Hawaiian Islands Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs / July 6-7, 2016

 

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

81 – 70  Lihue, Kauai
89 – 76  Honolulu, Oahu
86 – 73  Molokai AP
88 – 69  Kahului AP, Maui
88 – 77  Kailua Kona
81 – 70  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

1.83  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.78  Manoa Lyon Arboretum, Oahu
0.20  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.05  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.33  West Wailuaiki, Maui
0.65  Kawainui Stream, Big Island

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

29  Port Allen, Kauai
33  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
36  Molokai
29  Lanai
38  Kahoolawe
32  Maalaea Bay, Maui
30  Kealakomo, 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

We can see Hurricane Blas far to the east-southeast of Hawaii…with Tropical Depression 04E to the right of Blas

Hurricane Blas is still a major category 3 storm

A cloud filled eye at the center of this very strong hurricane!

What the computer models are showing

Tropical Depression 04E…will soon be Tropical Storm Celia

Tropical Depression 04E will become a hurricane this weekend

What the models are showing

 

Thunderstorms west and south of the islands…we see what’s left of former tropical cyclone Agatha in the picture on the right side of the image

 

Higher clouds over parts of the state…scattered low clouds elsewhere

 

Showers locally – Looping radar image

Small Craft Advisory…windiest coasts and channels Maui County and the Big Island

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

Moderately strong trade winds will prevail through Friday…with some possible changes during the weekend. Here’s the latest weather map, showing a moderately strong, near 1033 millibar high pressure system in the area north of Hawaii. Our trade winds are expected to remain active through the end of this work week. I would expect winds to gust up to around 35 mph in those most windy locations through the next several days. There’s a chance that our trade winds could falter substantially, depending upon just where the circulation of former tropical cyclone Agatha goes, as it gets closer Sunday into next Monday…stay tuned.

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

There will be some windward showers at times. As the trade winds will continue to be gusty, some of these showers will ride over into the leeward sections at times…on the smaller islands. This moisture will keep showery conditions alive, at least in an off and on manner. There’s a chance that a slug of tropical moisture may arrive on the trade winds as we get into the later part of the upcoming weekend. This moisture would be whatever is left of…now retired tropical cyclone Agatha. We may see the same thing happen further down the line, as leftover moisture from what will very likely be retired hurricane Blas, gets carried towards us on the trades later next week…stay tuned.

Tropical Cyclones in the northeastern Pacific: Hurricane Blas remains a very strong system, qualifying as a category 3 major hurricane. We’ll certainly need to keep an eye on Blas, although it should remain well away from our islands…before losing steam to our east-northeast. We also have Tropical Depression 04E, that’s spinning  over the ocean to the east of Blas, which will become a tropical storm, and then hurricane Celia. I don’t see either of these tropical cyclone’s causing problems for the Hawaiian Islands, at least from this vantage point. At any rate, may see some showers and rising surf here in the islands later this week, and again next week.

Marine environment details: Small craft advisory (SCA) has been extended to cover the typical windy zones around Maui County and the Big Island through Friday. Trade wind speeds statewide are expected to maintain through at least Friday with a slight weakening this weekend.

Relatively small surf will prevail along all shores today. Forerunners associated with a new south swell are expected to arrive tonight and Thursday, with the swell peaking Friday and Saturday. Peak surf heights may reach advisory levels along south facing shores of all islands.

East swells being generated by Hurricane Blas are expected to arrive in the Hawaiian waters this weekend. Significant uncertainty surrounds this forecast, but there is potential for high surf along east facing shores this weekend and early next week…as this swell arrives.

 

 

Here on Maui – Early Wednesday morning is dawning partly to mostly cloudy. There are some nice sunny areas around in places too, now that it’s a few minutes later. We have some high cirrus clouds overhead, which a lit up a nice pink at sunrise. The air temperature was a relatively warm 61.7F degrees at 542am. Meanwhile, at about the same time, the Kahului airport was reporting clear skies, with a temperature of 73 degrees, while Hana was 73 as well, with Maalaea Bay showing 75…and the summit of the Haleakala Crater was reporting 46 degrees. / Skies have cleared quite a bit from earlier this morning…(8am)

– Early afternoon, with a mix of sunny skies, along with partly to mostly cloudy areas around the mountains. It’s a nice summer day, with the trade winds keeping our tropical environment feeling quite comfortable.

– Early evening, it was a nice day! I drove over to Kihei for a dermatological appointment I had. It was so hot over there, with my car thermometer reading 93 degrees. As I got back home to Kula, the temperature was a much cooler 78 degrees. This is why I prefer living upcountry, I personally find it hard to take that traffic and heat down near sea level.

 

World-wide tropical cyclone activity –

>>> Atlantic Ocean: No active tropical cyclones

Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 5 days

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

>>> Caribbean Sea: No active tropical cyclones

Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 5 days

>>> 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:

Hurricane Blas remains active over the waters of the eastern Pacific…about 1210 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Here’s the NHC graphical track map, along with a satellite image…and what the computer models are showing.

Tropical Depression 04E remains active over the waters of the eastern Pacific, located not far to the east of Blas…or about 705 miles south of the southern tip of Baja California. Here’s a satellite image of this soon to be tropical storm, and then hurricane Celia.

Meanwhile, an area of low pressure is expected to form by early next week several hundred miles southwest of the coast of Mexico. Some subsequent development of this system is possible while it moves westward to west-northwestward.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…low…20 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: No active tropical cyclones

No tropical cyclones expected through the next 2-days

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