Weather Details and Aloha Paragraphs
Posted by GlennDecember 7-8 2006
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Thursday:
Lihue, Kauai – 78F
Honolulu, Oahu – 82
Kaneohe, Oahu – 78
Kahului, Maui – 81
Hilo, Hawaii – 82
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 84
Temperatures early Friday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Lihue, Kauai – 74F
Hilo airport – 67F
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:
0.44 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.71 OAHU FOREST NWR, OAHU
0.08 MOLOKAI
0.01 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
1.00 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.19 HILO AIRPORT, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1027 millibar high pressure system to the north of our islands…with ridges extending out of its flanks to the east and west. This high pressure cell will provide moderately strong trade winds 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.
Aloha Paragraphs
Photo Credit: Flikr.com
Gusty trade winds are flooding into the state Thursday, as a high pressure system moves by to the north of the Hawaiian Islands. The leading edge of this new surge of trade winds rode in on the heels of a shearline cloud band…which moved down into the state, stalling over Maui County. These winds are going to be slightly cool to the feel for a short while, and are strong enough to have triggered small craft advisories in all Hawaiian waters. As a matter of fact, these blustery winds are strong enough over the islands too, that a wind advisory for strong and gusty winds over the islands is in effect as well. We could see winds gusting in those locally windiest spots to almost 50 mph today, gradually backing off Friday.
These increasingly strong trade winds will carry in an increase in showers to the windward sides at times Thursday. The aforementioned shearline cloud band brought the first round of showers into the windward sides. The leftover moisture from this dissipating weather feature will keep a few passing showers falling along the north through east facing coasts and slopes. The expectation is for considerably drier air to move into the state starting Friday, so breezy weather, but with limited showers should be the net result as we move into the weekend. It is December, and considering the climatological norm, it wouldn’t surprise me to see a cold front come knocking on our doorstep at some point by later next week.
Large to very large surf will be breaking along our north through NW shores now. This first swell, in a series of large swells, arrived late Wednesday on Kauai and Oahu, and has worked its way down into the rest of the state Thursday. This first swell will be followed by more large waves as we move through the rest of this week. Please use caution if you find yourself at a beach where rough surf is breaking. More people die from high surf than any other natural hazard here in Hawaii!
It’s early Thursday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I begin writing this sunset commentary. Despite a few showers falling along the windward coasts and slopes, Thursday turned out to be quite a nice day overall. The sunshine beamed down strongly along the leeward coasts, with nice beach weather prevailing in most places. The winds were strong and gusty in some areas, with the top gust that I saw during the afternoon reported at South Point on the Big Island…where a 47 mph reading occurred! As I was driving home from work this evening, I passed through several pockets of low hanging clouds, qualifying as fog, as I came up through the pasturelands between Pukalani and Kula…which I enjoyed a lot. I’m starting to get excited about flying over to the island of Oahu Friday after work! This trip is centered around the U2 concert at the Aloha stadium. Besides that fun music event, I’m looking forward to hanging out with my weather reporters on that island, those folks who provide me with live daily reports for my TV weather show and this website too. I’ll be away from my computer from Friday afternoon through Monday morning, just as a heads up. I hope you have a great Thursday night wherever you happen to be spending it. I’ll be back dark and early Friday morning with your next weather narrative. Aloha for now…Glenn.
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