May 3-4 2007
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Thursday:
Lihue, Kauai – 82F
Honolulu, Oahu – 84
Kaneohe, Oahu – 81
Kahului, Maui – 88
Hilo, Hawaii – 81
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 82
Temperatures early Friday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Lihue, Kauai – 75F
Kahului, Maui – 68
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:
1.61 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
1.12 POAMOHO 2, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.01 KAHULUI AIRPORT, MAUI
0.08 MOUNTAIN VIEW, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1030 millibar high pressure center located far to the NE of Hawaii Friday…which is moving away towards the NE. The winds over the ocean are blowing ESE to SE, with a trend downward in wind speeds 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
The beautiful purple flowered Jacaranda Tree
The peak of this week’s windy weather has occurred, with some slight moderation of the gusty conditions starting today, and continuing into the first part of the upcoming weekend. Today’s weather map shows a hefty 1030 millibar high pressure system in a location NE of the state of Hawaii. Ridges run from the east and west flanks of this trade wind producing high pressure cell, extending to the International Dateline, then over into the eastern Pacific Ocean…paralleling the west coast of the Baja Peninsula offshore. This anticyclone will keep moderately strong winds across our area of the north central Pacific today…although with still a few 40+ mph gusts in those locally windiest spots. This air flow has taken on a ESE or even SE direction as it enters the Hawaiian coastal waters now. This orientation sets up some degree of a split as the winds wrap around the Big Island. This in turn creates to some degree a wind shadow effect in the downstream islands. It also brings some volcanic haze (vog) up from the Big Island, to the islands of Maui County, and even as far as some parts of Oahu. Thus, our local winds have begun to soften a little in places, at least compared to what we saw blowing earlier this week. The small craft advisory in the coastal waters has been scaled back…now covering only the Alenuihaha Channel between Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii, and the leeward waters of the Big Island. This slightly lighter wind flow from the ESE and SE will remain fixed through the next couple of days. The long range computer models suggest that already by Sunday, a new high pressure system to the NW will move into range of Hawaii, triggering a new upsurge in our trade wind speeds then into next week. The trade winds are expected to continue through the rest of next week, and if we use climatology as a guide…through much of the rest of this month.
Showers will be few and far between, most notably falling along the windward sides during the night and early morning hours. Mid-level high pressure ridging remains in place over the islands, which will keep our local atmosphere quite stable and dry. The leeward sides will remain almost completely dry, except for a few stray showers sneaking over the lower mountains on the smaller islands. There are no organized rain producing systems on our weather horizon at this time, so that these dry weather conditions will persist for quite some time…at least through the rest of this week into the early part of next week.
It’s early Thursday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I begin writing this sunset commentary. Each day as I drive home to Kula, I keep wondering if this is the peak day for the blossoming Jacaranda Trees? Today seemed to me that, indeed yes, they are in full bloom now…which is such a lovely sight to behold! When you drive up through the pasturelands between Pukalani and Kula, all along the road there they are, with their magnificent purple flowers standing out so distinctly against the green grass on the slopes all around. The flowers are dropping now too, with little drifts of purple flowers piled up like a recent snowfall. Visitors and residents alike stop their cars, getting out to take pictures of this lovely sight. If you live here on Maui, now is the time to make the trip upcountry for your own Jacaranda sighting…although it will be happening through the next several weeks as well. I’ve tried however to pinpoint the climax of this event, and I’m quite sure that the next several days will qualify for this special occasion. I’ll try and find another couple of pictures of these gorgeous trees over the next several days. I hope you have a great Thursday night wherever you happen to be spending it, luxuriating under the still very large first near full moon of this month! I’ll meet you back here first thing Friday morning, what we call "Aloha Friday" here in the islands, with your next weather narrative. Aloha for now…Glenn.
TV weather show online now: It’s not exactly like watching it on your television, but it’s a fairly close approximation. Each day’s new show will replace the previous days show (Monday through Friday) at some point between 10am and noon (HST) in Hawaii. If you click here, it will take you to the website where it can be viewed. I want to thank the kind folks at the Maui Media Lab, located in Paia, Maui for this opportunity to show what’s happening weatherwise here in Hawaiian Islands! By the way, you will need to have a quicktime viewer on your computer to view the feed…you can get the free download here if it’s not already loaded on your machine.
May 2-3 2007
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Wednesday:
Lihue, Kauai – 82F
Honolulu, Oahu – 85
Kaneohe, Oahu – 81
Kahului, Maui – 85
Hilo, Hawaii – 83
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 84
Temperatures early Thursday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Lihue, Kauai – 75F
Hilo, Hawaii – 68
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours on each of the major islands, as of Thursday morning:
0.91 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.19 POAMOHO 2, OAHU
0.01 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.17 OHEO GULCH, MAUI
0.30 GLENWOOD, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1029 millibar high pressure center located far to the NE of Hawaii Thursday. This high pressure cell will be our primary trade wind producer, with our winds blowing in the moderately strong category…with locally strong and gusty conditions during the afternoons. 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
Full moon in the early morning sky…on the Big Island of Hawaii
The trade winds will remain rather blustery today…very gradually getting lighter Thursday into Friday. The NWS forecast office in Honolulu has pulled back on the small craft advisory, which now covers only those windiest places in the southern part of the state of Hawaii’s coastal waters Wednesday. A late season cold front will be moving by to the north starting Thursday. This front won’t make it down to the islands, but will soften our local winds gradually now into Friday, keeping them a little lighter through the weekend. The long range computer forecast models suggest that moderately strong trade winds will return early next week…with the promise of more good weather!
There will be a few showers falling, focused most intently along the windward coasts and slopes. Mid-level high pressure ridging over the islands will keep our local atmosphere quite stable. This in turn will limit shower production to some extent. The night and morning hours will be the favored time for those incoming showers, carried by the brisk trade winds. The leeward sides will remain mostly dry, except for a few stray showers sneaking over the lower mountains on the smaller islands. There are no organized rain producing systems on our
weather horizon at this time, so that there will be no problems in the precipitation department!
It’s early Wednesday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I begin writing this full moon sunset commentary. Did you know that today’s full moon will be repeated another time this month? Yes, there will be two full moon’s in May, which is an unusual event! The second full moon, at the very end of the month, is called the blue moon. No, not because it will be a shade of blue, but rather referring to the old adage, "as rare as a blue moon"…like something that is very unusual. This is interesting stuff, going way back in history. ~~~ On another note, I happened to notice that while I was driving along the Hana HIghway, and just as I started up the Haleakala Highway, my car thermometer was reading 82F degrees. Coming up that 3,000 feet from near sea level, on up the highway to my place in Kula, the air temperature had dropped to 67F degrees when I got home some 20 minutes later. This is the basic reason that I am willing to make the drive from my place of work in Kihei, up the mountain to Kula…because I love the cooler temperatures upcountry. There are other reasons as well, although I would say that that is the primary one. There’s also the great views down to the ocean, some people call them the "million dollar" views! I also like driving up through the pasturelands, seeing the blooming Jacaranda trees, the Hawaiian Owls flying in the fields looking for mice to snag, the peace and quiet, and just being away from the hubbub of the traffic "down below." ~~~ There’s still quite a few clouds around this evening, blocking the full moon’s rise, although as it begins to get darker, there it will be…again, the first full moon of the month! I hope you have a chance to see it where you are too. I’ll be back very early, what sometimes feels like extremely early on Thursday morning, sitting back down at this desk, in front of my computer screen, typing out the next weather narrative from paradise for you, yes you! Have a good one…Aloha, Glenn.
TV weather show online now: At long last, my tv weather program is available on the internet! It’s not exactly like watching your TV set, but it’s a fairly close approximation. Each day’s new show will replace the previous days show (Monday through Friday) at some point between 10am and noon (HST) in Hawaii. If you click here, it will take you to the website where it can be viewed. I want to thank the kind folks at the Maui Media Lab, located in Paia, Maui for this opportunity to show what’s happening weatherwise here in Hawaiian Islands! By the way, you will need to have a quicktime viewer on your computer to view the feed…you can get the free download here if it’s not already loaded on your machine.
May 1-2 2007
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Tuesday:
Lihue, Kauai – 82F
Honolulu, Oahu – 84
Kaneohe, Oahu – 80
Kahului, Maui – 84
Hilo, Hawaii – 82
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 84
Temperatures early Wednesday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Kaneohe, Oahu – 75F
Hilo, Hawaii – 68
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:
0.84 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.15 SOUTH FORK KAUKONAHUA, OAHU
0.02 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.25 OHEO GULCH, MAUI
0.39 HILO AIRPORT, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1026 millibar high pressure center located far to the north of Hawaii Wednesday. This high pressure cell will be our primary trade wind producer, with our winds blowing in the moderately strong category…with locally strong and gusty conditions during the afternoons into Thursday. 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
The end to another perfect day in Hawaii
The trade winds will be ramping-up a notch or two here in the islands Tuesday, peaking in strength Wednesday…then easing back down again already starting Thursday. The NWS forecast office in Honolulu issued small craft advisories in the windiest places around the state Tuesday, which will be extended to entire state starting early Wednesday morning. A late season cold front will be moving by to the north during the second half of the week. This front won’t make down to the islands, but will be responsible for helping to soften our local winds starting Thursday. These lighter winds will veer to the ESE over the Kauai end of the island chain Friday into the weekend. The long range computer forecast models suggest that light to moderately strong trade winds will return early next week.
The bias for showers will remain fixed on the north and east facing windward coasts and slopes for the time being…at least for the most part. Often when the trade winds surge a bit, like they are doing now…we see an increase in showers. There could be a few briefly heavy downpours along the windward sides of the islands, especially during the night and early morning hours. Later in the week, as the winds soften, we could see another small increase in showers locally. As we move into next week, we’ll shift right back into a normal trade wind weather pattern, with just the usual few passing showers falling here and there.
It’s early Tuesday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I begin writing this sunset commentary. Today was Lei Day here in the Hawaiian Islands, and it hardly could have been a better day, at least from a weather perspective. I was blessed to be wearing a beautiful flower lei all day, which was a heady experience, especially in the area around my nose…as the scent wafting off those gorgeous white flowers had me in lalaland! 
The winds were up, which got the coconut palm trees "rockin’ and rollin’" pretty good…along with putting a billion or so white caps onto the ocean surface in our coastal waters. Wednesday looks like another good day (how could anyday in Hawaii be a bad day?) coming up, with lots of sunshine bathing the leeward beaches. The windward sides will find showers falling at times, but nothing too untowards in intensity. Let’s face it, the spring months are simply gorgeous down here in the tropical Pacific! I hope you have a pleasant Tuesday night, and that, perhaps, you will stop by for another peek at what all’s happening down here in paradise, using this website as a vehicle. Don’t forget you can see the tv weather show now, that is if you don’t mind a very complete coverage of the weather here in Hawaii! Aloha for now…Glenn.
TV weather show online now: At long last, my tv weather program is available on the internet! It’s not exactly like watching your TV set, but it’s a fairly close approximation. Each day’s new show will replace the previous days show (Monday through Friday) at some point between 10am and noon (HST) in Hawaii. If you click here, it will take you to the website where it can be viewed. I want to thank the kind folks at the Maui Media Lab, located in Paia, Maui for this opportunity to show what’s happening weatherwise here in Hawaiian Islands! By the way, you will need to have a quicktime viewer on your computer to view the feed…you can get the free download here if it’s not already loaded on your machine.
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