Weather Details and Aloha Paragraphs

October 5-6 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 82F
Honolulu, Oahu – 83
Kaneohe, Oahu – 84
Kahului, Maui – 86
Hilo, Hawaii – 83
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 87

KAILUA-KONA – 77
LIHUE AIRPORT – 68

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 1029 millibar high pressure center located far to the NE of the Hawaiian Islands. Meanwhile, troughs of low pressure are boxing in the islands, which will keep light and variable winds around through 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.

 

Beautiful colors with spray against the lava
Photo Credit: flikr.com

We’ve got some weather changes coming up for the Hawaiian Islands soon, which will last into next week. These new developments will occur in two areas, first in terms of lighter winds, and the second in regards to the chance of showers breaking out during the afternoon hours. The big change, which sort of snuck up on us, will be the arrival of an upper level trough of low pressure over our islands. This will essentially send our trade winds packing, replaced by much softer winds…light and variable in direction. Thursday will be the transition day, with still the trade winds blowing a little, but definitely heading into lighter realms as we head into the weekend time frame and beyond.

The upper trough of low pressure will cause our overlying atmosphere to become more unstable. This simply means that it will be more shower prone, although that doesn’t mean there will be widespread showers falling everywhere. The most likely areas for showers will be over and around the interior sections during the afternoon hours. Some of these convective clouds that build up over the mountains may be able to unload some locally heavy downpours here and there. This shower activity will be most pronounced over the Big Island slopes, and perhaps with time over Haleakala on Maui as well.

This spell of unsettled weather won’t be such a bad thing, as most days will start off quite sunny. The clouds will start to build over the mountains during the late morning hours, leading to those localized showers later in the days. The beaches should actually have nice weather, although could see cloudy periods during the afternoons locally too.  The interesting thing is that the models go on to show a cold front arriving late next week, which could bring some showers with it too, and help to bring us back around to a more normal trade wind weather pattern thereafter.

It’s early Thursday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I start writing this just past sunset commentary.  Behind me, out to the west, the skies are still faintly pink, from the thin cirrus clouds…as they lit up sweetly pink a little while ago. Looking out towards the east, the near full moon is rising up from the upper slopes of the Haleakala Crater…which is being muted to some degree by the thin clouds in that direction. It’s a lovely ending to a great day of weather. The trough of low pressure described in the paragraphs above, concentrated its effort best over the Big Island today, where a flood advisory went up for some locally heavy rains there. Here on Maui, it was actually rather placid, with much lighter winds than we’ve registered so far during the work week. I got down to the beach at lunch today, and found light breezes, lots of sunshine, although slightly dimmed by the thin cirrus clouds, and very warm ocean water temperatures again. There were no waves to ride, but that didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying my time in the "healing waters" of the Pacific. Tomorrow is already Friday, these weeks seem to zoom right by so quickly during these early autumn period.  I plan to see the new film by Martin Scorsese called The Departed tomorrow night, starring such notables as Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin among others…wow! I literally can hardly wait to see this story centered around the mob. It’s going on 7pm here in Hawaii as I get ready to go down and steam some organic broccoli to plate alongside my last piece of bbq’d organic chicken, then do a little reading, and to bed for this early rising Maui Weatherman. I hope you have a great Thursday night, and that you will meet me here again on Friday for the next 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 Mark Jackson – Realtor "Specializing in the West Maui Resort areas of Lahaina, Kaanapali, Napili and Kapalua"