Hawaiian Islands Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs / October 9-10, 2015

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

83 – 72  Lihue, Kauai
92 – 76  Honolulu, Oahu – broke the record high for Friday of 91…set back in 1984
87 – 67  Molokai
90 – 68  Kahului AP, Maui – the record high for Friday was 93…set back in 1951
87 – 76  Kailua Kona AP
88 – 69  Hilo, Hawaii

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

1.11  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
1.48  Bellows AFS, Oahu
0.08  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.04  Puu Kukui, Maui
0.30  Waiakea Uka, Big Island

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

21  Port Allen, Kauai – ESE
24  Kuaokala, Oahu – NE
23  Molokai – ENE
27  Lanai – NE
35  Kahoolawe – ENE
12  Kaupo Gap, Maui – SSW 
25  Upolu AP, Big Island – ENE

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

Tropical Storm 18E (Nora) remains active to the
east-southeast of Hawaii

Here’s a wind profile…of the offshore waters
around the islands – with a closer view

Here’s the latest track map of this tropical storm

Here’s a close-up look at Tropical Storm Nora

There’s a trough of low pressure east of the Big Island, which
will bring an increased chance of localized showers this
weekend into Monday…plus there’s an area of thunderstorms
far south-southwest of our islands – and TS Nora east-southeast

Clear to partly cloudy…with an area of disturbed weather
offshore to the east of the Big Island, and another near Kauai



Showers falling southwest of Kauai…a couple elsewhere
looping radar image

High Surf Advisory…south and west shores of the
Big Island – through 6am Sunday

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

Our winds will become even softer as we move into the weekend…bringing muggy conditions. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the North Pacific Ocean, along with a wind profiler of the central Pacific. We find high pressure systems well to the west-northwest and east-northeast of the state. At the same time, we find several low pressure systems at varying distances far to our northwest through northeast. Our winds will come in from the east to east-southeasterly directions, gradually become lighter this weekend into Monday. As this happens, we’re apt to see some distinct increase in volcanic haze locall, along with sultry conditions too. As a cold front approaches the state from the northwest early in the new week ahead, our winds will swing to the southeast to south preceding its arrival. We may see more volcanic haze moving over some parts of the state again then. As the front passes through, we’ll likely find a couple of days of brisk and cool northerly breezes following in its wake.

We’ll find a few showers falling…which will increase at times locally this weekend. A fairly stable air mass is over the state now, with just scattered showers expected in most areas. There continues to be a large patch of clouds near Kauai, which is dropping some showers over the ocean to the southwest of Kauai at the moment. As we get into the weekend, we should find a localized increase in showers arriving from the east-southeast, as a trough of low pressure makes our atmosphere more shower prone. At the same time, the lighter winds will likely spawn some afternoon showers, some heavy, over the interior sections as well. The longer range outlook continues to show a cold front sliding down into our area from the northwest towards the middle of next week…bringing rain to the state then. Thereafter, we should find a drying trend, albeit a little on the cool side, with an autumn feel to our air for several days, tropically speaking of course.

Tropical Storm 18E (Nora)…remains active in the eastern Pacific. Here’s a satellite image of this tropical storm, with the National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) graphical track map…along with what the computer models are showing. Tropical storm Nora is expected to strengthen further…becoming hurricane Nora in about two days. The good thing about this tropical cyclone, which we see by looking at the forecast track, is that it takes an abrupt turn towards the north and then northeast, well to our east…taking it away from our island chain. If this pans out as expected, our Hawaiian Islands would see no direct influence in terms of clouds, rain and wind. We may eventually see some rise in our surf along the east or southeast shores with time.

Friday Evening Film:  This is one of those films that will have some you rolling your eyes, on the other hand, some of you will be thinking…I gotta see this one right away! It’s called Sicario, starring Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, Jon Bernthal, Jeffrey Donovan, Daniel Kaluuya, and Sarah Minnich…among many others. The synopsis: In the lawless border area stretching between the U.S. and Mexico, an idealistic FBI agent [Emily Blunt] is enlisted by an elite government task force official [Josh Brolin] to aid in the escalating war against drugs. Led by an enigmatic consultant with a questionable past [Benicio Del Toro], the team sets out on a clandestine journey forcing Kate to question everything that she believes in order to survive. / If you have ah hankering to see this rather hard core trailer…go ahead and click on the link (otherwise, maybe just leave well enough alone). It’s not actually all that bad, although, it’s certainly no walk in the park.

Sicario was one heavy weight film, no two ways about it! The three main actors, Blunt, Brolin, and Del Toro, were all incredible, just over the top great. The story centered around the drug war in Mexico, with riveting performances. This film had a constant sense of urgency and tension, with the music grounding it to earth…it had serious gravity! By the way, Sicario is slang for hitman in Mexico, and Benicio Del Toro played this role to the hilt! As one critic said: “Smart enough to challenge your views, yet not too cerebral to alienate the mainstream, Sicario is a thoroughly engrossing watch that dazzles visually and connects emotionally.” I had high expectations going in, and coming out…they were all met and then some! As for a grade, there’s only one that applies, this film hits the top of the chart, one of my favorites of the year!

Here on Maui…It’s 6am Friday morning with clear to partly cloudy skies in general…and very hazy as well – or is that smoke from an early morning sugar cane burn? There was a wonderful celestial display again this morning in the eastern horizon before sunrise. A new crescent moon with several planets located nearby…it was very unusual and lovely to see first thing in the morning! / It’s now going on 10am, under what has turned out to be mostly clear weather…although the haze remains in place.

– Mid-afternoon, under clear to partly cloudy skies, and lots of thick volcanic haze (vog). If this vog wasn’t so thick, it would be a decent day otherwise, although all this haze brings the day down from perfect quite a bit. I see that the cumulus clouds stacking-up over the West Maui Mountains are more vertical than normal…trying to attain towering cumulus proportions at times. This of course indicates a destabilizing atmosphere, and as noted above, we’re headed into a more shower prone reality as we push into this weekend.

– We’re into the early evening now, and I can feel the arrival of tropical moisture…it started to feel muggy this afternoon. The haze is still with us, and it wouldn’t surprise me if it sticks around, at least off and on, until a cold front arrives around the middle of next week. The cool and brisk northerly breezes, following in the wake of the frontal boundary…will ventilate it away then.

I’ll be back with many more updates on all of the above and below, I hope you have a great Friday night wherever you’re spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.

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 cyclones

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:

Tropical Storm 18E (Nora) remains active in the eastern Pacific Ocean, located 1330 miles east-southeast of South Point, Hawaii, with sustained winds of 45 mph. Here’s the NHC graphical track map, along with a satellite image of this system…and what the computer models are showing

1.)   Shower and thunderstorm activity associated with a broad area of low pressure located about 500 miles south of the Gulf of Tehuantepec has changed little in organization since yesterday. Environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for gradual development, and a tropical depression could form by the middle of next week while it moves westward at 10 to 15 mph.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low 30 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…medium 60 percent

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

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