s the looping radar image for the
Hawaiian Islands

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

The Mauna Kea Summit…on the Big Island of Hawaii

Small Craft Advisory…Alenuihaha Channel – noon
today through early Friday morning

Returning trade winds Thursday onwards. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the North Pacific Ocean, along with a real-time wind profiler of the central Pacific. We find high pressure systems far to the northeast and northwest…with an associated ridge over the northern islands. At the same time, we have low pressure systems well to the north of the islands…with the tail-end of a cold front to the northwest of Kauai. As a result of this pressure pattern, our winds will remain light through tonight, this will allow vog to remain over some parts of the state. As we get into Thursday we’ll find trade winds returning, lasting through the weekend into next week. The returning trade wind flow will help to ventilate the volcanic haze away.

Clear to partly cloudy skies in general, although cloudy with some showers Kauai and possibly Oahu. Relatively dry and stable conditions prevail elsewhere, with not many showers falling for the time being. Meanwhile, late season storms are active far to the north of the state, with an associated cold front approaching the western islands this late this evening into Thursday. This dissipating frontal boundary will bring a few showers to Kauai and possibly Oahu. Whatever showery clouds that end up to our east, will be carried our way on the trades, bringing an increase in showers to the other islands with time. I’ll be back with more updates on all of the above, I hope you have a great Wednesday night wherever you’re spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.

Here on Maui: The skies are clear over Maui early this morning, with thick vog still around, so thick in fact…I can’t see the West Maui Mountains from here in Kula! The low temperature was 47 degrees here at my Kula weather tower at 535am, while it was a warmer 61 degrees down at the Kahului airport, 63 at the Hana airport, and 46 degrees atop the Haleakala Crater at the same time. The warmest low temperature around the state was 69 degrees at both Lihue and Honolulu.

~~~ It’s now early afternoon at 105pm, under partly to mostly cloudy skies, generally light winds, and thick volcanic haze. The air temperature was a pleasant 72 degrees here at my weather tower, with a warmer 84 degrees down at the Kahului AP.

~~~ We’re into the early evening hours now at 605pm, with partly cloudy skies, hazy air, and light breezes. As the trade winds return soon, we should see less hazy conditions into Thursday…which seems to be already beginning after sunset this evening. / Now at 805pm it’s a cool 56.3 degrees, while at the same time more or less, it was a warmer 75 degrees at the Kahului Ap, and 66 at the Hana AP…and 48 atop the Haleakala Crater. I can see stars above, so that means that the earlier clouds have cleared.

>>> Atlantic Ocean: The last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season…has occurred. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2015. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued as conditions warrant.

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

>>> Caribbean Sea: The last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season…has occurred. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2015. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued as conditions warrant.

>>> Gulf of Mexico: The last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season…has occurred. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2015. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued as conditions warrant.

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

>>> Eastern Pacific: The last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2014 North Pacific hurricane season…has occurred. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on May 15, 2015. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued as conditions warrant.

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

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

>>> Central Pacific: The central north Pacific hurricane season has officially ended. Routine issuance of the tropical weather outlook will resume on June 1, 2015. During the off-season, special tropical weather outlooks will be issued as conditions warrant.

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

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

>>> South Pacific Ocean: Tropical Cyclone 18P (Nathan) remains active in the Coral Sea, near Queensland, Australia, here’s the JTWC graphical track map…along with the NOAA satellite image

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

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

Interesting: Bill Proposed to Ban Wild Animals from Circus Performing – Circus elephants just scored a victory with an announcement that Ringling Bros. will be retiring its performers, but big cats and other wild animals left behind may get their own victory in Pennsylvania if a state senator can get them banned.

The emotional and physical toll life on the road as performers takes on elephants has taken center stage, but for other species like big cats, life in the entertainment industry is just as bad.

As Care2?s Abigail Geer pointed out, substituting other wild animals for elephants, which is what Ringling Bros. plans to do, isn’t a total victory. Lions, tigers and other wild animals might be popular attractions, but we should be just as concerned with their continued use and exploitation for our amusement, especially considering some of these species are endangered and their future in the wild is in jeopardy.

While life in traveling shows is one of deprivation for wild animals where their needs as a species and as individuals are ignored, problems also come when they’re no longer useful as performers. Animal advocates have long raised concerns about the life of big cats after circuses decide not to use them anymore, which can include ending up in zoos, canned hunting facilities or the illegal wildlife trade.

As the public continues to turn against using wild and exotic animals as performers, a growing number of local and state regulations that ban or restrict their use, or cruel training tools, keeps growing, but a statewide ban would send a strong message to Ringling Bros. and other companies that continue the practice that it’s time to stop.

Pennsylvania Senator Daylin Leach has promised to act on behalf of these animals by introducing legislation that will ban their use in traveling exhibitions. In an announcement regarding his intention to introduce the bill, he stated:

Elephants are not the only circus animals that are suffering. To maximize profit, traveling exhibitions use grueling itineraries that force all of their animals to endure cramped living quarters, limited social interaction, and perpetual stress. Circuses hide this suffering from audiences, who witness only the power and grace of these magnificent animals. The secret is out. The public will not tolerate this unconscionable cruelty any longer.

Even though Ringling Bros. made the right move for elephants, in theory at least, the circus’ parent company Feld Entertainment is apparently not ready to let go of its other wild animal performers just yet.