Weather Details and Aloha Paragraphs

September 25-26 2006

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

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

LIHUE, KAUAI – 77
HILO AIRPORT – 73

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 weak 1023 millibar high pressure center located far to the NE of our islands Tuesday…located offshore from Washington state. This high is too far away to give us more than light to locally moderate trade winds through Wednesday…locally gusty during the afternoon hours.  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 rainbow on a windward beach
Photo Credit: flikr.com

There’s little change expected in the trade wind speeds through Tuesday. A mild mannered 1023 millibar high pressure system far to the NE, is now too far away to provide much more than light-moderately strong trade winds, although a little gusty still along the windward sides during the afternoon hours. The latest forecast has these trade winds picking up some Wednesday through Friday, only to calm down again by the upcoming weekend, as an early season kona low pressure system forms near the state of Hawaii.

We’ll see some windward showers falling, and a few afternoon upcountry showers now too. The leeward sides may see a few showers locally as well, especially over the Kona slopes on the Big Island, and along the Haleakala slopes of Maui during the afternoons. We will see somewhat heavier showers around now, although still spotty in nature, as an upper trough of low pressure is nearby.  This upper level trough will destabilize our overlying atmosphere enough that we could even see a thunderstorm popping-up around the Big Island of Hawaii over the next several days.

It’s early Monday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I start writing this sunset commentary.  Wow, what a perfectly beautiful sunset we just had! The high cirrus clouds came alive with a blazing pink color.  I sat outside on my weather deck and soaked it in, reveling in its glory. Just down the hill from here I could hear a Cock Pheasant calling out, probably for his mate, or perhaps just announcing his pleasure with the sunset! That’s one of the things I love about living upcountry, are the million dollar views, and often the prettiest sunsets around too. Interestingly enough, those high clouds might have helped limit the expected heavy afternoon showers. The Big Island got some good rain today, although it hasn’t made it up across the rest of the state yet. I’m still expecting an increasing amount of showers over the next day or two. When we look further ahead, the models are now indicating a kona type low pressure system forming around the weekend into early next week, when we could see another increase in showery weather then. I got to the beach at lunch today, and found it relatively deserted, with much fewer folks partaking in the oceanic pleasures than during the high summer months. The air and water was nice and warm, and there were still a few small waves to bodysurf. I hope you have a great Monday night! I’ll be back very early Tuesday morning, as is my practice, with your next tropical weather narrative from paradise. Aloha for now…Glenn.

I want to highlight another of the great advertisers on my website today, this time it’s Beach Guide.  "Maui Beach Guide – A comprehensive guide to Maui’s beaches, including webcams"