Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs
Posted by GlennJuly 20-21 2007
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Friday:
Lihue, Kauai – 85F
Honolulu, Oahu – 88
Kaneohe, Oahu – 84
Kahului, Maui – 89
Hilo, Hawaii – 81
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 87
Temperatures early Saturday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Honolulu, Oahu – 78F
Hilo, Hawaii – 73
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours on each of the major islands, as of Saturday morning:
0.57 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
1.35 MANOA LYON ARBORETUM, OAHU
0.18 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
1.92 PUU KUKUI, MAUI
5.01 GLENWOOD, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a moderately strong 1028 millibar high pressure system located to the NNW Hawaii Saturday. The trade winds will remain moderately strong over Hawaii’s marine environment…although locally stronger and gusty in those usual windiest locations through most of the weekend. As tropical depression Cosme moves by to the south of the Hawaiian Islands, local winds will become locally stronger and gusty. 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.
Waipio coast on the Big Island
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.
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 chance that the islands of Maui County could see some of this moisture plume arrive as well. It’s still not clear how much, if any, of this rainfall will make it to Oahu and Kauai. Here’s an animated satellite image showing Cosme to the SE of Hawaii. Additionally, we will start to see an increase in surf size along the east and SE facing shores, especially on the Big Island, as the swells generated by this tropical system arrive. A high surf advisory is now in effect for the east facing shores of all the islands.
The latest forecast coming out of the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu, shows the system moving by safely to the south of the Big Island. If it remains on this track, it will be close enough however to bring its associated tropical rainfall to at least the southern part of the Aloha state. This began to happen first on the Big Island, with some chance that a few heavy showers will move up over Maui’s windward sides with time as well. It’s not certain yet, but there is a slight chance that the other islands may see some of these showers Saturday. Residents on the Big Island should be aware that a flash flood watch is in effect, indicating that flooding rainfall is likely…but not yet occurring.
In terms of wind speeds…this low pressure vortex (Cosme), will enhance the strength of our local trade winds. We now see small craft wind advisories over all the coastal waters, with a chance that gale warnings may be needed in the major channels in the southern part of the state. A wind advisory is still in effect over the summits of Maui and the Big Island…where especially strong winds are expected. The winds could get strong enough in those wind prone areas in other areas around the state, to be a potential problem, becoming quite blustery in places.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.
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