May 2006
Monthly Archive
Posted by Glenn
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May 20 – 21 2006
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Saturday:
Lihue, Kauai – 80F
Honolulu, Oahu – 82
Kaneohe, Oahu – 80
Kahului, Maui – 82
Hilo, Hawaii – 76
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 85
Temperatures early Sunday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Kailua-kona – 74
Hilo airport – 66
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours (as of Sunday morning) on each of the major islands, including:
0.46 WAINIHA, KAUAI
0.69 SOUTH FORK KAUKONAHUA, OAHU
0.01 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.61 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
1.33 GLENWOOD, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a strong 1037 millibar high pressure system located to the north of the islands. This pressure configuration will keep moderate to fresh and gusty trade winds blowing Sunday, then lighter 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 available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two! Plus, during the nights and early mornings you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise too…depending upon cloud conditions.
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
Peace
The trade winds will remain the dominate weather feature here in the islands Saturday and Sunday. A high pressure system is now well established to the north of Hawaii, which will be the source of these breezy conditions. Wind speeds will be moderately strong to fresh and gusty this weekend. We have small craft wind advisories now having been issued by the NWS forecast office in Honolulu…covering those windiest parts of the marine environment from Molokai to Maui and the Big Island.
The windward sides will continue to see showers riding in on the brisk winds. We may see a gradual decrease in those passing showers, although there will still some around both weekend days. I don’t see any organized rainmakers on the weather horizon, other than those occasional bands of clouds arriving along the north and east facing slopes and shores. The leeward sides will remain quite sunny, with dry conditions continuing through the weekend.
The forecast calls for these fresh trade winds to slack-off after the weekend. Thinking in terms of climatology, we would expect that the trade winds would continue at moderately strong levels through the rest of the month. However, the computer models are wanting to turn our winds SE, becoming lighter after the weekend. It certainly seems late in the season to have SE winds blowing, although this year is not what I would consider a normal year weatherwise! So we likely will see the winds tapering off, which would put us into a convective weather pattern, with afternoon clouds and showers over and around the moutains…with showers arriving from other various sources as well. The trade winds are expected to resume after mid-week.
It’s early Saturday evening here in Kula, Maui. The sun is just going behind some puffy clouds over the West Maui Mountains. Outside it’s 64.4F, and inside my weather tower it’s 76F degrees…with all windows open. The wind chimes are singing sweetly, accompanying the smooth piano music that I have playing on my laptop computer, coming from the windward side of Oahu. I’m sipping on a nice glass of Merlot red wine, which is rich and tasty…adding to the pleasure of the sunset. I have a friend coming over for dinner, I think she is bringing take-out Vietnamese food from Wailuku. Everyday is a good day, perhaps some people would see especially here in Hawaii. I hope you have a great Saturday night! Over and out…Aloha, Glenn.
Posted by Glenn
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May 19 – 20 2006
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Friday:
Lihue, Kauai – 79F
Honolulu, Oahu – 82
Kaneohe, Oahu – 79
Kahului, Maui – 83
Hilo, Hawaii – 76
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 84
Temperatures early Saturday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 5 a.m. hour:
Lihue, Kauai – 73
Hilo airport – 68
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours (as of Saturday morning) on each of the major islands, including:
0.45 HANALEI RIVER, KAUAI
0.56 POAMOHO 2, OAHU
0.02 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
1.07 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.97 MOUNTAIN VIEW, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a strong 1037 millibar high pressure system located far to the north of the islands…extending northward all the way into the Gulf of Alaska. This pressure configuration will cause moderate to fresh and gusty trade wind speeds Saturday and Sunday. 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 available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two! Plus, during the nights and early mornings you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise too…depending upon cloud conditions.
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
Poipu Beach on Kauai
The trade winds will be taking over now as the primary mover and shaker here in the islands. A high pressure system is becoming well established to the north of Hawaii, which will be the source of these breezy conditions. Wind speeds will be moderately strong, then increase to the moderate to fresh category this weekend. We have no active marine advisories at the moment, however as the winds pick up some, we will likely see small craft wind advisories being issued by the NWS forecast office in Honolulu over the next couple of days.
The latest forecasts call for those fresh trade winds to slack-off after the weekend. Referring to climatology, we would think that the trade winds would continue at moderately strong levels. The computer models are trying to turn our winds east or even SE, becoming lighter early in the new week ahead. In this case, it seems a little late in the season to have SE winds blowing, although this year is not what I would consider a normal year weatherwise. So we may see the winds tapering off, which could put us into a convective weather pattern…with afternoon clouds and showers over and around the moutains.
The windward sides will still a few a few showers riding in on the brisk winds. There may continue to be quite a few of them now through Friday night. As we move into the weekend time frame, we may see a gradual decrease in those passing showers, although there will still some around. I don’t see any organized rainmakers on the weather horizon, other than those occasional bands of clouds arriving along the north and east facing slopes and shores. The leeward sides will remain quite sunny, with dry conditions continuing through the weekend.
It’s early Friday evening here in Kihei, Maui. I just finished work for the week, and am about to head over to Kahului. I’ll start off by visiting Borders Books, where I like to hang out looking around before seeing films on some Friday’s. I’m planning on seeing the new Tom Cruise flick called Mission: Impossible III. Yahoo’s movie review gave it a B from both critics and users. I still haven’t had the time to buy protective equipment for my skateboarding adventures, which means I’ve been pushing my luck…so I’d better skip that adventure for the time being. The weather was fabulous here on Maui today, that is if you didn’t mind a bit of gusty trade winds while visiting our local beahes this afternoon. We should see more gusty trade wind activity this weekend, although there will be lots of sunshine beaming down along the leeward beaches. The windward sides are liable to have the usual passing showers. I’ll catch up with you early Saturday morning, with more weather updates, and to let you know what I thought of Tom’s new film. I hope you have a great Friday night! Aloha for now…Glenn.
Posted by Glenn
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May 18 – 19 2006
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Thursday:
Lihue, Kauai – 79F
Honolulu, Oahu – 81
Kaneohe, Oahu – 78
Kahului, Maui – 80
Hilo, Hawaii – 74
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 84
Temperatures early Friday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Kailua-kona – 73
Hilo airport – 67
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours (as of Friday morning) on each of the major islands, including:
0.08 WAILUA, KAUAI
0.88 MAUNAWILI, OAHU
0.89 MOLOKAI
0.08 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
3.74 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
1.19 LAUPAHOEHOE, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1030 millibar high pressure system located far to the north of the islands…extending northward all the way to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. This pressure configuration will cause moderate trade wind speeds today, becoming even a little stronger on Saturday. 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 available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two! Plus, during the nights and early mornings you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise too…depending upon cloud conditions.
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
Snails on a branch, near the beach…here in the islands
The tail end of a cold front, called a shearline, which arrived in the state yesterday, is still around Thursday. It’s draped across the central islands, paralleling the windward sides for the most part from Oahu to Maui. Satellite imagery and radar pictures show that there are still some showers falling from this dissipating weather feature. During the last 24 hours or so, the windward sides saw some decent showers, with even some leeward sections getting into the action as well. The largest precipitation totals included: 2.48†on Molokai, and 5.48†out along the Hana coast of east Maui. As I’ve been mentioning lately, this cloud band was very unusual for this time of year, and will likely be the last significant rainfall event of this spring season.
This old front will take the better part of the day to finally fall apart completely. This will keep some form of cloudiness certainly over the windward coasts and slopes, with some leftover showers falling too. The leeward coasts will see some residual clouds as well, although I doubt very much whether they will be dropping any moisture. This will be the transition day back towards more a more normal trade wind weather pattern. The trade winds will have filled in by Friday, with nice weather expected then into the weekend and beyond. These trade winds will prevail through the next week at least, getting a little softer by next Wednesday. Rest assured that favorable weather will dominate, with just those few windward showers falling at times.
It’s early Thursday evening here in Kula, Maui. Today was a big improvement over Wednesday, that is if you prefer dry weather over wet weather. Not that the showers were completely gone, as there were still some light drizzles tracking along over the windward coasts and slopes. The leeward side, on the other hand, were notably drier, with few if any showers occurring there. Temperatures started to warm up nicely as well, edging back up towards the 80F degree mark, with Kona once again the hot spot across the Aloha state…at 83F. It’s warm and cozy in my weather tower, as it’s still about half an hour before sunset. The outside temperature is cooler as usual, reading 66F degrees. I’m listening to an internet radio station playing smooth piano and keyboard. This particular station is broadcasting from the windward side of Oahu, there in Kailua town. I talk to my parents just about everyday, and wanted to let you know that my Dad is holding his own, which is such a relief. I love being able to call home, and have either my Mom or Dad answer the telephone…it’s been like clockwork in that way, all my life. I find that when my family is doing well, I am able to relax all that more deeply. I’m very thankful for this opportunity to experience life in this rather deep way now. I know that life changes, it always does, and yet in the moment, I feel peaceful and content in my routine. I hope you all have a great Thursday night! My alarm clock will wake me at 4am Friday morning, when I’ll climb out from under that warm down comforter, pour a large glass of water over a packet of Emer’gen-C, apply some Dr. Bronners peppermint lip balm, and dig into the latest reality of weather here in the islands, sharing that with you as usual…which is my spiritual practice. Aloha for now…Glenn.
Posted by Glenn
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May 17 – 18 2006
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Wednesday:
Lihue, Kauai – 78F
Honolulu, Oahu – 77
Kaneohe, Oahu – 75
Kahului, Maui – 79
Hilo, Hawaii – 79
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 – 72
Molokai airport – 66
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours (as of Thursday morning) on each of the major islands, including:
0.30 KAPAHI, KAUAI
0.85 WAIHEE PUMP, OAHU
1.60 MOLOKAI
0.09 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
2.70 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.22 HAKALAU, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a high pressure system located far to the north of the islands. At the same time we still have a low pressure system to the NE of Hawaii. The interaction of these two pressure systems will keep NE breezes blowing…gradually becoming trade winds later Thursday into 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 available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two! Plus, during the nights and early mornings you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise too…depending upon cloud conditions.
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
Blow hole here in Hawaii
An unusual gale low pressure system, located to our NE, has a cold front moving through the islands Wednesday. This frontal cloud band dropped down to Kauai and Oahu during the night, and has brought a few showers, although nothing too impressive as of this writing. During the day Wednesday it will slowly progress down to Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and perhaps even the Big Island. The meteorological dynamics aren’t such that we expect any heavy rainfall from it however. It will bring the most generous showers to the windward coasts and slopes, with perhaps a few showers falling elsewhere too.
This low pressure system, along with its associated north through NE winds, has kept our islands unusually chilly lately. There has even been some record breaking temperatures involved in this tropical “cool snap.†These cool breezes will be going away soon however, as a new trade wind producing high pressure system moves into position NW of the Hawaiian Islands soon. This high pressure cell will swing our winds around to the trade wind direction by Thursday. This in turn will help to warm us back up into normal temperature realms, and provide fine late spring weather conditions, very likely through the rest of this week…and quite possibly through much of the rest of the month.
Climatology would suggest that the trade winds would be blowing steadily through the remainder of May. Typically, the leeward sides would find lots of warm sunshine, with daytime temperatures rising well into the 80F’s…with those warmest beach areas climbing to near 90F. The cooler windward sides will find air temperatures rising into the lower 80F’s generally. The nights at sea level, on both the windward and leeward sides, would be expected to dip down to near 70F, give or a take a few degrees. As for showers, we would commonly see a few passing showers along the windward coasts and slopes, with generally dry conditions prevailing on the leeward coasts. The one exception can be those few afternoon showers that can fall along the Kona slopes of the Big Island.
It’s early Wednesday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I begin this sunset commentary. I’m thinking back to Wednesday morning’s TV weather show, when I can oh so clearly remember saying: “the cold front’s showers won’t make it over to the leeward sides in Kihei and Lahaina.” Right Glenn! That certainly didn’t turn out to be an accurate statement. As it actually showered most of the day, and especially on the leeward sides. The cold front, despite the lateness of the season, was able to deposit some decent showers across the state of Hawaii today. It showered from the moment I left work in Kihei, all the home here in Kula. However, now as the day winds down, I can see that skies are clearing, and that the showers have stopped down in Kihei and Wailea. It still looks a little misty over towards Pukalani and Makawao, and probably Haiku too. Wow, what an usual day, to have such a cold front, bringing showers after the middle of May…or for that matter, just about anytime during the month of May! It was a cool day too, with most sea level locations being restricted to the 70F’s. Here in Kula, at my house, the high temperature was only 65.5F degrees! I must say that I love these rare days during the late spring, when it actually feels more like winter. It will be, and trust me on this one, more like summer than spring soon enough! I hope you have a great Wednesday night. I’ll be back here very early Thursday morning, typing away on this keyboard again then, producing the next weather narrative from paradise for you. Aloha for now…Glenn.
P.S. Here’s a link to one of the advertisers on the left hand margin: Hana Botanicals… Candles, bath, body products, finest ingredients…created on Maui.
Posted by Glenn
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May 16 – 17 2006
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Tuesday:
Lihue, Kauai – 80F
Honolulu, Oahu – 78
Kaneohe, Oahu – 78
Kahului, Maui – 80
Hilo, Hawaii – 78
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 81
Temperatures early Wednesday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Kailua-kona – 70
Kahului, Maui – 60
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours (as of Wednesday morning) on each of the major islands, including:
0.20 MOLOAA DAIRY, KAUAI
0.06 DILLINGHAM, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.01 KAUPO GAP, MAUI
0.33 KAPAPALA RANCH, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a high pressure system located far to the NW of the islands. At the same time we have a low pressure system to the NE of Hawaii. The interaction of these two pressure systems will keep north to NE breezes blowing most of Wednesday, then trade winds filling in late in the day through Thursday. 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 available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two! Plus, during the nights and early mornings you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise too…depending upon cloud conditions.
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
Quite a windy wave…
The Hawaiian Islands are experiencing unusual weather conditions for the spring month of May. Looking back a short distance, we saw the passage of a shearline cloud band through the state Sunday evening. We now have the placement of a gale low pressure system spinning in a counterclockwise fashion far to our NE…between our islands and the west coast. This low, along with a high pressure system far to our NW, near the International Dateline, are dictating our weather conditions now. The interaction of these two weather features is sending us relatively cool (in a tropical sense) north to NE breezes. This air flow is quite dry, and other than a few windward biased showers, is keeping nice weather conditions in place for the moment.
Another unusual aspect to this situation will be the arrival of a cold front this evening into Wednesday. Having a cold front this time of year isn’t what I would call rare, but certainly qualifies as very unusual! As the low pressure system mentioned above, moves eastward towards northern California and Oregon, it will have its frontal cloud band sagging southward towards Hawaii. The approach of the high pressure system to our NW, will help to push it down through the state. We will see some increase in clouds and showers Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. These very late season frontal showers will wet the windward sides primarily, with a few stray showers falling elsewhere.
As we move into Thursday, the high pressure system will be located to the north of the Aloha state. This in turn will swing our current north through NE winds around to the classic ENE and easterly trade wind direction. This will put us squarely into a pleasant late spring trade wind weather pattern. These trade winds, which are very common for this time of year, will prevail through much of the rest of this month. This strongly suggests that the leeward sides will see tons of warm Hawaiian sunshine beaming down, while the windward sides will find just the usual passing showers for the most part. All things considered, and leaning on climatology quite heavily, I’d say we can look for nice weather circumstances coming up through the rest of the month of May.
It’s early Tuesday evening here in Kula, Maui. The same slightly cool north breezes continued blowing across the Hawaiian Islands Tuesday. As a matter of fact, my wind chimes are sounding off nicely, under their influence at the moment. My thermometer is letting me know that they are still around too, as the outside temperature in the shade downstairs is reading a relatively chilly 59F degrees just before sunset. Inside my weather tower here, it’s a warmer 74F degrees in the last warm rays of this fading day. The atmosphere is very dry and stable, so it’s a little difficult visualizing a very late season cold front, which is forecast to come barreling through the state tonight into Wednesday. I’m just kidding, not about the approach of the frontal cloud band, but about barreling through the Aloha state. In fact, it’s a rather weak cold front, which will likely have little influence on our local weather…although it does look like showers will arrive with its passing. Just for the fun of it, here’s a satellite image of this unusual, late season cold front, which will allow you watch its progress through the state overnight into Wednesday. You will be able to see (on that satellite picture) the parent gale low that it issues from to our NE. Weather is so great, I totally love the changes that take place everyday, even the most subtle ones! I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday night, and that you will feel moved to join me again already early Wednesday morning for the next fresh edition of this narrative. Aloha for now…Glenn,
P.S. Here’s a link to one of the advertisers on the left hand margin: My Maui Condos…Private Homes, Condos in Kihei and Lahaina for Rent Daily, Weekly, and Monthly.
Posted by Glenn
1 Comment
May 15 – 16 2006
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Monday:
Lihue, Kauai – 77F
Honolulu, Oahu – 80
Kaneohe, Oahu – 77
Kahului, Maui – 78
Hilo, Hawaii – 72
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 – 72
Kahului, Maui – 60
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours (as of Tuesday morning) on each of the major islands, including:
0.27 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.37 POAMOHO 2, OAHU
0.15 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
1.14 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
1.81 LAUPAHOEHOE, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a high pressure system located far to the NW of the islands. At the same time we have a low pressure system to the NE of Hawaii. The interaction of these two pressure systems will keep north to NE breezes blowing through 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 available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two! Plus, during the nights and early mornings you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise too…depending upon cloud conditions.
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
Tropical Hibiscus…
The interaction between a low pressure system to our NE, and a high pressure cell to our NW, is providing slightly cool north through NE breezes now. This is rather unusual for the middle of May. Meanwhile, if that wasn’t enough, we had what’s called a shearline cloud band pushed down through the state late Sunday as well. It kept the windward coasts and slopes mostly wet this past weekend, but is now located to the south of the state. There’s still quite a bit of low cloudiness banked up against the windward sides Monday, while the leeward coasts are mostly clear in contrast. A swath of high cirrus clouds are moving over the state from the south, which will filter our sunshine at times.
The latest computer forecast models show the low pressure system, described in the last paragraph, spinning in place through most of this week. Typically, weather features such as this low move along steadily in the middle latitudes, generally from west towards the east. However, in this case, we have what we call a blocking pattern over the north Pacific, which will keep that low parked to our NE through the week. This in turn will keep our winds coming in from the north through NE for the time being, which brings in air from more northerly latitudes than usual…giving a slightly cool aspect to our weather.
Those models go on to show another unusual weather event, in the form of a cold front arriving around mid-week. As the blocking pattern breaks down, the low and high pressure systems will shift east. This will allow the high pressure system to push a cold frontal cloud band through the state around Wednesday. This is very late in the year for such an occurrence, and may bring in another round of windward showers then. As we move into Thursday, we’ll see the trade winds returning, with generally favorable weather conditions sticking around through the rest of the week. Climatology would suggest that we’d move into a prolonged trade wind weather pattern through the rest of the month.
It’s early Monday evening here in Kula, Maui. The light to moderate northerly to NE breezes today, kept daytime temperatures cooler than normal for this time of year. Case in point: Hilo, which sits close to sea level, registered a high temperature of only 72F degrees, while the Kahului airport, also very near the waters edge, topped out at a relatively cool 78F. The 83F degrees at Kona, shielded from the cool northerly breezes by the tall mountains of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, rose to 83F, which was the hot spot across the island chain on Monday. Sitting here in my weather tower, just before sunset, the air temperature right outside is a cool 59F degrees, while at the same time, the Kahului airport was reporting 72F degrees. Hilo was reporting a chilly 68F degrees with light rain falling near sunset. This little tropical “cool snap” won’t last long however, although until the winds finally turn back to the classic easterly trade wind directionon Thursday, it will still be somewhat cooler than what climatology would call normal. My Mom called me today, and said she really enjoyed the pictures of chocolate and the pretty flowers, that I dedicated to her for Mothers Day. It’s somehow so easy to get in touch with love for Mom…I think we can all agree on that fact! The sun is just now sinking down towards its setting moment this evening, with a slight orange glow as the thin cirrus clouds light up in response. I hope you have a great Monday night! I’ll be back early Tuesday morning with the next new narrative from paradise. Aloha for now…Glenn.
P.S. Here’s a link to one of the advertisers on the left hand margin: Activities on Maui
Let them Help You Plan the Details of Your Hawaiian Adventure here on Maui!
Posted by Glenn
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May 14 – 15 2006
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Sunday:
Lihue, Kauai – 81F
Honolulu, Oahu – 81
Kaneohe, Oahu – 79
Kahului, Maui – 80
Hilo, Hawaii – 77
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 85
Temperatures early Monday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Kaneohe, Oahu – 72
Kahului, Maui – 66
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours (as of Monday morning) on each of the major islands, including:
2.30 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
1.13 POAMOHO 2, OAHU
0.37 MOLOKAI
0.01 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
2.25 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
1.91 LAUPAHOEHOE, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a high pressure system located far to the NNW of the islands. At the same time we have a low pressure system to the NE of Hawaii. The interaction of these two pressure systems will keep north through NE breezes blowing through Tuesday. 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 available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two! Plus, during the nights and early mornings you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise too…depending upon cloud conditions.
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
Happy Mothers Day!
The latest weather map shows a high pressure system far to the NNW of the Hawaiian Islands. The strength and placement of this high pressure cell will keep light to moderate trade winds blowing Sunday…although locally quite windy in some upcountry areas. A developing low pressure system to the NE will diminish the trade breezes to some extent after the weekend. The latest computer forecast model output suggests that the trade winds will gradually turn more northerly, blowing in the light to moderately strong category through mid-week…cool breezes for this time of year!
The low pressure system to our NE will develop NE of the state of Hawaii over the next several days. Satellite images show a very unusual cold front approaching the state from the north, which would keep the already rather wet windward sides, damp into Monday. The models then go on to show another very late season cold front being pushed down into the state later Tuesday into Wednesday, bringing some additional showers into the state, probably most notably along the windward sides.
As we move past the middle of next week, we’ll find a new high pressure system, the one that helps to push the second cold front down into the state, moving into place NW of the islands. It wouldn’t be too surprising to see the models back down on the arrival of this unseasonably late frontal passage at mid-week. At any rate, as this new high pressure swings into position, we’ll see the return of the trade winds by Thursday, with likely favorably inclined weather conditions sticking around through the remainder of next week.
It’s early Sunday evening here in Kula, Maui. It was a good day (despite the windward biased showers), made even better by the sweet thoughts of Love for our Mothers on this special day. My Mother, Dorothy Rae James, who lives in Long Beach, California…loves her chocolate, thus the picture above dedicated to her! I love you Mom, and while we’re at it, love to all you Moms out there celebrating your special day too. Aloha for now…Glenn.
Posted by Glenn
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May 13 – 14 2006
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Saturday:
Lihue, Kauai – 80F
Honolulu, Oahu – 82
Kaneohe, Oahu – 80
Kahului, Maui – 82
Hilo, Hawaii – 80
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 83
Temperatures early Sunday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Honolulu, Oahu – 72
Hilo, Hawaii – 67
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours (as of Sunday morning) on each of the major islands, including:
1.12 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.35 PUNALUU PUMP, OAHU
0.04 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.95 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.33 LAUPAHOEHOE, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a strong 1038 millibar high pressure system located far to the NNW of the islands. The location and strength of this high pressure cells will keep light to moderately strong trade winds blowing Sunday….gradually turning north as a low pressure system develops to our NE on 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 available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two! Plus, during the nights and early mornings you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise too…depending upon cloud conditions.
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
Natural artwork on Molokai
The latest weather map shows a high pressure system far to the NNW of the Hawaiian Islands. The strength and placement of this high pressure cell will keep light to moderate trade winds blowing Sunday. A developing low pressure system to the NE will diminish the trade breezes to some extent after the weekend. The latest computer forecast model output suggests that the trade winds will gradually turn more northerly, blowing in the light to moderately strong category through mid-week coming up.
The low pressure system to our NE will develop NE of the state of Hawaii over the next several days. As the low becomes better established, the winds will be light from the north by Monday. These light north winds will keep our weather conditions quite nice, although here may be a few showers falling locally. The models then go on to show a very late season cold front being pushed down into the state later Tuesday into Wednesday, bringing some additional showers into the state, probably most notably along the windward sides.
As we move past the middle of next week, we’ll find a new high pressure system, the one that helps to push the cold front down into the state, moving into place NW of the islands. By the way, the arrival of next week’s cold front goes against the grain of the climatological norm. It wouldn’t be too surprising to see the models back down on the arrival of this unseasonably late frontal passage. At any rate, as this new high pressure swings into position, we’ll see the return of the trade winds by Thursday, with likely favorably inclined weather conditions sticking around through the remainder of next week.
It’s early Sunday morning here in Kula, Maui. The sun has already come up over on the east side, although hadn’t quite reached us here in Kula. It looks like another nice day, although there’s more clouds around today than there was on Saturdayin some places. It’s Mother’s Day, and I’m very happy that I had the presence of mind, to send off a package of Big Island cookies and candys to Dorothy Rae James…my loving Mom in Long Beach, California. Here’s sending the best wishes to all you Moms out there! I’ll be back later in the day with more weather updates, and a sunset commentary then too. Aloha for now…Glenn.
Posted by Glenn
1 Comment
May 12 – 13 2006
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Friday:
Lihue, Kauai – 81F
Honolulu, Oahu – 83
Kaneohe, Oahu – 79
Kahului, Maui – 82
Hilo, Hawaii – 74
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 83
Temperatures early Saturday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Honolulu, Oahu – 73
Hilo, Hawaii – 64
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours (as of Saturday morning) on each of the major islands, including:
1.02 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.53 WAIHEE PUMP, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.13 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
1.19 HILO AIRPORT, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure systems located far to north and NE of the islands. The location and strength of these high pressure cells will keep light to moderately strong trade winds blowing Saturday and Sunday. 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 available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two! Plus, during the nights and early mornings you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise too…depending upon cloud conditions.
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
Full moon Friday night
The latest weather map shows high pressure systems far to the NNW and NE of the Hawaiian Islands. The strength and placement of these high pressure cells will keep the trade winds blowing today into the weekend. A developing low pressure system to the north may diminish the trade breezes to some extent this weekend, although the latest computer forecast model output now suggests that the trade winds will hang in there, blowing in the moderately strong category. They go on to show that the trade winds will now wait until Tuesday to weaken over our area.
Meanwhile, a low pressure system will develop to the north and NE of the state of Hawaii over the next several days. As the low becomes most deep, and closest to our area, is when the winds will be lightest early next week. These light wind conditions will cause afternoon cloud buildups over the interior sections, with showers falling locally. The models then go on to show a very late season cold front being pushed down into the state on Wednesday, bringing some additional showers into the state, probably most notably along the windward sides.
As we move into the middle of next week, we’ll find a new high pressure system, the one that helps to push the cold front down into the state, moving into place NW of the islands. By the way, the arrival of next week’s cold front goes against the grain of the climatological norm. It wouldn’t be too surprising to see the models back down on the arrival of this unseasonably late frontal passage. At any rate, as this new high pressure swings into position, we’ll see the return of the trade winds by Thursday, with likely favorably inclined weather conditions sticking around through the remainder of next week.
It’s early Friday evening here in Kihei, Maui. I just finished another week of work, and must admit am relieved to have a couple of days of free time staring me in the face! The May full moon will be staring down on us tonight, and through the weekend as well. The trade winds are still the primary weather feature here in the islands, which continues to bring us lots of mostly sunny weather during the days. I’m torn between heading up the mountain to my favorite skateboarding road, and going to Borders Books, and then to a film after that. I may have to flip a coin to help me decide, which I do every once in a while. I could use the exercise, so I may be leaning in that direction at the moment, and then again, I’m a little lazy by the same token! I’ll decide soon, but before I do that, I’ll wish you a very pleasant Friday night. I’ll be back here early Saturday with the next narrative updates. Aloha for now…Glenn.
P.S. Here’s a link to one of the advertisers on the left hand margin: Dozzizart – Maui Artist, Michael Nardozzi. Very interesting ocean related art pieces!
Posted by Glenn
[6] Comments
May 11 – 12 2006
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Thursday:
Lihue, Kauai – 79F
Honolulu, Oahu – 81
Kaneohe, Oahu – 79
Kahului, Maui – 82
Hilo, Hawaii – 76
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 84
Temperatures early Friday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Kailua-kona- 74
Hilo, Hawaii – 63
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours (as of Friday morning) on each of the major islands, including:
1.01 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.88 MANOA LYON ARBORETUM, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.42 OHEO GULCH, MAUI
0.58 MOUNTAIN VIEW, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a high pressure system located far to NNE of the islands. The location and strength of this high pressure cell will keep moderately strong trade winds blowing Friday…gradually getting lighter into Saturday. 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 available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two! Plus, during the nights and early mornings you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise too…depending upon cloud conditions.
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
Your sunset seat awaits you here in the islands
High pressure systems to the north and NE will keep the moderately strong trade winds blowing through Friday. These locally brisk trade winds will bring their cooling and refreshing relief from the warm to very warm afternoons along the leeward sides of the islands. Those more wind protected areas will find air temperatures ranging between the lower to upper 80F’s, which is starting to feel quite a bit like summer already. The wind exposed north and east facing shores will have cooler temperatures in general, but still adequately warm for comfort.
All of this trade wind activity will continue to carry a few showery clouds towards the windward coasts and slopes. The atmospheric dynamics aren’t such that we expect any flooding rainfall however, with just the usual passing showers, falling most generously during the night and early morning hours. The leeward sides will find no such showers, or at least just a few stray showers around the edges…remaining dry for the most part. The Kona slopes on the Big Island always has the chance for a few afternoon showers.
All of the above is fairly typical for this part of the month of May. We can look for favorably inclined weather conditions through Friday. As we move into the weekend time frame, the computer forecast models start showing an unseasonably deep low pressure system, which starts out to our north, and then slides over to our NE. The models go on to show an unusual frontal cloud band sinking southward from this low pressure system, which may get close to the Hawaiian Islands. This front is expected to wash out though, without bringing us any rainfall.
This low to the NE remains in place into the first half of next week. This isn’t anything to worry about though, as we will be on the dry side of its air circulation. We may see some slightly cool north or NW breezes wrapping into our area, although the islands will remain dry, and actually quite nice indeed through Wednesday. The models go on to show the return of the trade winds during the second half of the week, with just a normal late spring trade wind weather pattern prevailing…providing great weather for all outdoor activities through the rest of the week.
It’s early Thursday evening here in Kula, Maui. It’s a little bit more cloudy today than yesterday, although nothing seriously wrong with Thursday, at all! The clouds are a little more congregated along the windward sides today, with a nice little rainbow showing as I cruised up the Haleakala Highway past Pukalani. I could see some, what looked like, small drop showers falling towards Makawao town and Haiku. Today is the day, 25 years ago, that Bob Marley died of cancer. I was fortunate to see him play live at an outdoor arena in Honolulu way back in the late 1970’s. He was such da man, who inspired almost everyone who ever heard, or felt his Raggae music. National Public Radio did a special on him as I was driving home, and reminded me how much I still care for his soulful music. It’s strange how so many great young muscians have died too soon! I dedicate this commentary to Bob Marley, to the man, and his inspired music. There’s too many clouds around this evening to see the near full moon rising, although I’m sure it’s looking big and bright as it rises up in the eastern horizon. The offical full moon time, here in Hawaii is just before 9pm Friday evening. Spinning around in my chair, looking out towards the west, there’s an orange glow in the sky, with all of Kihei and Lahaina almost totally clear at near 7pm. I hope you have a great Thursday night! I’ll be back at the keyboard, to tap out your early Friday morning weather narrative from paradise…no doubt. Aloha for now…Glenn.
P.S. Here’s a link to one of the advertisers on the left hand margin: Maui Snorkel Tours Shoreline EcoVentures with Suzzy Robinson. Don’t just wonder what it is…Be informed and get involved! Snorkel the reefs of Maui in a safe, fun and unforgettable EcoVenture.
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