Friday started off in a fairly routine manner, with moderately strong trade winds blowing, along with some of the usual windward biased showers falling here and there. The Big Island of Hawaii began to see the influence from tropical depression Cosme, when showers moved into the east side of that southern island. The trade winds will be increasing rather significantly overnight into Saturday, as Cosme moves by to our south. It would be wise for all concerns in the Hawaiian Islands to remain aware of this tropical system, and be ready to act quickly in the event of flooding rainfall in their area, and also to respond to the strong and gusty trade winds that will be blowing locally.

Tropical cyclone Cosme remains at the tropical depression category Friday evening. This tropical system started out this past 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 to the south of the Big Island Friday night, and south of the rest of the state through Saturday. Here’s a tracking map…so you can follow the progress of Cosme. 

In sum: getting windier and locally wetter into Saturday…especially on the Big Island. We can use this satellite image to keep track of the clouds associated with Cosme. Weather conditions will improve after the passage of this tropical system, with fairly routine trade wind conditions starting Sunday into next week. It would be wise to keep an eye on this tropical system as it moves in a more or less westerly direction to our south. ~~~ I’ll be back early Saturday morning with your next weather narrative. Aloha for now…Glenn.

There will be a few showers along the windward sides in some places into Friday. These unusual out of season bands of showers, will bring a little more moisture into the state, although again, most of the associated precipitation will fall on the windward coasts and slopes. The Big Island of Hawaii will begin to see some influence from tropical system Cosme Friday, at which point more significant rain will move into the Aloha state. The trade winds are expected to remain in the more or less moderately strong realms, and then increase rather significantly later Friday into Saturday, as Cosme moves by to our south.

Tropical cyclone Cosme, rating a tropical depression designation, is moving through the central Pacific. This tropical system started out this past 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 to the south of the Big Island Friday night, and south of the rest of the state through Saturday. Here’s a tracking map…so you can follow the progress of Cosme. It will be close enough to bring the northern fringe of its shower bearing moisture field up over the Big Island, with potentially heavy rain falling in places there. There’s a decent chance that Maui, Molokai and perhaps even Oahu and Kauai could see this moisture plume arrive as well. At this point, the best guess is that the windward sides of the Big Island would see as much as 5+ inches of rain, Maui 2-3 inches…and 1-2 inches on Oahu and Kauai. Here’s an animated satellite image showing Cosme to the ESE of Hawaii. Additionally, we should start to see an increase in surf size along the east facing shores, especially on the Big Island, as the swells generated by this tropical system arrive.

It’s Thursday evening here in Hawaii as I begin writing this last paragraph of today’s tropical weather narrative. Everyone in the Hawaiian Islands should be paying close attention to the approach of this tropical system, which will be moving close to the Hawaiian Islands soon. The latest forecasts coming out of the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu, shows the system moving by just south of the Big Island. If it remains on this track, it will be close enough to bring its associated showers to the 50th state. This would begin to happen first on the Big Island Friday, and then for the rest of the islands into Saturday. Residents on the Big Island, and perhaps other parts of the state, should be aware that localized flooding is certainly a possibility. ~~~ In terms of wind speeds…this low pressure vortex (Cosme), will enhance the strength of our local trade winds. We will likely need small craft wind advisories over all the coastal waters, and perhaps even wind advisories over the islands themselves, as the low pressure center moves by, moving in a more or less west to WNW direction. The winds could get strong enough in those wind prone areas, to be a problem, becoming quite blustery in places. In sum, getting windier and wetter later Friday into Saturday…especially on the Big Island. Let’s use this satellite image to keep track of the clouds associated with Cosme. Weather conditions will improve after the passage of this tropical system, with fairly routine trade wind conditions prevailing into next week. ~~~ I’ll be back early Friday morning with your next weather narrative, including the latest news about approaching tropical depression Cosme…the first tropical system to move near the islands during this 2007 hurricane season. Aloha for now…Glenn.

A new area of clouds will increase showers falling along the windward sides later Wednesday night into Thursday. These unusual out of season bands of clouds, seen on satellite imagery to the north of the islands, will bring more welcome moisture into the state, although again, most of the associated precipitation will fall on the windward coasts and slopes. Local weather conditions on Friday will be fine, although the Big Island will begin to see some influence from tropical system Cosme. The trade winds are expected to remain in the more or less moderately strong realms for the next few days, and then increase in speed later Friday into Saturday, as Cosme moves by to our south.

Tropical cyclone Cosme, now down graded to a tropical depression, has moved from the eastern Pacific into our central Pacific now. This storm started out this past 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 Big Island. Here is a tracking map, so you can follow the progress of Cosme. It’s looking likely that whatever is left of Cosme will be close enough to bring the northern fringe of its shower bearing moisture field up over the Big Island, Maui, Molokai and perhaps even Oahu and Kauai as well. The windward sides of the Big Island may see as much as 3-5 inches, Maui 1-3 inches…and 1-2 inches on Oahu and Kauai. The forecast at this point is to have Cosme bring some weather changes to Hawaii starting Friday, continuing into Saturday. Additionally, we should start to see some increase in surf size along the east facing showers, again especially on the Big Island, as the swells generated by this tropical system arrive here in Hawaii.

It’s Wednesday here in Hawaii as I begin writing this last paragraph of today’s tropical weather narrative. The big weather news here in the Hawaiian Islands, as you might suspect, is the tropical depression out to the ESE of our fragile islands. It looks to me like this system will certainly move south of the Big Island, and more than likely close enough to bring its associated showers to the 50th state as well. This would begin to happen first on the Big Island Friday, and then for the rest of the islands into Saturday. The wild card is how strong the winds will be. The system itself, which will remain a tropical depression as it moves by to our south…by more than a hundred miles, won’t have strong winds left in it. Actually, what will happen is that this low pressure vortex, will enhance the strength of our local trade winds. We will likely need small craft wind advisories this weekend as the low pressure center spins by, moving in a more or less westerly direction. The winds won’t likely be too much of a problem, but will certainly become at least somewhat blustery in places. In sum, getting windier and wetter Friday into Saturday. Let’s use this satellite image to keep track of the clouds associated with tropical depression Cosme. Weather conditions will improve markedly after the passage of this tropical system, with fairly routine trade wind conditions prevailing into next week. ~~~ I’ll be back early Thursday morning with your next weather narrative. Aloha for now…Glenn.

Leftover moisture from this past weekend’s old frontal cloud band, kept Hawaiian skies cloudier and more showery than normal Monday, although conditions will dry out as we head into Wednesday. Accumulations were generally light, although the exception was the upcountry leeward slopes on Maui and the Big Island. The Kona slopes on the Big Island were especially well favored…where thunderstorms popped-up Monday afternoon. These leftover showers will continue to bring off and on showers Tuesday, although thereafter, at least through Wednesday, things will return to more or less normal. A second old front may bring another possible batch of showers into the state Thursday, although most of the associated precipitation will remain fixed on the windward coasts and slopes then…and especially over the Kauai end of the state. The trade winds are expected to remain in the more or less moderately strong realms through the work week, and then may increase in speed by the weekend, depending upon what happens with Cosme.

The tropical cyclone, named Cosme, currently in the eastern Pacific, briefly attained hurricane status Monday…although was quickly downgraded back into a tropical storm. This storm started out this past weekend as tropical depression 06E, or the sixth tropical cyclone of the 2007 hurricane season. All the available computer forecast models show it coming near our Hawaiian Islands, although it is still too early to know exactly what influence it may have just yet. At any rate, here is a tracking map, so you can follow its progress in our direction. The best hope is that it would come close enough to bring its much needed rainfall, and by the time it got close enough to do that…the strong and gusty winds would be gone. The forecast at this point is to have Cosme bring some weather changes to Hawaii starting late Friday, continuing into Saturday…most notably to the Big Island of Hawaii.

It’s Tuesday here in Hawaii as I begin writing this last paragraph of today’s weather narrative. The latest guidance shows tropical storm Cosme moving steadily towards the Hawaiian Islands. As noted above, it is still too early to say exactly what this storm will do in terms of wind. There’s more certainty that this tropical system will bring rainy weather to at least some parts of the state. The current forecast track shows Cosme moving by just south of the Big Island, with sustained winds there, which are directly associated with what is likely to be a tropical depression…of around 35 mph, with stronger gusts near 45 mph. The trade winds could become locally strong and gusty through the rest of the state, as this tropical vortex passes by to the south. The best guess at this point has Cosme moving close to the state, bringing an increase in showers, and locally strong and gusty winds. This outlook could be altered over the course of the next several days, as subtle changes in the atmosphere occur. Surf along the east facing shores may begin rising some as early as Friday, as the storm’s swell arrives. Everyone in Hawaii, and all mariners especially, should be keeping an eye on this approaching storm. and paying close attention to its movments. ~~~ I’ll be back early Wednesday morning with your next weather narrative. Aloha for now…Glenn.

The cloud band that brought showers to many areas of the Aloha state this past weekend, has mostly fallen apart…although some windward areas, especially around the Big Island, will continue to see showers. Accumulations will be generally light, with the leeward sides remaining mostly dry through at least the next several days. The exception is the upcountry leeward slopes, especially in Kona…where rain has continued, with even the threat of thunderstorms Monday afternoon. These leftover showers will continue to bring off and on showers into Tuesday, although thereafter, at least through Wednesday, things will return to more or less normal. The trade winds will play an active part in our Hawaiian Island weather picture through the work week, with a degree of uncertainty developing by the weekend…as a tropical system moves close to the state then.

The latest computer forecast models show that another unusual weather occurrence may unfold, during the second half of the work week.  This will entail a possible out of season old cold front arriving around Thursday. Complicating matters further, an upper level low pressure system is forecast to slide overhead during the second half of the work week as well. The combination of the incoming moisture, which could be enhanced by the upper level low…could bring another round of showers into the state, although probably most active on Kauai and Oahu. This would be welcome news, as this past weekends showers weren’t near enough, or widespread enough to break the back of the current drought conditions that presently exists in Hawaii.  

As noted in the first paragraph, there’s a good chance that a tropical system may move close to the state this weekend. Before anyone gets too nervous about this, the chances are that the current hurricane Cosme will be downgraded to a tropical storm or even a tropical depression by the time it gets near our islands…or passes to the south. This storm started out recently in the eastern Pacific as tropical depression 06E, or the sixth tropical cyclone of the 2007 hurricane season. The models show it coming very near our Hawaiian Islands, although it is still too early to know what influence it may or may not have just yet. At any rate, here is a tracking map, so you can follow its progress in our general direction. The best hope is that it would come close enough to bring some much needed rainfall, and by the time it got close enough to do that, that all the strong and gusty winds would be gone.

It’s Monday here in Hawaii as I begin writing this last paragraph of today’s weather narrative. If you had a chance to read down through the paragraphs above, you will know by now that it is an unusual period in terms of weather now. First we had an old cold front, or the tail-end of one, bring out of season showers to the islands this past weekend, which are still falling around the Big Island. Then we find a chance of yet another out of season old frontal cloud band arriving Thursday, bringing the chance of more showers then into Friday. As if all that wasn’t eough, what is currently hurricane Cosme, could bring some chance of increased showers and wind close to the Hawaiian islands, as a tropical storm this coming weekend. Despite the fact that Cosme has increased in strength, to a hurricane, the models show it weakening again soon, and perhaps all the way down to much weaker tropical storm or tropical depression before it gets near our area. At any rate, again, we are hoping for some bit of its moisture field to move over the state of Hawaii, which would bring much needed precipitation then. I will keep you closely updated on this prospect as this weather situation unfolds. Please note the storm tracking map in the paragraph above. ~~~ I’ll be back early Tuesday morning with your next weather narrative. I hope you have a great Monday night wherever you happen to be spending it. Aloha for now…Glenn. 

An out of season cloud band, which can be thought of as the tail-end of an old cold front, coming down from the north and NE…briefly took away or summer weather. The vast majority of this incoming cloudiness, with its occasional mostly light showers, are focused on the windward sides of the islands on Maui and the Big Island. All of the islands were previously being graced with this very welcome shower event, although as usual, the leeward sides came up with the short end of the stick in terms of overall rainfall. 

It’s Sunday here in Hawaii, as I begin to write this last paragraph of today’s narrative. The interesting thing about this showery weather event, is that it just "isn’t suppose to happen" during our summer months. Sure, we sometimes get some tropical moisture being pulled up from the deeper tropics during the summer months, but rarely coming in from the mid-latitudes to our north and NE! Another interesting thing is what the computer forecast models are suggesting will happen this next weekend, which is for a retired tropical depression, called 6E, to move near the islands…bringing the chance of another round of showers then. We’ll definitely have to remain in the "wait and see" mode before getting too serious about this long range forecast. For the moment, we are very happy to see the clouds and localized showers, some of which will be falling in areas that have seen a prolonged dry spell…leading to drought conditions so far this summer. ~~~ As I mentioned yesterday, this weekend is my birthday, I’m taking both days, rather than just one, just to stretch out the fun…which I’ve been having a lot of! Thanks for all your birthday wishes, they’ve been fun to read. I’ll be back early Monday morning with your next weather narrative from the tropics. Aloha for now…Glenn.