Hawaiian Islands Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs / June 13-14, 2016

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

82 – 74  Lihue, Kauai
85 – 75  Honolulu, Oahu
84 – 74  Molokai AP
87 – 74  Kahului AP, Maui 
87 – 79  Kailua Kona
83 – 70  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

1.31  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.45  Waiawa, Oahu
0.14  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
1.70  West Wailuaiki, Maui
1.62  Mountain View, Big Island

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

36  Port Allen, Kauai
46  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
33  Molokai
28  Lanai
42  Kahoolawe
37  Maalaea Bay, Maui
35  Upolu AP, 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.

Aloha Paragraphs

The north Pacific storm track is far north and northwest of Hawaii

Thunderstorms far southeast of the islands…with a few more scattered to the west and closer to the islands

 

The heavier clouds are the brighter white ones – we’ll see off and on showers…some locally quite heavy

 

Showers increasing over the nearby waters, impacting the islands locally…some are rather generous – Looping radar image

High Surf Advisory…south facing shores through the day

Small Craft Advisory…all Hawaiian coasts and channels

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

The trade winds have turned stronger…last through the next 4-5 days. Here’s the latest weather map, showing a very large and strong near 1040 millibar high pressure system, located well offshore to the north of Hawaii. Our local trade winds will remain blustery through the work week.

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

Here’s the Hawaiian Islands Sulfate Aerosol animated graphic – showing vog forecast

Showery clouds increasing into Tuesday…some will be locally generous. The atmosphere will remain rather unstable into Tuesday, which may enhance localized shower activity at times. This unsettled situation could result in downpours here and there into Tuesday. An off and on wet trade wind regime, bringing showers to the windward sides, will continue into mid-week. As the trade winds remain elevated in strength…some of these showers will spread over into the leeward sides locally as well. We should see these unusual showers backing-off later Wednesday through Saturday. As we get into Sunday and into early next week, we could see another trough of low pressure edging closer, triggering yet another increase in showers again then. Typically, the middle of June is one of our driest periods, in most areas…so this is an unusually moist late spring period.

Marine environment details: Trade winds will continue to strengthen across the island chain today. This will result in Small Craft Advisory (SCA), winds and rough seas in the typically windier waters adjacent to the islands of Maui County and the Big Island for most of the upcoming week. Also, as the trade winds continue to increase during the next couple of days, expect that additional waters will be included in the SCA. Kauai Northwest Waters, the Oahu and Maui County Windward Waters, and the Kaiwi Channel to the SCA have been added this morning as well. 

The guidance indicates the current south swell will likely continue to produce surf reaching the High Surf Advisory criteria along south facing shores through this afternoon. This south swell will gradually decline through tonight. However, the arrival of a reinforcing south swell later today or tonight may result in surf remaining near the High surf Advisory threshold along south facing shores into Tuesday. The south swell will gradually diminish from Wednesday through the weekend. A southeast swell will spread across parts of the coastal waters during the next few days…especially near the Big Island.

Elsewhere, trade wind driven waves continue to produce rough surf along most east facing shores of the state. As the trade winds continue to strengthen during the next couple of days, expect the surf to build and approach the High Surf Advisory threshold along east facing shores starting Tuesday or Wednesday. This elevated surf will likely continue through mid-week before gradually declining later this week.

 

Showers will be active across parts of the state…increasing at times locally into Tuesday

Here on Maui – Early Monday morning is dawning mostly clear to partly cloudy, with the usual windward clouds some showers. Looking out the windows of my weather tower before sunrise, these low clouds are stretching from the windward sides over the West Maui Mountains. The leeward sides are mostly clear, with just a few exceptions. The air temperature was 53.9F degrees at 540am. Meanwhile, at about the same time, the Kahului airport was reporting clear skies, with a temperature of 75 degrees, while Hana was at 75 too, and Maalaea Bay was 77…with the summit of the Haleakala Crater registering 45 degree. 

– Early afternoon, clear to partly cloudy in general, with some cloudy areas around the mountains as usual. The trade winds have picked up as expected, now gusting to 43 mph on Kahoolawe, and 35 mph at the Kahului airport. Here in upcountry Kula, there’s only a very light breeze, as we’re in the lee side of the Haleakala Crater. It’s a nice day, and will continue to be along the leeward beaches. The windward sides will turn more showery later today…into the night and Tuesday. / Now at 350pm, the clouds are increasing rather markedly, and the showers are imminent it seems. / 420pm, raining here in Kula, and from what I can tell, rain is moving over many areas at the moment…substantiated by the radar image above.

– Early evening, there are lots of clouds around, although there’s still considerable sunshine beaming down over the central valley before sunset. Radar images continue to show quite a few showers around, at least at the time of this writing. I expect some of these showers to move over the island(s), at least the windward sides for the most part…into the night. 

 

Sunday Evening Film: My friend Jeff invited me over to see a film called Youth (2015), starring Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz, Paul Dano, Jane Fonda, and Poppy Corby-Tuech…among many others. The synopsis: Yuth is about two longtime friends vacationing in the Swiss Alps. Oscar winning actor Michael Caine plays Fred, an acclaimed composer and conductor, who brings along his daughter (Rachel Weisz) and best friend Mick (Harvey Keitel), a renowned filmmaker. While Mick scrambles to finish the screenplay for what he imagines will be his last important film, Fred has no intention of resuming his musical career. The two men reflect on their past, each finding that some of the most important experiences can come later in life.

Let me start right off by giving you my grade, which was a solid A, with Jeff chiming in with a solid A take on this wonderful film as well. His immediate response was that it left him breathless and speechless. I greatly enjoyed every aspect of this film, it was one of those films that was just above all the rest that I see so regularly. As one critic said, “Incredible reflection about age and friendship with unforgettable performances.” I laughed, and I cried a little too, it took me to both edges…and filled in the middle so beautifully as well. I read about this film in a magazine I subscribe to called Interview, and just happened to suggest we see it sometime. It just turned out to be sooner than I expected, and it has lifted my spirits so wonderfully. The music [a youtube sound track of one of the important songs in the film], the acting, the cinematography, were all top notch! I highly recommend seeing this film, and if you’re moved…here’s the trailer – full view is best.

 

World-wide tropical cyclone activity:

>>> Atlantic Ocean: No active tropical cyclones

Here’s the 5-day Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

>>> Caribbean Sea: No active tropical cyclones

>>> Gulf of Mexico: 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: No active tropical cyclones

A weak area of low pressure is expected to develop southwest of the coast of southern Mexico during the next day or two. Environmental conditions appear to be conducive for some development of this system, and a tropical depression could form later this week while the disturbance moves west-northwestward.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…20 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…medium…50 percent

Here’s the 5-day graphical Outlook

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: No active tropical cyclones

No tropical cyclones expected through the next two days…

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