Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs

December 21-22 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 77F
Honolulu, Oahu – 82
Kaneohe, Oahu – 79
Kahului, Maui – 84
Hilo, Hawaii – 79
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 83

Temperatures early Friday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:

Kailua-kona – 70F
Kalaeloa, Oahu – 62F

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

0.20 ANAHOLA, KAUAI
0.85 OAHU FOREST NWR, OAHU
0.04 MOLOKAI
0.03 LANAI
0.02 KAHOOLAWE
0.18 OHEO GULCH, MAUI
0.11 PIIHONUA, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure systems located far to the ENE and WNW…with their associated ridges extending in the direction of the islands. The net result will be for light trade winds through Saturday…locally breezy during the afternoons in the southern part of the state. 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. 

The balmy trade winds will continue to grace all of the Hawaiian Islands…as we enter into our winter season.  The trade winds will remain the dominant weather influence as we move steadily towards the Christmas holidays. These trade winds will blow mostly in the light 5-20 mph category, although there will be some localized gustiness during the afternoons in some locations. A trade wind producing high pressure ridge will remain to our north. This pleasant reality is forecast to last through the rest of this week, into early next week. 
 
A minor cloud band moved into the state recently, bringing a few showers to the windward sides, and around the moutains.  This was a minor blip on the radar screen however, and we will settle right back into a more or less dry weather pattern. As described above, we will continue to have high pressure to our north…as well as a high pressure ridge aloft. The combination will keep shower activity minimized. The leeweard sides will be dry, while the windward sides may see an occasional light shower falling here and there. 

It’s early Thursday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I begin writing this last sunset commentary.  As many of your know I’ve been working at the Pacific Disaster Center for the last 10+ years. Through that time I’ve seen so many people come, and quite a few folks have left too. Today I had lunch with one fellow who was hired just after I was, a sort of going away luncheon at a Thai restaurant in Kihei. He’s moving back to Virginia with his family, and I will miss his friendship. Life is strange, it allows us to get close to it, and the people we get involved with. Then it has the habit of taking those things away again, leaving us feeling sad at times. I will stay in touch with him of course, but there will be a hole at the work place…and next month another very good friend who works there will be leaving for Australia too. At any rate, moving on, as I was driving home this evening, coming up through the pasturelands between Pukalani and Kula, I had a cock Pheasant fly right over my car, and then not more than 5 seconds later a Hawaiian Owl, better known here in the islands as a Pueo…fly right over me. Perhaps this was some sort of symbolic departure, of my two close friends who are flying away!? I’m running a little late this evening, so better get downstairs and have my dinner, do some reading, and then bed down for the night, as 4am Friday morning will come early.  I hope you have a good Thursday night! Aloha for now…Glenn.

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