Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs
Posted by GlennJuly 21-22 2007
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Saturday:
Lihue, Kauai – 85F
Honolulu, Oahu – 88
Kaneohe, Oahu – 83
Kahului, Maui – 88
Hilo, Hawaii – 86
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 85
Temperatures early Sunday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 5 a.m. hour:
Lihue, Kauai – 77F
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 Sunday morning:
2.74 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
1.80 MANOA LYON ARBORETUM, OAHU
0.20 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
5.22 PUU KUKUI, MAUI
2.45 HAKALAU, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a high pressure system located to the NNW Hawaii. The trade winds will remain moderately strong over Hawaii’s marine environment…although locally stronger and gusty in those usual windiest locations through Monday. 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. Here’s a tracking map covering both the eastern and central Pacific Ocean.
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.
Palms, sandy beach, and of course the blue ocean
Rainy weather associated with tropical depression Cosme, moved over the Big Island Friday evening into early Saturday morning…continuing at times along the Kona slopes during the afternoon hours. The Big Island of Hawaii began to see the influence from tropical depression Cosme Friday morning, when showers moved into the east side of that southern-most island. The bulk of the heaviest rainfall has now passed that island, although in the wake of the system, there will remain quite a few showers through the day Saturday…with still the chance of a few heavy downpours along the leeward mountain slopes. The largest rainfall amount during the 24 hour period was a generous 6.86" at Hakalau, along the windward side. Here’s an animated looping radar image, so you can keep an eye on where showers are falling.
Tropical cyclone Cosme remains at the tropical depression category Saturday, and is forecast to remain so through Sunday. This tropical system started out last weekend as tropical depression 06E, or the sixth tropical cyclone of the 2007 hurricane season. It then strengthened into a tropical storm, then briefly a hurricane, before being downgraded back into a tropical storm…and now all the way down to a depression. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu is forecasting this storm to pass safely to the south of the rest of the islands through Sunday. Here’s a tracking map…so you can follow the progress of Cosme.
Cosme was close enough to bring the northern fringe of its shower bearing moisture field up over the Big Island, although the other islands where too far north to see these heavy showers…although a few places on Maui got some soaking rainfall too. Rainfall from this tropical source stretched up over the windward sides of Oahu and Kauai…although were mostly the light misty variety. Here’s an animated satellite image showing Cosme to the south and SW of the Hawaii Islands. There will be passing showers along the windward sides of all the islands into Sunday…with a chance that the leeward slopes on the Big Island may find showers popping up again Sunday afternoon. The atmosphere left in the wake of Cosme is very warm and humid, so that all islands will feel muggy for another day or two.
In terms of wind speeds…this low pressure vortex (Cosme), enhanced the strength of our local trade winds Saturday, although likely calm down some Sunday. We find small craft wind advisories having been pulled back to only those windiest areas around Maui and the Big Island. Winds were stronger than normal as Cosme moved by to our south. Those places that are in the usual windiest locations, when strong trade winds blow, will see winds up over 30 mph at times, with gusts near the 40 mph mark locally over parts of Maui and the Big Island. The trade winds will mellow-out starting later Sunday, with moderately strong trades prevailing during the new week ahead.This satellite image will show the clouds associated with Cosme. Weather conditions will improve gradually as this tropical system moves away to the west, with fairly routine trade wind conditions starting Sunday into the new week ahead. So, as it turned out, Cosme came just close enough to douse the Big Island and parts of Maui with localized heavy rain, but remained to far south to provide its much needed heavy showers to the other island’s leeward sides. The computer forecast models handled Cosme’s movements very well, keeping all the major precipitation pretty much confined to the windward side of the Big Island and Maui. ~~~ I’ll be back early Sunday morning with your next weather narrative. Aloha for now…Glenn.
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