Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs

We’ll see little change in the current light wind weather conditions that prevail here in Hawaii now. All the meteorological dynamics are still in place, keeping the islands in what we call a convective weather pattern. There’s the same nearby high pressure ridge, which has pushed the trade winds to the south of the Aloha state now. This leaves us with near calm winds at night, and light onshore sea breezes during the days. This continues to provide excellent weather for all our local beaches. The general wind flow across our latitudes is from the SE, at least over the oceans offshore from the islands.

Convective weather patterns are somewhat unusual this time of year. Typically during the second half of May, we would be seeing rock steady trade winds blowing. At any rate, days through Friday will start off clear in most areas. The rising sun, which happens to be directly over Hawaii at noon these days (called Lahaina noon), will heat the islands. This will set in motion rising air currents, which will carry moisture aloft. This water vapor will condense into afternoon cumulus clouds, forming most generously around the mountains. We may see a few showers, but nothing heavy is indicated.

As the sun goes down at the end of the day, temperatures will cool, and the clouds will collapse again. Nights will be slightly cooler than normal for this time of year, with lots of stars twinkling above. Friday will find essentially the same pattern, with little change from the above described conditions. Storminess in the middle latitudes, which has pushed our high pressure so close now, will be dissipating. This in turn will allow the ridge to migrate northward, bringing the trade winds back over the islands this weekend. This will signal a trade wind pattern, with its nice weather…lasting into next week.

One of the gale low pressure systems, which suppressed our high pressure ridge southward, has also generated some ocean swell. We will see a modest rise along our north and east facing beaches today into Friday. Another gale is generating a NW swell, which will bump up the surf along our north and west facing shores this weekend. Meanwhile, a storm near New Zealand about a week ago, has generated a south swell, which will arrive along our south and west facing leeward beaches Friday into the weekend. None of these will be dangerously large, and will provide fun breaking waves!

It’s early Thursday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I start today’s sunset commentary. Actually it’s a bit earlier this evening than usual, as I will be meeting a friend for dinner at the Kula Lodge in a little while. He’s a meteorology professor from the University of Hawaii, who was over today for meetings in Kihei. Speaking of Kihei, I made it to the beach today at lunch, and found the most lusciously warm conditions! There was practically no wind blowing, and the sun was almost directly overhead at noon, which is called “Lahaina Noon” here in the isalnds. The ocean was warm as toast, and felt so refreshing, after a brisk walk from one end of the sandy beach to the other. It’s really starting to feel very much like summer, despite the calender indicating it’s still spring. My friend lives with his wife and two children over on Oahu, near sea level. He won’t be used to the cool temperatures here in the uplands of Maui. He’s crashing on the couch tonight, and so I’ll have to bring out several of my extra blankets, so he won’t “freeze to death.” I’d better climb down out of my weather tower now, so I can get to the Lodge on time. The Kula Lodge usually has a nice fire going in the fireplace during the winter months, but it’s too warm for that now. I hope you have a great Thursday night! I’ll be back dark and early Friday morning with your next weather narrative. Aloha for now…Glenn.