May 31 – June 1 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 82F
Honolulu, Oahu – 85
Kaneohe, Oahu – 81
Kahului, Maui – 86
Hilo, Hawaii – 83
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 85

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

Lihue, Kauai – 75
Kalaeloa, Oahu – 69

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:

0.00 KAUAI
0.03 DILLINGHAM, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.02 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.24 KEALAKEKUA, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a weak 1020 millibar high pressure system located just to the NE of the islands, with a second 1022 millibar high pressure cell located far to the ENE of the islands. These highs, now positioned much further south than usual for this time of year, will keep light to locally moderate trade winds blowing today 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.

Tropical Cyclone Activity – The eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15 through November 30…while the central Pacific runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map can be found by clicking here. For the central Pacific, the latest information can be found by clicking here.

Aloha Paragraphs


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Island Hula Girl…

The trade winds will get a bit lighter now through Friday across the Hawaiian Islands. They won’t stop altogether, but will soften for a few days. This suggests that our local air mass will begin to feel a little more warm and muggy during the days, especially down along the coasts. A high pressure ridge, which is often further north this time of year, is being suppressed southward by low pressure systems now evident in the mid-latitudes of the central north Pacific. This will be a temporary situation however, as by the weekend the ridge will bounce northward, bringing a stronger brand of trade winds back over us. This in turn will return a more robust cooling and refreshing trade wind flow across our islands…lasting through next week at least.

Meanwhile, the overlying atmosphere is very dry and stable. This will set the stage for not only lighter trade winds, but also limiting precipitation greatly. Most rain gauges will remain completely dry, with only the windward coasts and slopes perhaps catching a few light showers or sprinkles. The one exception will be the Kona slopes on the Big Island, where the coffee plantations may find a few light showers falling too. As the trade winds get a kick start this weekend, we should see a modest increase in shower activity…back into what we would consider the normal range. The passing windward showers will continue to arrive off and on through next week. There are no organized rain makers on the weather horizon at this time.

It’s early Wednesday evening here in Upcountry Kula, Maui. I can tell by the number of you accessing this website, that weather interest fades when we get towards the summer season. I must admit that it’s a great feeling when I see the number of hits per day swelling to near 20,000, when some extraordinary weather event happens! Although, I just keep punching away, day by day, rain or shine, keeping these webpages updated…as is my professional and spiritual practice. It’s not the number of people who logon to my site that keeps me going, it’s the weather itself. It’s these precious moments, like now, when the late day sun peeks through the overcast, and floods the inside of my weather tower with the last few rays of the day. I enjoy too finding fun pictures to share with you, which adds a certain flair above and beyond the pure weather information you can find on the NWS weather pages. The sun is setting so much later now, at least compared to the deep winter months, when it would have been dark already in December and January into February. I’ve never been able to decide which I prefer, as early and late sunsets both give me a thrill. It was yet another good day here in Hawaii, another good day of work under my belt, and good relations with all the people that I interacted with…starting off with you website readers early in this morning. Speaking of which, I’ll be back very early in the morning Thursday, and would be flattered to have you visit again then! Aloha for now…Glenn.