Hawaiian Islands Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs / November 20-21, 2016

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

82 – 73  Lihue, Kauai
84 – 73  Honolulu, Oahu
83 – 72  Molokai AP
85 – 72  Kahului AP, Maui
84 – 72  Kailua Kona
82 – 71  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

4.31  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
1.71  Manoa Lyon Arboretum, Oahu
1.02  Molokai
0.06  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
4.13  Puu Kukui, Maui
3.67  Saddle Quarry, Big Island

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

28  Lihue, Kauai
39  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
28  Molokai
31  Lanai
37  Kahoolawe
30  Maalaea Bay, Maui
39  South Point, Big Island

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live webcam on the summit of our tallest mountain Mauna Kea (nearly 13,800 feet high) on the Big Island of Hawaii. This webcam is available during the daylight hours here in the islands, and at night whenever there’s a big moon shining down. Also, at night you will be able to see the stars — and the sunrise and sunset too — depending upon weather conditions.

Aloha Paragraphs

There are two storm low pressure systems active in the Gulf of Alaska, far north of Hawaii, with an associated cold front well offshore to our north and northwest

High cirrus (the brighter white clouds) are mostly to our west and south, although extending over the islands locally at times, with thunderstorms well south

A mix of high and low clouds are contributing to partly to mostly cloudy skies…although some clear areas as well

Showers falling locally – Looping radar image

Small Craft Advisory…all Hawaiian coasts and channels – starting this evening

High Surf Advisory…east facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and the Big Island

Gale Watch…Maalaea Bay, Pailolo and Alenuihaha Channels, leeward and southeastern waters around the Big Island – starting Tuesday morning

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

The gusty trade winds will continue through the next week, increasing Tuesday onward. Here’s the latest weather map, showing a near 1026 millibar high pressure system, about a 900 miles to the north-northeast of Hawaii. This in turn will keep our trade winds active, with no end in sight from this vantage point. The strongest trade wind speeds through the next week will occur Tuesday through Friday. This windy weather will likely bring 50+ mph wind gusts to some parts of the island chain, with wind advisories over the islands, and gale warnings over Hawaiian waters locally at their peak. These blustery winds should begin to ease up some by next weekend, although continue from the trade wind direction into the following week.

Here’s a wind profile of the offshore waters around the islands – and a closer look

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

Windward showers locally, while the leeward sides remain in better shape for the most part. An old cold front is losing its influence, with fewer showers statewide now. However, moisture from the old front, still located upwind of the islands, will be carried back over the windward sides, first over Maui County and the Big Island tonight, then Oahu and Kauai Monday into Tuesday morning. The longer range outlook continues to suggest that the Thanksgiving holiday will see wet trade wind conditions, with drier weather arriving next weekend.

Marine environment details: The Small Craft Advisory (SCA) remains in effect for most Hawaiian coastal waters through tonight due to a combination of strong trade winds and rough seas. Winds will weaken slightly later tonight and Monday, which should allow the winds and seas to drop slightly below advisory levels across the Kauai waters and the leeward Oahu and Maui County waters.

The latest model guidance remains in good agreement over the next several days, depicting the subtropical ridge becoming oriented from east to west over the eastern Pacific. A large batch of strong easterlies extending from the west coast to the islands by mid week can be expected. A combination of the locally generated seas and trade wind swell will translate to advisory level surf along east facing shores as early as Monday night, which should persist through the rest of the week. SCA conditions will likely be expanded to all coastal waters by Tuesday due to a combination of winds and seas. In some of the channels, winds will approach gale force levels Tuesday through Wednesday, then reach gale strength beginning as early as Thursday.

Surf along north and west facing shores will remain below advisory levels all week. Small northwest swells are expected Tuesday through Wednesday and again Friday through Saturday.

Recent activity across the Tasman Sea in the southern hemisphere may result in a slight increase in surf along the south shores of our islands by the mid-week period, due to a small south-southwest swell. Another gale is forecast to setup southeast of New Zealand through the early portion of the upcoming week, which could translate to another small southerly source by the end of next weekend.

~~~ An inspiring, although challenging National Geographic film called Before the Flood…with Leonardo DiCaprio (full screen best viewing)

~~~ Friday Evening Film: those of you who were following my recent travelogue know that I’ve been seeing most of the current films, at least the ones that appealed to me. This evening I’m going to see the new one called Arrival, starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, Tzi Ma…among many others! The synopsis, when mysterious spacecraft touch down across the globe, an elite team…lead by expert linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams)…are brought together to investigate. As mankind teeters on the verge of global war, Banks and the team race against time for answers–and to find them, she will take a chance that could threaten her life, and quite possibly humanity. The critics are being very generous with this film, so I had high hopes. In addition, many of my close friends have seen this film, and are giving high grades as well.

I enjoyed this emotional sci-fi, although it wasn’t an easy film to figure out along the way. The alien invaders were certainly unique, like nothing else I’ve seen. One critic wrote, “one of the premier extra-terrestrail films of the century.” I appreciated the fact that this film didn’t blow up Intelligent Life, but rather emphasized communication and focused listening instead. It was both robust and delicate in equal measure, which isn’t common in most films I see these days. It asked the audience to imagine how we might respond, emotionally rather than militarily…in the event of an arrival from outer space. In case this strokes your imagination and interest, here’s the trailer.

Windy with showers arriving at times, mostly along our windward sides…although not exclusively

World-wide tropical cyclone activity…

>>> Atlantic Ocean: No active tropical cyclones

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

>>> Caribbean:

Tropical Depression 16L is now active over the southwestern Caribbean Sea, here’s the NHC graphical track map, with a satellite image, and what the computer models are showing

>>> 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

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

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