Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs
Posted by GlennMay 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.
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.
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