Hawaiian Islands Weather details & Aloha Paragraphs / June 14-15, 2015

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

84 – 68  Lihue, Kauai
89 – 73  Honolulu, Oahu
87 – 70  Molokai AP
89 – 67  Kahului, Maui
85 – 74  Kailua Kona
83 – 70  Hilo, Hawaii

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

2.32  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.53  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
0.32  Molokai AP, Molokai
0.15  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.12  Kula 1, Maui
0.60  Waikii, Big Island

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

16  Poipu, Kauai – NE
22  Kahuku Trng, Oahu – SE
21  Molokai – NE
12  Lanai – NE
31  Kahoolawe – NE
13  Kaupo Gap, Maui – SE
24  Upolu AP, Big Island – NE

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

Upper level cirrus clouds approaching the state – with
Tropical Storm Carlos spinning just south of Mexico

Clear to partly cloudy…with bright white, high cirrus clouds moving
towards the islands from the south – Looping version of this image

Showers falling mostly offshore…and across the islands
locally – quite generous here and there

Here’s the looping radar image for the Hawaiian Islands

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

The trade winds will be light to moderately strong through Monday…then pick up Tuesday 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 a strong high pressure system far to the north of the state, with closer and weaker cells to the west and north. At the same time, we have surface troughs of low pressure to our north and northwest, which are limiting our trade wind speeds for the time being. The trades will continue through Monday, although be lighter than normal for this time of year. The models are suggesting that stronger trade winds will fill back into the state…later Monday into Tuesday onwards.

Trade wind weather conditions will continue…mixed with a modified convective pattern. The windward sides will see a few showers…which will get carried our way on the trade wind flow. The atmosphere will remain somewhat unstable, which will enhance some of the showers that fall. Therefore, there’s the chance of a few localized heavy showers along the windward coasts and and slopes tonight, as well as over the interior sections again Monday afternoon. Looking ahead, a more typical late spring trade wind weather pattern will prevail Tuesday through around next Friday. I’ll be back with more updates on all of the above, I hope you have a great Sunday night wherever you’re spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.

Here on Maui...early Sunday morning near sunrise, skies are mostly clear to partly cloudy, with some thin high cirrus clouds…which lit up into a nice colorful sunrise. The air temperature here in upcountry Kula at 550am was 53.6 degrees, 67 down at the Kahului airport, 68 at the Hana airport…and 39 degrees atop the Haleakala Crater. It’s a beautiful morning!

– It’s now into the early evening hours, under partly to mostly cloudy skies. There have been a few showers around, mostly over and around the mountains this afternoon. Lots more high cirrus are approaching our area from the south and southwest

>>> 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 cyclones

Thunderstorm activity with the broad area of low pressure in the
south-central Gulf of Mexico has become a little more concentrated
this morning.  A Hurricane Hunter aircraft is just now beginning its
investigation of the system, and will help to determine whether the
low-level circulation has become any better defined since yesterday.
Satellite observations overnight suggest that the low continues to
produce tropical-storm-force winds well to the east and northeast of
the center.  Upper-level winds are forecast to become more favorable
for development while this system moves northwestward across the
western Gulf of Mexico, and a tropical depression or tropical storm
could form at any time before the system reaches the Texas coast
sometime tomorrow.

Interests in and along the northwestern Gulf of Mexico should
monitor the progress of this system.  Regardless of tropical cyclone
formation, tropical storm conditions are possible along portions of
the middle and upper Texas coast and the western Louisiana coast
Monday night and Tuesday.  The system is also likely to bring
heavy rainfall with possible flooding across portions of eastern
Texas and western Louisiana.

* Formation chance through 48 hours...high...80 percent 

* Formation chance through 5 days...high...80 percent

Here’s a satellite image of the Caribbean Sea…and the Gulf of Mexico – with what the models are showing on Invest 91L

Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 5 days over the areas above

>>> Eastern Pacific:

Tropical Storm 03E (Carlos) remains active about 180 miles southeast of Manzaniloo, Mexico, sustained winds are 70 mph, moving west-northwest at 6 mph. Here’s a NHC graphical track map, a looping satellite image…and what the hurricane models are showing

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND

WIND: Hurricane conditions are expected to begin within the
hurricane warning area today.  Hurricane conditions are possible
within the hurricane watch area by Tuesday morning.

RAINFALL: Carlos is expected to produce rains in the Mexican states
of Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima, Jalisco and Nayarit, with rainfall
accumulations of 6 to 10 inches possible through Wednesday, and
maximum totals of 15 inches possible.  These rains may produce life-
threatening flash floods and mudslides, especially in areas of
higher terrain.

SURF: Swells associated with Carlos will affect the coasts of
southern and southwestern Mexico during the next few days.  These
swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip currents.

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: There are no active tropical cyclones

No tropical cyclones are expected through the next two days

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

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

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

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

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

Interesting: How old is the Grand Canyon? – The age of the Grand Canyon (USA) has been studied for years, with recent technological facilitating new attempts to determine when erosion of this iconic canyon began. The result is sometimes conflicting ages based on different types of data; most data support the notion that the canyon began to erode to its current form about six million years ago. Then even newer, “high-tech,” data became available and questions were again raised about whether the western end of the canyon could be older.

Two numbers are used as general time markers for these alternate hypotheses. The first suggests that the canyon may have started incising 17 million years ago. The second suggests that the canyon may have looked largely as it does today 70 million years ago. The time contrast between these hypotheses is striking, and any accurate concept of the canyon would have to be consistent with all observations.

Other researchers have studied the Grand Wash Fault, which truncates the western Grand Canyon. The fault runs north to south, nearly perpendicular to the Canyon. The fault slides in such a way that the west side of the fracture moves down relative to the east side, leaving a cliff face called the Grand Wash Cliffs. This slip, called “normal slip,” has led to the opening of a valley called the Grand Wash trough along the east end of Lake Meade. Erosion of hill slopes and canyons in the Grand Wash Cliffs is driven by the fault movement exposing the rock at the surface. These hill slopes and canyons are similar to the Colorado River’s tributaries in Grand Canyon, except hills and side streams are all steeper in Grand Canyon.

This comparison is useful because the Grand Wash fault has been studied extensively, and other scientists have shown that the fault completed most of its sliding between 18 and 12 million years ago. The rocks and climate in both regions are similar, so the difference in land form shape is most likely due to when the landforms started eroding.

In this new article for Geosphere, Andrew Darling and Kelin Whipple focus on the western Grand Canyon, west of the Hurricane fault. Their data show that the Grand Canyon must be younger than the fault slip that occurred 18 to 12 million years ago. Comparing their data to other datasets suggests that the notion that the canyon starting eroding around six million years ago is still the best scientific idea for the age of the Grand Canyon.