Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs
Posted by GlennApril 17-18 2006
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Monday:
Lihue, Kauai – 78F
Honolulu, Oahu – 81
Kaneohe, Oahu – 78
Kahului, Maui – 81
Hilo, Hawaii – 75
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 83
Temperatures early Tuesday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Kailua-kona – 73
Hilo airport – 66
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals during the last 24 hours (as of Tuesday morning) on each of the major islands, including:
0.34 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.39 SOUTH FORK KAUKONAHUA, OAHU
0.01 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.65 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.94 GLENWOOD, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure systems to the NE and NW of Hawaii. This pressure configuration will keep moderate to locally strong and gusty strong trade winds to blow today…slightly lighter Wednesday. 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.
This new week starts off with the rather stiff trade winds still blowing across the Hawaiian Islands. A long lasting near 1030 millibar high pressure system remains well established to the north of here. These trade winds will be strong though to continue the small craft wind advisory in those windiest locations, especially around Maui and the Big Island. The latest computer forecast models show these breezy trade winds sticking around through the next week to 10 days…at least.
This will likely keep the trade winds blowing through the end of this month. Meanwhile, there are no signs of organized rain storms approaching from any direction. Although that doesn’t mean that there won’t be some showers around. The windward sides of the islands will continue to see occasional passing showers. The leeward sides will find dry conditions for the most part, with lots of sunny weather. The Kona coast on the Big Island might find a few late afternoon showers.
This more or less fair weather outlook is par for the course, as the second half of April is often quite nice. It’s very typical to have this kind of trade wind weather pattern, which often stretches right on into the months of May and June. The next major shift in the weather will occur during the summer months, when the 2006 hurricane season begins, starting on June 1 here in the central Pacific Ocean. It’s still too early to project too much about what this year’s hurricane season will look like though.
As is almost always the case during the spring months, the beaches are often quieter during the morning hours. I’m referring to the nature of the trade winds, and how they are lighter in the night and morning hours. They crank-up during the afternoon hours, with rougher water along the coasts. The afternoons can be fine, it just depends upon the wind direction and speed at any particular beach. My personal preference is when the trade winds are softer, and the ocean is nice an glassy smooth during the mornings.
It’s early Monday evening as I begin today’s sunset commentary. I hope you noticed the picture of the Jacaranda tree above. I’ve been watching these trees for about the last month, wondering when they were going to reach their peak…in terms of their glorious color. As I was driving home just now, on the very road you see in that picture, which is the one I drive on each day coming home from work, I decided they were just too beautiful not to mention them now. I may very well try and find some other pictures over the next couple of days, and speak about them a bit more then. If you’ve ever seen them in full bloom, they are just so wonderful, as they contrast with the deep green of the pasture grass on the slopes of the Haleakala Crater. It’s a special time of year when these trees flair up in color. They drop their blossoms on the road, which you can see in the picture above as well. By the way, there isn’t just one, rather they are stretched up the road for many miles, and are dotting the landscape here in Kula too. As I look out my weather tower window, I can see several, which stand out so well against the otherwise evergreen tropical vegetation, including lots of avocado trees…which are loaded with fruit at the moment! I’ve been eating lots of guacamole lately, made with the avo’s from right here on this property. I’m feeling pretty mellow this evening, after a good day’s work, punctuated at lunch with a quick beach walk and ocean swim. I hope you have a great Monday! I’ll be back early Tuesday morning with the next new narrative. Aloha for now…Glenn.
p.s. Here’s a link to one of the advertisers on the left hand margin: DKL…DK Levin Company, who has quietly become recognized as one of the premier accounting firms on the island of Maui.
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