August 31-September 1 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 83F
Honolulu, Oahu – 87
Kaneohe, Oahu – 85
Kahului, Maui – 88
Hilo, Hawaii – 83
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 87

KANEOHE, OAHU – 77
HILO AIRPORT – 70

Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours (as of Friday morning) on each of the major islands:

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1027 millibar high pressure center located far to the NE of our islands. This high pressure cell will keep moderately strong trade winds blowing across our area through Saturday…strong and gusty during the afternoons locally.  Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

 

  A late summer evening on Maui
Photo Credit: flikr.com

The breezy trade winds will continue to bring their cooling and refreshing relief from the heat to the Hawaiian Islands. We find a large area of high pressure centered far to the NE of the islands Thursday. This trade wind producing high pressure system is providing moderately strong trade winds. Some of the windier areas around the Aloha state are finding strong and gusty conditions during the afternoons. These common trade winds will continue blowing through Friday…then mellow out a little over the weekend.

Other than a few local downpours over the mountains of Kauai, rainfall has been mostly light across the Aloha state.  The leeward sides have been mostly dry, except along the Kona slopes on the Big Island, where we find the typical afternoon or evening showers falling. The windward sides have had a few showers, but nothing unusual. This pleasant reality will continue through Friday, although with a trough of low pressure edging in our direction, we may see a modest increase in windward showers over the weekend.

It’s early Thursday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I start writing this just after sunset commentary.   It was another hot and locally windy day here on the island. Was it too hot or too windy, perhaps it was for some. My air conditioning is still out on my car, so that may have some bearing on my perspective in terms of the heat. Then, at lunch, I found the trade winds blowing in such a way that made the beach look a little less friendly than I sometimes like to see it. This may suggest that I’m a little spoiled perhaps, and maybe I am, as I can pick and chose which days that I like to get involved with all that gustiness. I’d say that out of a month, and this is pretty much year round, that I get in the ocean at least five days out of seven, regardless of the weather conditions…and often each day for weeks in a row. I must admit that I prefer the later fall through the winter seasons, for the most part because of the lighter wind conditions, and somewhat cooler temperatures that I find more often then. I’ve gone onto the beach, and into the ocean, on THE most windy days of the year, just for the fun of it, and then again, on those days when there isn’t a breath of air, and I find the ocean in a sheet glass condition. I love it all, and yet, at times I’ll just sit down there in my car and do a little people watching, which I dearly love too! I hope you have a great Thursday night. I’ll be back here whippin’ out the next narrative for you early Friday morning, until then, be well all you faithful readers, and you first timers as well. Aloha for now…Glenn.

I want to highlight another of the great advertisers on my website today, this time it’s Jim Sanders Realty.  "Whether your ideal lifestyle is surfing, kiteboarding or windsurfing on the North Shore near Paia and Haiku, enjoying calm beaches, exclusive golf courses and resorts in Wailea and Kihei, resort style living near Kapalua and Lahaina, or casual Upcountry living in Makawao or Kula, we specialize in finding the ideal real estate that best fits your dreams of a new lifestyle."

August 30-31 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 82F
Honolulu, Oahu – 85
Kaneohe, Oahu – 83
Kahului, Maui – 89
Hilo, Hawaii – 84
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 87

KANEOHE, OAHU – 78
HILO AIRPORT – 70

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:

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1029 millibar high pressure center located far to the NE of our islands. This high pressure cell will keep moderately strong trade winds blowing across our area through Friday…strong and gusty during the afternoons locally.  Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

 

  The Hana coast of Maui
Photo Credit: flikr.com

Late summer trade winds are now fully in control of weather here in the islands. We find a large area of high pressure centered far to the NNE of the islands at mid-week. This trade wind producing high pressure system is spinning out moderately strong trade winds. These have been on the light side during the early morning hours, then picking up during the rest of the day. Some of the windier areas around the Aloha state are finding strong and gusty proportions during the afternoons. These common trade winds will continue blowing through the rest of this work week…then ease off a little over the weekend.

Rainfall has been rather spare, even on the typically more moist windward sides of the islands.  This has left the leeward sides almost completely dry. The one exception is of course the Kona slopes on the Big Island, where we find the typical afternoon or evening showers falling. The windward north and east facing sides have had a few showers, but nothing much even there. This pleasant reality will continue through the work week as well, although with a trough of low pressure edging in our direction, we may see a modest increase in trade wind born showers over the weekend.

It’s early Wednesday here in Kula, Maui, as I start writing this last paragraph of today’s narrative.  It’s one of those mornings when I find myself sitting here in my weather tower with absolutely nothing to say, at least on a personal level.  If I turned off the little light on my desk, I would be thrown into total darkness. I just did that, and realized that wasn’t true, as the computer screen keeps light around. Sometimes I feel like I write about the same things day after day, you know, the morning temperatures, the afternoon temperatures, my beach walk and swims, or my early morning walks. Oh yeah that’s right I do write about the films I see, or how the surf was during the weekends, or even my skateboarding adventures. I used to share a few poems at times, or tell you about what book I may be reading. At the moment I just can’t come up with anything new, my tongue is tied. Although I can certainly wish you all a great Wednesday, that’s easy enough! I’ll be back with more weather updates later in the day. Aloha for now…Glenn.

I want to highlight another of the great advertisers on my website today, this time it’s Kanaha Kai Maui Surf Shop.  "Windsurfing, Kiteboarding, Surfing gear, rentals, lessons and service. Our passion and commitment for watersports is expressed through living the dream. Our work is our play. Because of this, our superior customer service and people are here to help prepare you for your ultimate experience. Our people make the difference."

August 29-30 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 84F
Honolulu, Oahu – 87
Kaneohe, Oahu – 84
Kahului, Maui – 88
Hilo, Hawaii – 84
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 88

HONOLULU, OAHU – 78
HILO AIRPORT – 70

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:

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1030 millibar high pressure center located far to the NNE of our islands. This high pressure cell will keep moderately strong trade winds blowing across our area through Thursday…strong and gusty during the afternoons locally.  Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

 

  Is this wonderful or what!?
Photo Credit: flikr.com

The recent muggy weather here in the islands is now long gone. The responsible low pressure systems that we saw over the weekend, have moved well away from Hawaii now. This "opens up the flood gates" for moderately strong trade winds to take over as the dominate weather influence in our Hawaiian Islands weather picture. This comes with a sigh of relief, as it got a little too sultry there for awhile, and too cloudy for most of our local sun worshippers as well!

The latest weather charts show a large area of high pressure located to the NE of Hawaii now.  This trade wind producing high pressure cell will do just that, spinning out cooling and refreshing breezes through the rest of this work week. As we get into the weekend time frame, the computer models show another upper level trough arriving, with lighter winds, and chance of some added showers then. It’s still a little too early to get worried about this, as things could easily change between now and then. For the time being, our leeward beaches will find tons of warm late summer sunshine beaming down, and remain dry. The windward sides will see a few passing showers, but nothing too exaggerated is expected.

It’s early Tuesday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I start writing this sunset commentary. The sun is going down earlier these days, as we head into the last three weeks of summer. I know, I know, I’m always writing about my lunch time beach visit. I would write about something else, but besides the great work I’m involved in, that nature experience during the middle of the day, that takes me out of the office, is often the high point. Today it was so warm and toasty, with hardly a breath of wind when I first got there, and practically a gale when I left 35 or so minutes later…it changes that fast! While I was in the ocean, I was thinking to myself, what is this like for me, what could I possibly write about later, that I haven’t written about before? I started to think of my sensual experience being in that warm ocean, and riding a few small waves. The one word I could come up with was sort of interesting, and it might not make a lot of sense, but here it is: Flan. Yep, that Mexican dessert, that pudding like stuff, which is so tasty. Being in the ocean today was like eating Flan, it was that pleasurable!  On another note, and I carry this forward again because most of you readers love the islands…there’s an article in the latest edition of Marin Magazine (Marin County is just north of San Francisco) about the Hawaiian Islands. The author, a lady named Mimi Towle, called me for some information,  so that there are some quotes from me in the piece as well. I thought that you might enjoy reading it. It’s around 645pm, the sun set several minutes ago, and it’s still warm up here at the 3000+ elevation in Kula, with my thermometer reading 68.4F degrees. I hope you have a great Tuesday night, and just like a milkman or a newspaper boy, I’ll be bringing your early morning weather narrative right to your computer screen early Wednesday morning. Aloha for now…Glenn.

I want to highlight another of the great advertisers on my website today, this time it’s Kapalua vacation rental.  "Location, location, location….Most people have to drive to the beach, you only have to walk from here. Bay Villa 22B4 is the ultimate in ocean front living, it has the premier location in the Bay Villa complex. You cannot get any closer to the ocean. The pictures say it all, with 180 degrees of ocean view, it is as if you are standing on the bow of a ship. This is an upstairs unit, so you will not be disturbed from noise above. Newly refurnished and tastefully appointed unit."

August 28-29 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 84F
Honolulu, Oahu – 84
Kaneohe, Oahu – 87
Kahului, Maui – 92
Hilo, Hawaii – 84
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 87

KANEOHE, OAHU – 79
HILO AIRPORT – 70

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:

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1032 millibar high pressure center located far to the NNE of our islands. This high pressure cell will keep moderately strong trade winds blowing across our area through Wednesday.  Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

 

  The warm ocean water in Hawaii
Photo Credit: flikr.com

The weather was rather sultry and unsettled this past weekend, although Maui and the Big Islands were the only places that ended up receiving locally heavy showers.  We saw low pressure systems both aloft and at the surface, which kept the prospect of showery weather active both days. Despite all the threatening conditions, showers turned out to be localized, although quite heavy here and there. The NWS forecast office in Honolulu issued flash flood advisories for the Big Island and Maui during the day Sunday. There were spotty thunderstorms that flaired up over the southern part of the state. We may see another round of afternoon clouds and showers Monday, but this will be coming to an end soon.

The low pressure system aloft that gave us our unstable atmospherics is in the process of moving away Monday.  Today will be a transition day, as we move back into a more normal trade wind weather weather pattern soon. As a matter of fact, the trade winds are already filling in from the east over the Big Island early Monday morning…and will overlap into the rest of the state into Tuesday. These returning trade winds will stick around through most of the rest of this week, contributing to favorably inclined late summer weather conditions. As the trade winds return, we’ll see sunny skies returning to the leeward coasts, with the usual showers falling most actively along the windward coasts and slopes during the night and early morning hours.

It’s early Monday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I start writing this sunset commentary.  It’s a much different situation here on the western flanks of the Haleakala Crater Monday evening…compared to Sunday evening. There are hardly any lower level clouds around, in contrast to the considerable clouds with thick fog swirling around yesterday…along with moderately heavy showers falling by the end of the day. There’s a bunch of high and middle level clouds streaming overhead this evening, which just started to arrive in the islands late in the afternoon. These will without a doubt light up into a beautiful sunset, with pretty pink and orange tints all around. I found calm beach conditions when I got down there at lunch, and as I was leaving again about 35 minutes later, the trade winds arrived, bringing their cooling relief from the high heat that had prevailed until then. Actually, the trade winds have been "on vacation" for the last several muggy days, which is rather unusual for this time of year. Too bad the webcam atop the Haleakala Crater doesn’t show color, so that you could see the high clouds light up. The Mauna Kea webcam does show color, but the high clouds hadn’t quite arrived there, at least when I just looked at 630pm. Both of those webcams are of course available for your viewing pleasure up in the weather details section of this page. I hope you have a great Monday night! Just like having the newspaper delivered to your front door, I’ll have your next weather narrative waiting for the reading on your computer screen first thing Tuesday morning. Aloha for now…Glenn.

I want to highlight another of the great advertisers on my website today, this time it’s Kite Beach webcam.  "Beach image, wind direction, wind speeds…10% discounts on wind surf, kiteboarding, and surfing equipment."

August 27-28 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 83F
Honolulu, Oahu – 83
Kaneohe, Oahu – 91
Kahului, Maui – 87
Hilo, Hawaii – 88
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 88

KAILUA-KONA – 78
MOLOKAI AIRPORT – 71

Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours (as of Monday morning) on each of the major islands:

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure centers located far to the north and NE of our islands. Meanwhile, there is a departing low pressure system with its associated trough, both aloft and at the surface, to the west and NW…which will keep our winds light Monday morning, with gradually returning trade winds later today into Tuesday. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

 

  Showers in the islands Sunday
Photo Credit: flikr.com

The latest weather maps and satellite images show low pressure systems converging over and around the Hawaiian Islands Sunday. This is directly responsible for knocking our trade winds down, and replacing them with light and variable winds at the moment. This will keep rather muggy and humid weather conditions in place into Monday, with a good chance that there will be outbreaks of showers at times…some of which will likely be locally quite heavy. Troughing will begin to exit our area Monday, with less showers in general by Tuesday.

Our overlying atmosphere remains unstable Sunday.  This simply means that whatever clouds that form over and around the islands will be more shower prone than usual. Daytime heating will be the triggering mechanism for many of these developing cumulus clouds, especially during the afternoon hours. Some of these may grow into cumulonimbus clouds here and there…with their associated lightning and thunder. 

The light winds, and ample tropical moisture that is around now, will make for sultry conditions today. We expect the trade winds to fill back into our Hawaiian Island weather picture later Monday or Tuesday at the latest. As a matter of fact, the new week ahead looks to be a normal one for this time of year, with pleasant late summer weather prevailing.

It’s late Sunday afternoon here in Kula, Maui, as I start writing this pre-sunset commentary.  The day just kept getting more and more charged with moisture, which finally let loose with afternoon showers. At the moment here in Kula, it is foggy with moderately heavy rain falling straight down. I was outside for a while, standing under the eave of this weather tower, just to get as close to the precipitation as possible. I’m of course inside now, listening to and watching the showers falling on the leaves just outside the windows. I went surfing again early this morning, and found more great waves, a little smaller, but still as glassy and smooth as it was on Saturday. I love surfing, it really is a very special way to spend time! Back to the moment, it is such a treat to have a rainy afternoon, and I just talked to a friend over on the Haiku side, and she said it had been lightning and thundering over that way! I can only hope that that thunderstorm makes its way over here. She mentioned that it poured down rain for a while too. I’ve really got to get back to being with this unusual rainy weather without any distractions, hunker in even deeper, commune with the drops coming down. I hope you have a great Sunday night, and that you will meet me here again early Monday morning with the next new narrative from paradise waiting for you then. Aloha for now…Glenn.

I want to highlight another of the great advertisers on my website today, this time it’s Listen to Hawaiian Music. "

HawaiianRainbow.com is one of the most popular Internet Hawaiian radio stations. Hawaiian music streaming – Broadcasting Hawaiian internet radio since 1999, this station has now grown to have approximately 100,000 hours of listening per month. I can only thank YOU for that. I’m glad you found Hawaiian Rainbow, and I hope you’ll tell your friends! Your host – Rich Shipley Maui, Hawaii"

August 26-27 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 82F
Honolulu, Oahu – 84
Kaneohe, Oahu – 89
Kahului, Maui – 90
Hilo, Hawaii – 84
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 87

KAILUA-KONA – 79
LIHUE AIRPORT – 70

Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours (as of Sunday morning) on each of the major islands:

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure located far to the north and NE of our islands. Meanwhile, there are several low pressure troughs, both aloft and at the surface, close to the islands…which will keep our wind speeds light today, with gradually returning trade winds later Monday. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

 

  Beautiful Hawaii
Photo Credit: flikr.com

  Axis Deer

The latest weather maps and satellite images show an unusual amount of low pressure systems converging over and around the Hawaiian Islands this weekend. These are directly responsible for knocking our trade winds down, and replacing them with light and variable winds at the moment. This will keep rather sultry weather conditions in place through Sunday into Monday, with a good chance that there will be outbreaks of showers at times…some of which will likely be locally quite heavy.

Our overlying atmosphere remains unstable, and will remain that way Sunday.  This simply means that whatever clouds that form over the islands will be more shower prone than usual. Daytime heating will be the triggering mechanism for many of these developing cumulus clouds, especially over and around the mountains during the afternoon hours. Some of these may very well grow into cumulonimbus clouds here and there…with their associated lightning and thunder. Showers will be hit and miss Saturday, but could become somewhat more widespread on Sunday.

The light winds, and ample tropical moisture that is around now, will make for sultry conditions for a couple of days.  The trade winds usually keep these muggy conditions at bay during the summer months. Before anyone gets too hot and sweaty, know that our cooling and refreshing trade winds will return soon. We expect them to come filling back into our Hawaiian Island weather picture already by Monday or Tuesday at the latest. As a matter of fact, the new week ahead looks to be a normal one for this time of year, with pleasant late summer weather prevailing.

It’s early Saturday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I start writing this pre-sunset commentary. I got up early this morning and left for a surfing session on the Lahaina side at about 545pm. I had just left my house, with my surfboard atop the car, when I came around a corner and saw a deer in the road, yes we have deer on Maui…although they are much smaller than what you see on the mainland! This was a full size Axis deer, and of course I slowed down, as it walked right in front of my car. That was kind of a cool way to start the day off I’d say. I got over to a spot called 1000 peaks, one of my favorite surfing areas, and it looked really good. It’s a long paddle out, but well worth the effort. The conditions were perfect, with head high waves breaking. I surfed as well as I have in quite some time, as the waves were really nice, really nice! I was out there in that warm Pacific for a little over two hours, at which point it got too crowded, so I paddled in. I was so stoked to have ridden so many good waves, and am still riding them this evening, at least in my mind’s eye! I’ll be leaving again super early on Sunday morning for more surfboard riding, oh yeah! I hope you had a good Saturday, I’ll be back again very early Sunday morning with the next narrative update, before I leave for the west side. By the way, there should be an excellent sunset this evening, as there’s lots of high cirrus clouds streaming overhead. Aloha for now…Glenn.

I want to highlight another of the great advertisers on my website today, this time it’s Mark Jackson – Realtor. "I have lived on Maui since 1974 and have been in the Real Estate business here on the island since 1988. I specialize in the West Maui Resort areas of Lahaina, Kaanapali, Napili and Kapalua, although I am able to represent you in all areas of Maui as well as the State of Hawaii."

August 25-26 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 83F
Honolulu, Oahu – 85
Kaneohe, Oahu – 84
Kahului, Maui – 87
Hilo, Hawaii – 85
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 86

KAILUA-KONA – 78
MOLOKAI AIRPORT – 67

Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours (as of Saturday morning) on each of the major islands:

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure located far to the north and NE of our islands. Meanwhile, there are several low pressure troughs, both aloft and at the surface, close to the islands…which will keep our wind speeds light today and Sunday. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

 

  Lots of good surfing waves breaking in Hawaii now!
Photo Credit: flikr.com

 

We have a very complex set of weather circumstances here in the islands now, although none of which is particularly threatening. Looking at the latest weather maps, we have lots of low pressure systems surrounding the Hawaiian Islands, both aloft and at the surface. These are what’s responsible for knocking our trade winds down, and replacing them with light and variable winds at the moment. This will keep rather sultry weather conditions in place through the weekend.

Even at this late date, the jury is still out on exactly what will happen weatherwise, as the next several days unfold.  There are many shower enhancing features in the mix, although it’s still difficult to know how they will interact with each other. This is certainly not your average August weather pattern, far from it as a matter of fact. From what I can see, there remains a good chance of localized showers continuing through the weekend here and there. The forecast problem remains where those will be heavy ones! At any rate, by the time we get into next week, weather will snap back to a more common trade wind weather pattern.

It’s early Friday evening as update this last paragraph of today’s narrative.  If you noticed a fair amount of uncertainty in the paragraphs above, you got that right! There is an unusual array of weather elements vying for our attention at the moment. I suppose the bottom line here is this: if everything comes together, as it looks likely to do, we could see spotty heavy showers off and on through the weekend. Then again, if they don’t, we would find variable clouds, less intense showers at times here and there…along with muggy light winded conditions in general. I’m personally leaning towards the localized heavier shower solution, with even the chance of a random thundershower. I got to the beach today, and found gorgeous conditions again, including very warm air, and pleasantly warm water. There were lots of good sized waves to bodysurf as well…which I took full advantage of by riding in towards shore on! I’ll be taking in another new film this evening, this time one called Idlewild…which is about a musical set in the Prohibition-era American South, where a speakeasy performer and his piano player contend with gangsters who have their eyes on the club.  I hope you have a great Friday wherever you happen to be spending it. I’ll be back early Saturday morning with the next updates. Aloha for now…Glenn.

I want to highlight another of the great advertisers on my website today, this time it’s Maui Car Rentals. "Maui Car Rentals offers clean, reliable and low priced rental cars. They  will pick you up curbside at the Maui Kahului airport. Please call them to rent a car today."

August 24-25 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 84F
Honolulu, Oahu – 86
Kaneohe, Oahu – 85
Kahului, Maui – 87
Hilo, Hawaii – 84
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 85

KAILUA-KONA – 75
MOLOKAI AIRPORT – 67

Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours (as of Friday morning) on each of the major islands:

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure located far to the north and NE of our islands. Meanwhile, there are several low pressure troughs, both aloft and at the surface, closer to the islands…which will keep our wind speeds light today and Saturday. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

 

  Yet another example of the beauty of our islands…
Photo Credit: flikr.com

 

We’re heading into a period of sultry weather in the Islands.  As was the case yesterday, we are basically surrounded by areas of low pressure, with hurricane Ioke the most intense out to our west…rated at category 4 Thursday evening! Here’s an animated satellite image of our area…including the hurricane. There are several much weaker tropical disturbances to the SW and SE of Hawaii as well. In addition, we have a trough of low pressure sagging down towards Hawaii from a rather deep upper level low pressure system to the NNE of the state. Despite the rather threatening nature of all the above, nothing "bad" threatens our islands. All of this low pressure will have our trade winds sputtering now though, with muggy weather the result as we move into Friday and the weekend.

Weather conditions are forecast to stay rather nice otherwise Thursday.  As we move into Friday and the weekend, that’s when things will become more interesting…with some increase in showers expected in windward showers already Thursday night in places. The latest computer forecast models continue to suggest that we’ll have low pressure aloft, which would make our local atmosphere more unstable and shower prone than usual. Those same models go on to show an area of moisture coming up towards our islands from the deeper tropics. As this happens we may very well see an outbreak of showers locally, some of which could turn out to be locally heavy. As we move into next week, our weather will turn back towards normal, with moderately strong trade winds blowing then.

It’s early Thursday evening as I begin writing this sunset commentary.  I was surprised today during my lunch break, when I saw how uncrowded the beach was! I can only suppose that most of our visitors have gone home, with only a few folks scattered up and down this lovely sand beach in Kihei. It reminded me of some winter days, when the beaches are deserted. The interesting thing was that it was such a great day, with warm air and water, and hardly any wind blowing. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and took full advantage of the small waves that were breaking. It was the first time in quite a while when I could do a little bodysurfing. There’s a nice south-SSW swell running now, and I can hardly wait to go surfing once the weekend arrives. Just for perspective, right now in Kula, Maui (630pm), the outside temperature is 68F degrees, while it was 82F in Kona…and in Barrow, Alaska, at the same time, it was 34F degrees. It’s starting to cool off in the northland, although down here in the tropics, it will be several months before we start to notice much cooling. I hope you have a great Thursday night, and, that you will join me here again on Friday for more weather updates then. Aloha for now…Glenn.

I want to highlight another of the great advertisers on my website today, this time it’s Maui Kiteboarding Lessons. "If you want to learn to kiteboard, Maui is the place! And with Aqua Sport’s kiteboarding lessons at Maui’s world famous Kite Beach, learning to kiteboard has never been easier. Our professional instructors will have you flying over the water in no time! We offer kiting instruction at all levels, from absolute beginner to semi-pro. Whether you want to pick up the fundamentals of kiteboarding, refine your kiteboarding performance, or learn to kitesurf big waves, Aqua Sports has the kiteboarding lesson for you!"

August 23-24 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 83F
Honolulu, Oahu – 88
Kaneohe, Oahu – 85
Kahului, Maui – 86
Hilo, Hawaii – 83
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 86

KAILUA-KONA – 78
HILO AIRPORT – 67

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:

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure located far to the north and NE of our islands. Meanwhile, low pressure areas closer to the islands will cause our trade wind speeds to become lighter today and Friday. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

 

  The clear ocean in Hawaii…
Photo Credit: flikr.com

 

We have a rather complex set of weather circumstances affecting the Hawaiian Islands at the moment.  We are essentially surrounded by active tropical systems, with hurricane Ioke the most intense out to our WSW.  Ioke however is moving away, and will be no threat to the Aloha state. There are several much weaker tropical disturbances to the south and SE of Hawaii as well. Then if that wasn’t enough, we have the low level swirl of clouds associated with former hurricane Hector, located to the ENE of Hawai. Before anyone gets too nervous, let me say this: none of these pose a threat to our fragile islands.

Weather conditions are forecast to stay rather nice through Thursday, with some high and middle level clouds filtering our sunshine during the days.  There will be the usual August trade winds blowing, although they will be a little lighter than they have been the last couple of weeks. This is due to whatever is left of Hector passing in between Hawaii and our trade wind producing high pressure system to the NE…interrupting the trade wind flow. At the same time we have an area of low pressure aloft edging in our direction too. The combination will keep our trade winds modestly subdued through most of the rest of this week.

I want to highlight another of the great advertisers on my website today, this time it’s Maui Snorkel Tours.  Shoreline EcoVentures with Suzzy Robinson…safe and entertaining trips into the marine environment on Maui. 

August 22-23 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 83F
Honolulu, Oahu – 89
Kaneohe, Oahu – 83
Kahului, Maui – 87
Hilo, Hawaii – 81
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 86

KAILUA-KONA – 78
HILO AIRPORT – 71

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:

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure located far to the north and NE of our islands. Meanwhile, low pressure areas closer to the islands will keep our trade wind speeds lighter today and Thursday. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

 

  The windward side of Oahu…
Photo Credit: flikr.com

 

The rather gusty trade winds of the last couple of weeks will finally start to ease back soon. They won’t go away completely, but will at least start to get softer.  We find the same trade wind producing high pressure systems parked to the north of the state Tuesday. Although the difference now is that we see low pressure systems aloft edging in this direction, along with the remnant circulation of former tropical storm Hector. These weather features will start to erode our trade wind speeds, which could put us into rather muggy and sultry conditions as we proceed through the rest of this week.

The computer forecast models continue to show tropical moisture moving over the southern part of the state from the south.  This isn’t expected to arrive until later this week, perhaps around Friday or Saturday. There remains a fairly high degree of uncertainty about just where and when, and even how much precipitation will be involved. It all hinges upon where a particular upper level low pressure system decides to move. This will become more clear over the next couple of days…although there does seem to be a decent chance of at least the Big Island, and perhaps elsewhere, to see an increase in showers with time.

I want to highlight another of the great advertisers on my website today, this time it’s  My Maui Condos. "With over 14 years experience, 40 properties to choose from, we are a leader in privately owned Vacation Rentals on Maui, offering the finest selection of luxury, affordable Maui condo rentals and Maui vacation home rentals in Kihei, near Wailea, Lahaina, Kaanapali and Kula.  The quality, value and variety of our Maui condos are unequaled, and we take great pride in making sure every aspect of your Maui vacation condo rental, from reservation to departure, is to your complete satisfaction."