May 22 – 23 2006

Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Monday:

Lihue, Kauai – 80F
Honolulu, Oahu – 82
Kaneohe, Oahu – 84
Kahului, Maui – 84
Hilo, Hawaii – 76
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 81

Temperatures early Tuesday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:

Kaneohe, Oahu – 74
Kahului airport – 64

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:

0.46 WAILUA, KAUAI
0.74 POAMOHO 2, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.45 HAIKU, MAUI
1.42 GLENWOOD, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a weak 1020 millibar high pressure system located to the north of the islands. This pressure configuration will keep light trade winds blowing Tuesday, then lighter from the SE 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

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Lighter winds on the way…


The long lasting trade wind weather regime is starting to go through some changes. The strong high pressure system, which was weighing-in at 1037 millibars Sunday, has dropped down to 1027 millibars Monday. This indicates that our local trade wind speeds will be on the decline now. The latest computer forecast models suggest that our recent gusty trade winds will continue taking a “nose dive” in strength through mid-week. As we get into the Thursday through Friday time frame, they may turn direction to the SE.

It will be very unusual for our local winds to be anything but trade winds this late in the spring season! Stranger things have happened of course, but this would not be a common occurrence. As the winds come down in strength, it will have several influences in our local weather. the bias for showers will remain fixed upon the windward coasts and slopes for the time being. However, as the winds get lighter Tuesday and Wednesday, we’ll see an increase in afternoon cloud buildups over and around the mountains.

As the trade wind producing high pressure system gets weaker, it will also be moving southward. Late season gales and troughs of low pressure will be dominating the middle latitudes to the north of the islands. This will help to weaken the high pressure system into an even weaker ridge of high pressure. During the second half of this week, the ridge will be pushed down right over the Aloha state. This will make our local winds not only have a SE orientation, but also get very light.

Light winds, coupled with the high heat of this late spring period, may cause some very warm and muggy weather to settle in over Hawaii. We may also see quite a bit of haze too, which may consist of at least some vog (volcanic haze) coming up over the state from the Big Island. It doesn’t look like this will lead to any excessive shower activity, although there may very well be some showers at times during these fairly rare weather circumstances. The words warm and muggy will definitely be the key words for a few days though, especially during the second half of this work week.

The computer forecast models go on to show the trade winds returning this coming weekend. This is good news, as the humid weather will be pushed out of our area by the returning trade breezes. These cooling and refreshing winds will feel very good when they fill back into our Hawaiian Island weather picture. The trade winds will usher in drier air, and bring back their moderating influence from the heat. If we can trust climatology, we would expect the trade winds to blow through the rest of the month into early June.

By the way, here’s the 2006 hurricane season outlook for the Central north Pacific: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu expects two to three tropical cyclones in the central Pacific basin in 2006, a slightly below average season. In a typical year, four to five tropical cyclones will form or cross into the area, according to National Weather Service hurricane experts, with two storms reaching hurricane intensity.

It’s early Monday evening here in Kula, Maui…just as the sun is setting behind a collection of cumulus clouds over the West Maui Mountains. It was a good day from a weather perspective, with lots of sunshine beaming down between the periodic cloudy periods. It was a bit challenging in terms of technology for this Maui Weatherman. My home computer, and the computer at the Maui Community College, the one I use to do my TV weather show…were both on the blink. It’s interesting to witness how things can just go haywire sometimes, and I would be the first to admit that I’m no computer genius. At any rate, just at the last minute, the staff at the college hooked up a different computer, and the show went on in time. As for my home computer, all I needed was some fresh batteries. So, the trouble has passed, at least this time around. I fly to Honolulu early Tuesday morning for a quick meeting at the National Weather Service office. I’ll take a flight back to Maui, and be back at the Pacific Disaster Center around 230pm…catch up on some work then. I hope you have a great Monday night! I’ll be here early Tuesday morning with the next weather narrative. Aloha for now…Glenn.