Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs
Posted by GlennJuly 31-August 1 2007
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Tuesday:
Lihue, Kauai – 85F
Honolulu, Oahu – 88
Kaneohe, Oahu – 85
Kahului, Maui – 87
Hilo, Hawaii – 83
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 85
Temperatures early Wednesday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Honolulu, Oahu – 78F
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:
1.48 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.52 MANOA LYON ARBORETUM, OAHU
0.11 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.02 KAHOOLAWE
1.09 HANA AIRPORT, MAUI
0.30 KEALAKEKUA, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1028 millibar high pressure system located far NE of Hawaii…with its associated ridge extending SW to a point north of Hawaii Wednesday. The trade winds will remain light to moderately strong over Hawaii’s coastal waters…although locally stronger and gusty in those usual windiest locations through 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.
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.
The sunny side of Maui
There continues to be no end in sight for the trade winds across the Hawaiian Islands. Weather maps show high pressure systems far to the NW, and far to the NE of here. These well placed high pressure cells will keep the trade winds active through at least the next week. The computer forecast models show the trade winds picking up a notch in strength as we get into the upcoming weekend time frame. This in turn will likely require the reissuance of small craft wind advisories in those windiest channels in the southern part of the state…as well as those windiest areas around Maui and the Big Island.
The usual windward showers have been a bit more active recently, and may continue that way for another couple of days. The same upper level low pressure system, which we saw this past weekend, is still around, with a lobe extending down to the west of Kauai. This trough of low pressure is enhancing the incoming showers locally to some extent...with a couple of heavy showers around the edges. As usual, with such a trade wind weather pattern in force, the most generous amounts will be deposited during the cooler night and early morning hours. There may continue to be a few showers falling during the afternoon hours along the Kona and Maui upcountry slopes as well.
By the way, a new tropical cyclone has formed in the eastern Pacific, given the number 8E. The forecast has this tropical system strengthening into a tropical storm, which will take the name Erick. Here’s a tracking map, showing that it will be moving into the central Pacific as a tropical storm. This is not a threat to the Hawaiian Islands at this point, although by next week we will need to be watching its progress more closely. Here’s a satellite image of soon to be Erick.
It’s Tuesday here in the islands, as I begin writing this last paragraph of today’s narrative. This time of year, what we could call the heart of summer, it takes the presence of upper level low pressure systems to coax more than the ordinary few passing showers out of our neighborhood clouds…being carried in our direction by the trade winds. Sometimes we have the upper level low around, like this past weekend, but no clouds…so not many showers end up falling. Now, we have a nearby trough of low pressure, which makes for less stable atmospheric conditions, AND we have some clouds around for a change. These two weather elements are making for somewhat more than normal shower coverage, with decent showers falling in a few places. Because, as noted in the paragarh above, the trough is near Kauai, that island, known as the garden island, is picking up the most generous rainfall amounts. That trough is also sending us high cirrus clouds, that not only beautify our local skies…but also do some sun dimming and filtering underneath. ~~~ In sum, nothing too unusual about any of this, with generally favorable weather cirucumstances prevailing. I’ll be back early Wednesday morning, I hope you have a great Tuesday night wherever you happen to be reading from! Aloha for now…Glenn.
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