Weather Details and Aloha Paragraphs

October 8-9 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 85F
Honolulu, Oahu – 83
Kaneohe, Oahu – 85
Kahului, Maui – 91
Hilo, Hawaii – 85
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 86

KAILUA-KONA – 76
KAHULUI AIRPORT – 70

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 a 1029 millibar high pressure center located far to the NE…with it’s associated ridge extending SW to a point very close to Kauai. This will keep our winds on the light side…tending SW to south to locally SE through 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.

 

Classic sunny beaches with clouds over the mountains
Photo Credit: flikr.com

A nearby ridge of high pressure will keep our winds light and variable in direction…tending south through SE for the most part. This ridge’s close proximity will keep the chance of showers to a minimum. The best chances for precipitation will remain over the interior sections of the islands during the afternoons, especially on the Big Island for the time being. The beaches should remain in good shape for the most part, with lots of daytime sunshine prevailing. Hazy conditions will continue off and on through the next week, with marginal visibilities at times.

This light wind regime will have our atmosphere feeling rather hot and humid weather during the days…although light sea breezes near the coasts will help cool things off a little. The daytime heating of the islands will start air rising, which will likely cause afternoon cloud buildups over and around the mountains. These convective cumulus clouds may let loose with some showers, some of which may be locally heavy, although for the most part restricted to the leeward slopes of the Big Island.

Looking out a short distance further, the models show a cold front moving in our direction as we get into the new week ahead.  It’s still a bit early for active cold fronts to sweep down all the way through the islands, although it may bring some prefrontal showers to Kauai and Oahu Monday and Tuesday. It’s difficult to know ahead of time whether these prefrontal clouds could bring a few showers to Maui County, but the odds are slim. As we move past the mid-week point, the chance of showers will fade again, with mostly dry conditions thereafter…although still around for the Big Island.

It’s late Sunday afternoon here in Kula, Maui, as I start writing this well before sunset commentary.  I drove over to the north shore this morning, and surfed with some friends at Hookipa Beach Park. It was a little more windy than I thought it was going to be, but the waves were reasonably fun, and it was good to ride waves again. I did a little shopping in Paia, and then took the drive back up the mountain again. It’s been nice and cloudy over the slopes of the Haleakala Crater, just the way I like it when I’m at home…keeps the air temperatures cool. I’m about to drive down to lower Kula to have dinner with a friend, and drink a glass of wine out in her patio. Then it will be back up the mountain fairly early, as I have to get up at 4am Monday, in time to do the updates on this website, and then down to do my TV weather show at the Maui Community College. Then, and then…I have the day off from my Pacific Disaster Center job in Kihei, which means that I’ll probably try and surf Hookipa again. So, here’s wishing you a great Sunday evening/night, and an invitation to meet me here again Monday, as I’ll have your next brand new weather narrative from Paradise then. Aloha for now…Glenn

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