Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs
Posted by GlennJune 20-21 2007
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Wednesday:
Lihue, Kauai – 84F
Honolulu, Oahu – 88
Kaneohe, Oahu – 83
Kahului, Maui – 89
Hilo, Hawaii – 83
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 85
Temperatures early Thursday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Honolulu, Oahu – 76F
Hilo, Hawaii – 70
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:
2.51 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.31 PUNALUU PUMP, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.27 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.37 GLENWOOD, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a relatively strong 1036 millibar high pressure system far to the NNW of the islands. The trade winds will gradually pick up a bit Thursday into Friday, as the pressure gradient tightens across the Hawaiian Islands now. 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.
Tropical Cyclone activity in the eastern and central Pacific – Here’s the latest information coming out of the National Hurricane Center, covering the eastern north Pacific. You can find the latest tropical cyclone information for the central north Pacific (where Hawaii is located) by clicking on this link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.
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.
Lava rock coves
This last full day of spring 2007 will have the trade winds blowing across the entire length of the Hawaiian Islands. Weather maps show a high pressure system to our NNW…moving closer to Hawaii over the next several days. As this high pressure cell gets into closer range, our local trade winds will increase a notch Thursday. We’ve temporarily lost our small craft wind advisory around Maui and the Big Island, although we will see it reappear soon. The trade winds will remain active through the rest of this week. The latest computer forecast model data shows that the trade winds could escalate again right after this coming weekend.
Whatever showers that are being carried towads the state on the breezy trade winds will end up along the windward coasts for the most part. As the trade winds increase in strength a bit Thursday…we may see a modest increase in windward showers then. Without any upper level troughs of low pressure in our vicinity however, there won’t be any significant change in our local precipitation pattern for the time being. The leeward sides will see plentiful morning sunshine, with the usual afternoon scattered clouds developing…with a few possible showers in the upcountry areas here and there.
It’s Wednesday here in Kula, Maui, as I begin writing this last paragraph of today’s narrative. As noted in the two paragraphs above, nothing out of the ordinary has happened, is happening, or expected to happen here in the islands. We find ourselves moving through the last few hours of our spring season, quickly heading towards the summer solstice, which occurs here in the islands at a few minutes past 8am Thursday morning. There’s always something a little special about these changing of the seasons, just like there is during a full or crescent moon I suppose. I always find it interesting to consider that as we, here in the northern hemisphere move into summer…downunder, in the southern hemisphere, winter is starting! ~~~ When I think about summer, as I was growing up in southern California as a kid, the main thing was getting out of school for three months. As I ponder that feeling, it reminds me how very special it was…not having to go to school during the summer was, well…just fabulous! It was kind of like I suppose, being released from jail or something. Fortunately I’ve never been in jail, although I was drafted into the army way back when, and when I was released from that active duty, after spending a year in Viet Nam, it had the same kind of good feeling as starting summer vacation as a kid. ~~~ Not exactly sure where that all came from, oh yeah, somehow it was tied into starting the summer here soon. I hope you enjoy your last few moments of spring, and if you’re several time zones ahead of us here in Hawaii, the first few hours of your summer too. I’ll be back here early Thursday with your next weather narrative. Aloha for now…Glenn.
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