Weather Details and Aloha Paragraphs

September 1-2 2006

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

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

KANEOHE, OAHU – 77
HILO 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 a less robust 1024 millibar high pressure center located far to the NE of our islands. This high pressure cell will keep light to moderately strong trade winds blowing across our area through Sunday…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.

 

  Front row seat
Photo Credit: flikr.com

There will be little change to the very pleasant early September weather conditions in the islands. We find a large area of high pressure centered far to the NE of the islands Friday. 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 the weekend and beyond.

There will be the usual few night and early morning windward showers falling here and there.  The leeward sides will remain mostly dry, except along the Kona slopes on the Big Island, where we might find an afternoon or evening shower falling locally. These pleasant weather conditions will continue through the weekend, with little change expected next week. There are no organized rain makers on our weather horizon, with near normal conditions prevailing.

BREAKING NEWS: There’s a very large brush fire burning above Maalaea Bay, along the Honoapiilani Highway from the Ocean Center out in the direction of Olowalu. This fire started early Friday morning, and continues to burn into Saturday morning. This fire has been a threat to life and property for over 24 hours, but I haven’t heard of any property damage or loss of life…thank goodness! This situation has kept the road closed between Lahaina and the Kahului and Kihei side of the island. This means no one was getting from Lahaina over the Pali to Maalaea…nor from Maalaea to Lahaina. Fire fighters and helicopter pilots are working to get the upper hand on this dangerous fire. I haven’t heard any news this morning about whether the highway is open yet or not, but I can see flames still burning on the flank of the West Maui Mountains.

It’s early Friday morning here in Kula, Maui, as I start writing this last paragraph of today’s narrative.  After work yesterday, I had an appointment with my Dermatologist in Kihei. As much time as I spend out in the sun, I often worry a little about skin cancer problems. This time around I was fortunate, as he burned off just one small spot on my forehead, and said the rest of my body was in good shape. I was relieved, as I’ve lived by the beach all of my life in one place or another. I’ve been a native of the Pacific Ocean, that’s for sure, first in California, and then here in Hawaii for the last 30+ years. It’s Friday already, the last day of the work week, and time to start thinking about the weekend. I haven’t got anything lined up for this evening yet, although have plans with a couple of friends to go surfing at the crack of dawn Saturday morning. Surfing over on the Lahaina side won’t be as good this weekend as it was the last, but we’re hoping to find at least some small waves to ride. Speaking of the beach, I hope to make it down there at lunch today, in time to beat the usual afternoon gustiness. I’ll be back later with more weather updates, I trust you will have a great Friday! Aloha for now…Glenn

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