Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs
Posted by GlennApril 21-22 2006
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Friday:
Lihue, Kauai – 78F
Honolulu, Oahu – 81
Kaneohe, Oahu – 79
Kahului, Maui – 81
Hilo, Hawaii – 78
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 83
Temperatures early Saturday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 5 a.m. hour:
Kailua-kona – 71
Hilo airport – 64
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals during the last 24 hours (as of Saturday morning) on each of the major islands, including:
0.16 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.11 HAKIPUU MAUKA, OAHU
0.02 MOLOKAI
0.10 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.68 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.89 HONAUNAU, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure systems far to the NE and NW of Hawaii. This pressure configuration will keep moderate trade winds blowing today, getting a bit stronger on Sunday…locally rather gusty during the afternoon hours both days. 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.
There’s no end in sight for the trade winds, which are blowing across the Hawaiian Islands now. Wind speeds will vary in strength, getting a little softer over the next couple of days, and then increasing again around Sunday. The NWS office in Honolulu has finally taken down the small craft wind advisory over the marine coastal waters. All these trade wind breezes are arriving thanks to a moderately strong high pressure system located far to the NE of the Aloha state. The winds will be strongest during the days, and lightest during the nights…with the strongest gusts occurring around Maui and the Big Island.
The reason our trade winds will be mellowing out now, is that a cold front is moving by to the north of the state. This mid-latitude frontal cloud band won’t bring any clouds or showers to our area however. It will stay a good distance away, with the only influence being the slightly lighter trade wind flow. As Sunday rolls around, the cold front will have moved away to the east, with a new trade wind producing high pressure system in place… increasing our local trade wind speeds again into next week. Most folks won’t notice these somewhat subtle changes in our local winds.
In the rain department, the windward sides will be where most of the incoming showers will fall. These showers won’t have anything to do with the cold front, as noted above…but will just be from clouds carried in on the trade winds. These north and east facing windward slopes have seen lots showers lately. I’m sure that many folks on those rather wet sides of Maui and the Big Island especially, would say too many showers! As is the case with the persistent trade winds, there doesn’t appear to be any abrupt end to the showery weather along those sections of the islands.
The leeward sides of all the islands will have pleasant weather, with none of those pesky passing showers around. Those south and west facing coasts will find less wind in general too, which will keep the air temperatures 5-10 degrees warmer than the cooler and breezy windward sides. The one problem today will be the high cloudiness that has overspread the entire state. These high cirrus clouds will dim and filter our Hawaiian sunshine quite a bit. Thus, it won’t be a banner day for tanning at our local beaches, until those high clouds depart our area.
It’s early late Friday afternoon here in Kihei, Maui, as I leave work on the way home to Kula. Since I see nothing that looks that good at the local theaters, and the clouds are parting way on the slopes of the Haleakala Crater…I’ve decided to go skateboarding. I want to get on the road, but will come back later to finish off this sunset commentary, see you then. Ok, I’m back down from the 6,000 foot level on the western slope of the Crater. As I was mentioning last Friday evening, the road up there has recently been repaved, so it is as good as it gets for skateboarding! I took about eight runs, and fortunately didn’t fall, although there was one close call, when I had to jump off unexpectedly because a car was coming, and I didn’t see it soon enough. I must admit it’s always with a bit of relief that I find myself driving home without having hit the road! I stayed for the sunset, which lit up nicely pink for a few minutes. I’m listening to Manao radio on my computer, which often plays a fun mix of music…the current song is by Boz Skaggs. I wasn’t expecting to come home after work, so I don’t have much to eat for dinner, although I’ll at least have some avocado and chips, and a steamed zucchini with grated cheese. I hope you have a great Friday night whatever you are doing. There’s a part of me that would like to be in some Big City tonight, like San Francisco or New York, and go out dancing! It would be fun to have a cup of espresso, and hit the dance floor! I’ll be back first thing Saturday morning with the next weather updates. Aloha for now…Glenn.
p.s. Here’s a link to one of the advertisers on the left hand margin: Shot from above, an inspirational website devoted to making available incredible aerial photo’s from New Mexico, and some in Hawaii too.
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