Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs

December 26-27 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 78F
Honolulu, Oahu – 82
Kaneohe, Oahu – 80
Kahului, Maui – 84
Hilo, Hawaii – 81
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 82

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

Honolulu, Oahu-  72F
Molokai airport – 64F

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

0.27 WAINIHA, KAUAI
1.29 AHUIMANU LOOP, OAHU
0.05 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.09 OHEO GULCH, MAUI
0.02 WAIAKEA UKA, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1028 millibar high pressure system located far to the NE…moving away towards the NW coast of California. Winds will be light Wednesday, with a surge of cool north winds flooding into the state Thursday behind a cold front that will sweep into 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 weather here in the islands will remain nice for the next two days, then become windier starting Thursday.  The trade winds will continue to be the dominant weather influence as we through the next several days. These trade winds will blow mostly in the light 5-15 mph category, although there will be some localized breezy conditions during the afternoons here and there. These balmy trade wind breezes aren’t expected to change much in character through Wednesday. As we move into the second half of the week however, our trade wind speeds will surge in strength…only to calm down again by New Years Eve day.
 
The showery weather we saw along Maui’s windward sides Christmas day, has slipped away, leaving better weather in its wake. The latest computer forecast model output keeps a more or less dry weather pattern in place through Wednesday. The second half of the week should see some increase in showers, but the vast majority of those showers will spill along the windward coasts and slopes. As usual, the resort filled leeward sections will continue to see more or less pleasant weather.  

As you just read in the two paragraphs leading down to this one…we have some changes coming our way starting Thursday. A weak cold front will work its way down through the state Wednesday night through Thursday night. The windward sides of the islands will find the greatest change from this very pleasant weather pattern we have going on now. The long and short of this will be that the trade winds will become stronger, and the windward sides will find a period of showers moving in.

It’s late Tuesday afternoon here in Kula, Maui, as I start writing this pre-sunset commentary. Reflecting back on my Christmas Day, I feel fortunate that I had close friends to be with. I started by by making my neighbors a hearty breakfast, followed by a frothy cappucino. I had time to relax and open my many presents before heading into the misty weather in Makawao, for an outdoor bbq with another set of friends. A bunch of us ate outside on the picnic table, under a big mango tree…with drops of water falling down on us, but somehow no one really paid that much attention. Then I drove deeper into the showers, heading for another set of friends in Haiku. We had a small intimate dinner, with turkey and all the fixin’s, followed by cakes and decaffe coffee. I drove back up to Kula after a full days worth of relating and eating, and rejoicing the season. Today I had off from work, and have luxuriated on the couch mostly, catching up on lots of reading material. I’ll be back to work Wednesday, so will have your next weather narrative waiting for you in the morning. I won’t have the TV weather show to do, so I’ll be getting up an hour later than usual. I hope you have a great Tuesday night! Aloha for now…Glenn. 

Note: If you leave a response in the box below, and come back and don’t see it, or the reply that I have added, please click Archived Narratives, and find the date that you left your response.  If you just want to go back and find a past narrative, or see some other pictures…you can find them in the archived area as well.