Weather details & Aloha Paragraphs

 

February 18-19 2006

Lihue, Kauai – 78F
Honolulu, Oahu – 79
Kaneohe, Oahu – 78
Kahului, Maui – 83
Hilo, Hawaii – 83
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 80

0.33 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
4.76 AHUIMANU LOOP, OAHU
0.01 MOLOKAI
0.03 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.39 HANA AIRPORT, MAUI
0.16 HAKALAU, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart — Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a trough of low pressure further to the west of the islands Sunday. This will keep our winds light, gradually becoming trade winds later today into Monday. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those funny weather symbols mean.

Hawaii’s Mountains — Here’s a link to the live webcam on the summit of near 14,000 foot Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. The tallest peak on the island of Maui is the Haleakala Crater, which is near 10,000 feet in elevation. These two webcams are only available during the daylight hours here in the islands…that is unless there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two!

Satellite Images — To view the cloud conditions we have here in Hawaii, please use the following satellite links, starting off with the Infrared Satellite Imageof the islands to see all the clouds around the state. This next satellite image is one that gives close images of the islands only during the daytime hours, and is referred to as a Close-up visible satellite image. The next satellite image shows a larger view of the Pacific…giving perspective to the wider ranging cloud patterns in the Pacific Ocean…out from the islands. To help you keep track of where any showers may be around the islands, here’s the latest radar image.

Aloha Paragraphs

Beach Palms
Artist: George Young

The well established upper level low pressure system remains positioned to the NW of the main Hawaiian Islands now. The location and depth of this upper low will keep our local weather rather shower prone Saturday. It remains quite evident though, that the resultant precipitation will be most focused during the afternoon hours around the mountains. Our winds are blowing from the SE over most areas of the state today, helping to bring volcanic haze up from the vent on the Big Island. There will be high cirrus clouds streaming up over the islands too, dimming our sunshine at times.

This upper low, with its associated cold air aloft, will keep our overlying atmosphere unstable Saturday. This means that whatever clouds that develop with the daytime heating, will be allowed to grow considerably in the vertical dimension. These mostly afternoon cumulus clouds will have towering aspects to them, and very likely drop some decent showers. The daytime heating of the islands will be the triggering mechanism for these big cloud forms.

The mornings in most areas will start off quite clear, giving the appearance of a great day coming up. However, as is often the case over tropical islands, clouds will grow during the second half of the day. So, it might be wise to hit the beaches, and do most of your outdoor activities during the beautiful morning hours. The afternoons, especially in the upcountry interior sections, may very well receive a pretty good rain shower! Clouds will generally collapse after dark, with returning clear skies into the next morning.

The Island of Kauai, which will be closest to the low pressure system, will have the best chance for the heaviest and most generous showers. The other islands will see afternoon cloud buildups too, although with likely somewhat less wet conditions. The above described weather scenerio will take us through today. As we get into Sunday and Monday, the upper low is expected to depart our area. Weather conditions are forecast to improve then, with light trade winds returning for a couple of days.

It’s early Saturday evening here in Kula, Maui. The day began clear enough, although skies quickly became filled with a thick layer of high cirrus clouds. The source of these sun dimming cirrus clouds was the trough of low pressure located near the islands. These clouds gave an overcast character to the day, muted even more where there was considerable volcanic haze…like here on Maui. I stayed home most of the morning, visiting with a friend. I pryed myself out of the house this afternoon, down to Paia for a shopping spree at the health food store. I was in the mood to head right back up the mountain, after a quick stop in Pukalani for some Ahi Poki. There were a few spits of rain a little while ago, however it didn’t really let loose. The cloud cover certainly felt and looked moisture laden, although nothing heavy fell here in Kula. I have a good book to read this evening, and plan to kick back with it. I hope you have a great Saturday evening/night, either hanging at home, or out on the town. I’ll be back Sunday morning for additional weather updates. Aloha for now…Glenn.