March 22-23 2006
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Wednesday:
Lihue, Kauai – 76F
Honolulu, Oahu – 77
Kaneohe, Oahu – 79
Kahului, Maui -Â 80
Hilo, Hawaii – 81
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 79
Temperatures early Thursday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Kailua-kona – 74
Lihue airport – 68
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:
1.76 LIHUE, KAUAI
2.90 KAWAILOA, OAHU
0.45 MOLOKAI
0.32 LANAI
0.05 KAHOOLAWE
0.43 HAIKU, MAUI
0.45 KAHUKU RANCH, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a low pressure system to the NW of the islands, with its associated trough to our west. At the same time we find a high pressure system far east, with its associated ridge extending west, but still quite a ways away from the Big Island. This will keep light winds around, tending south…today into Friday, locally breezy. 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 Image of the islands to see all the clouds around the state during the day and night. This next image is one that gives close images of the islands only during the daytime hours, and is referred to as a Close-up visible image. This next 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
Waikiku, the famous beach of Honolulu…
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A low pressure system remains anchored in place to the NW of the main Hawaiian Islands now. We can call this long lasting low pressure system a Kona low. The placement of this low pressure system is causing our local winds to come in from the south and SW. This direction not only brings warm air from the deeper tropics, but also lots of rich moisture from over the oceans to our south. The location of this low will also help to keep our overlying atmosphere shower prone.
What else is new!? The air mass surrounding the islands has been that way for over a month now, at least off and on. I might add, that it seems like more “on than off” at this point! At any rate, the local clouds are charged with rain potential. Thus far, the Kauai and Oahu end of the island chain have been getting the most heavy precipitation. The meteorological dynamics are in place to keep whatever clouds that are around showery ones just about anywhere.
A quick glance at this satellite image, shows there to be absolutely no shortage of clouds over us! These clouds consist of the high and middle level variety, which are famous for muting our sunshine during the days, and giving whatever moon that’s around, a fuzzy look. At the same time, we find considerable amounts of lower level clouds, the ones that can dump locally heavy rain. A look at this radar image, confirms that there is no lack of showers falling in our area either!
There could easily be some thunderstorms mixed into this cloudy reality. Thunderstorms are one of the principle flooding agents, and may very well help to augment whatever localized flooding that we have going on. Thus, the NWS forecast office in Honolulu has the flash flood watch active across the entire state through late Thursday night. At this point, the biggest question becomes: when will all this threat of heavy rains end? Everyone’s been asking that question, and it’s a good one too, but not so easy to answer.
The way it looks from here, we will continue to see the possibility of locally heavy rains into Friday. Some of the forecast models are showing some possible improvement then into the weekend. Although the one fly in the ointment, remains the placement of a low pressure trough out to the west of the islands. This could keep the chance of showers around into early next week. I would hazard an educated guess that by next Tuesday we might finally begin to see improved weather conditions.
It’s early Wednesday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I start this sunset commentary. I must confess that there wasn’t any sunset this evening, it basically went from dark cloudiness to darkness! Actually, up here in Kula, as I look out the window of my weather tower, in what little light there is left…all I see is pea soup fog! It’s warm though, which is at least some consolation I suppose. I prefer coolness at this time of night, so I’m feeling slightly too warm. If you have a moment, you could go up three paragraphs on this page, and check out all those clouds that are totally enveloping the islands, and see whatever showers that happen to be around…and I’m sure there will be some on that radar image! It certainly wasn’t an altogether bad day, as there were mostly just high clouds around, which dimmed our sunshine significantly, but didn’t drop rain. I should add that Kauai got heavy rains this afternoon, some of which was of the flooding variety. Tonight and Thursday we should see rain, here and there, and often quite heavy. There’s at least a glimmer of hope that Friday and Saturday will improve. I’ll be back early Thursday morning with more news about this rainy reality we are “putting up with” here in the islands. Aloha for now…Glenn.
p.s. I’m delighted with the response to all the businesses who have added their links to the left hand margin on all my webpages! I’d like to suggest that you check them out, as they offer valuable services and products. I want to highlight them individually over the next couple of weeks, with today’s company being First Horizon Home Loans. The agent  who has sponsored this link is Chris Lum, who lives here on Maui. His intention is to help you finance your home, and more . . . to build a relationship based on unparalleled service and personal attention. He works right here in the Central Valley on Maui, and is ready to help you get the best terms. I can recommend him to folks who live here on Maui.Â
Added Feature: Fact: this website receives between 6,000 and 18,000+ page impressions per day, depending upon the weather and the season. As of early Thursday morning, March’s total count has been 265,201. That’s a lot of folks looking at all the pages on this site, including the new and useful links on the left hand margin. You can have a link from this popular website, directly to yours. It may be a good way to increase traffic to your own website. This placement on the Links List is available for $50 per month, with a three month minimum. That brings with it three months of possible higher than normal visitors to your business for just $150. My hope is that it will provide an important way that you can increase the presence of your site to lots of internet viewers. It may be a good way to highlight your internet business to folks who have an interest in most things Hawaiian. Please email me, or leave a message in the reply box below, if you have some interest in this proposal. A link to your site will be displayed along the left hand margin of all the pages on this website, in alphabetical order. There is one spot left in this three month quarter. Then in June, I’ll start accepting new businesses again…that is if any of the current businesses decide to drop out. There will be a waiting list started after one more link signs up.
Email Glenn James: 
