Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs
Posted by GlennMay 7 – 8 2006
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Sunday:
Lihue, Kauai – 80F
Honolulu, Oahu – 82
Kaneohe, Oahu – 80
Kahului, Maui – 81
Hilo, Hawaii – 73
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 83
Temperatures early Monday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Lihue, Kauai – 74
Hilo, Hawaii – 68
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals during the last 24 hours (as of Monday morning) on each of the major islands, including:
1.62 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
1.96 SOUTH FORK KAUKONAHUA, OAHU
0.08 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
1.51 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
3.95 GLENWOOD, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1033 millibar high pressure system far to the NE of the islands. The location and strength of this anticyclone will keep moderately strong trade winds alive through Tuesday…strong and gusty at times. 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.
Beautiful Plumeria flowers…have such a wonerful scent!
An upper air low pressure system remains active just to the south of the central Islands Sunday. This is helping to keep passing showers in the forecast, most of which will be concentrating their efforts along the windward coasts and slopes on Maui and the Big Island. The trade winds will be blowing at light to moderately strong levels, which will help to carry showery clouds in our direction from the east. At the higher altitudes of the atmosphere, cold air will enhance those showers, with some becoming locally heavy in places. The trough’s presence may be enough to trigger a few thunderstorm cells over the Aloha state today as well. A flash flood watch is in effect for the islands of Maui, Kahoolawe and the Big Island.
Looking at the latest weather map, we find a moderately strong high pressure system situated to the NE of the state. This trade wind generating high pressure cell will keep the islands in a breezy condition through Monday…actually through the next week at least. This is normal during the month of May, when the trade winds usually are in force most of the time. The nights and early mornings often show the softest breezes, which pick up during the late morning through the late afternoons. These winds aren’t currently strong enough to prompt any warnings or advisories in the coastal marine environment.
As for those incoming showers, there will likely be quite a few of them Sunday from Maui down to the Big Island…tapering off some on Monday. They commonly stick pretty close to the slopes along the north and east facing windward sections. The leeward sides in contrast, often are too far away from these incoming moisture pockets, remaining quite dry. However, as there is cold air aloft, which will help to eliminate any trade wind inversion…we will see towering cloud developments in places, which could drop showers just about anywhere. The forecast calls for less of a threat of heavy showers by Monday, with conditions returning to normal for this time of year Tuesday into the new week ahead.
It’s early Sunday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I start today’s sunset commentary. It was another off and on cloudy day, with the on part most prevalent along the windward sides, and around the mountains. The leeward sides saw more sunshine, with just some occasional cloudy periods. I’m listening to Hawaiian music online, this time KPOA, 93.5FM, which is here on Maui. The late day sunshine is streaming into my weather tower, with an air temperature a warm 67F degrees outside, and 71F inside at the moment…630pm. It’s been varying between partly and mostly cloudy here in Kula, with alternating light showers and bursts of nice sunshine. You know, even when it’s showery, as it’s been over on the windward sides lately, it’s still so mellow and enjoyable here in the islands! Looking out the window, most of the lovely Jacaranda flowers are gone now, which were stripped off by the recent heavy showers several days ago. As I was driving home from work that evening, the road was full of the dropped flowers…which almost looked like snow had fallen! I’ll be back early Monday morning with the next updated weather narrative, I hope to meet you here then. Aloha for now…Glenn.
Email Glenn James: 
