March 1-2 2006

Air Temperatures — The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Wednesday:

Lihue, Kauai – 76F
Honolulu, Oahu – 77
Kaneohe, Oahu – 77
Kahului, Maui – 83
Hilo, Hawaii – 74
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 82

Temperatures early Thursday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:

Kailua-kona – 75
Molokai airport – 65

Precipitation Totals — The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals during the last 24 hours (as of Thursday morning) on each of the major islands, including:

10.89 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
8.16 PUNALUU PUMP, OAHU
0.06 MOLOKAI
0.01 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
2.81 KAUPO GAP, MAUI
2.11 PIIHONUA, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart — Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure systems far north of the islands. This are of high pressure has an elongated ridge running SE to a location well offshore to the NE of the islands. At the same time we have lows far NE, and another low to the NW, with mostly light winds from the SE. The trade winds will return later today or on Friday. 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 animated radar image.

Aloha Paragraphs



Hawaiian waterfall
Photo: Douglas Peebles

The latest satellite images continue to show incredible amounts of moisture to the west of the islands. The predominate cloud form continues to be the high and middle level clouds. Although there is no shortage of lower level rain bearing clouds too. The way it’s looking now, we’ll see little precipitable influence from Molokai down through the Big Island, at least not directly from the trough of low pressure that has been hanging out to the west and NW for quite some time now.


The islands of Kauai and Oahu, which are closest to that area of inclement weather, will remain the most shower prone. There’s still the threat of heavy showers, some of which have continued to fall over and around the mountains on Kauai, and long the windward side of Oahu. Mount Waialaelae, Kauai, which is one of the wettest places on the planet, received a generous 6.27 inches during the last 24 hours! 

As is sometimes the case, the models had us believing that we were going to get really soaked. Although as it turns out, Maui and the Big Islands haven’t seen too much more than a lot of cloudiness hiding our famous Hawaiian sunshine. We’re not totally “out of the woods” yet, although the threat of heavy rainfall across the state will start fading later Thursday or Friday. The winds are currently from the SE direction, which may be able to carry showers to the windward sides of the islands across the state. At the same time, there’s still lots of available moisture for afternoon showers in places too.


This cloudier than usual weather reality will stick around through Thursday. Again, there may very well be some showers around, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see some locally heavy flooding downpours. Conditions should begin to improve by later in the day Thursday, but we’ll probably have to wait until Friday for a marked turn back towards our usual sunny weather. The trade winds will start filling back into the state Friday, with a favorably inclined trade wind weather pattern on tap for this weekend…at least for the leeward sides. There may still be lots of passing showers for the windward sides into the weekend though!


It’s early Wednesday evening here in Kula, Maui.  Yet another cloudy day here on Maui, although without the flooding rainfall that parts of Oahu and Kauai have been having! The winds were very light, with a slight drift of air from the SE, which continues to bring voggy haze to our area. The beach was pleasant however, despite the muted sunshine that prevailed in Kihei today. I’ve been exceptionally busy at work, at the Pacific Disaster Center, along with this website, and my TV weather show. I spoke with my Father today, who is still in the hospital, and he sounded a little weak, but hanging in there quite well. He very much dislikes being there, and wants to go home as soon as possible. He has internal bleeding, and they haven’t discovered where it is yet. I very much appreciate all the encouraging and supportive replies that you folks have written, thanks so much for your inspiring comments! It’s gratifying to receive so many notes, it touches my heart deeply in this time of concern. I hope you have a restful night, and if you are so inclined, you are certainly invited to join me/us here for the Thursday edition of this weather narrative from paradise! Aloha for now…Glenn.