Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs
Posted by GlennAugust 2-3 2007
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Thursday:
Lihue, Kauai – 86F
Honolulu, Oahu – 87
Kaneohe, Oahu – 87
Kahului, Maui – 87
Hilo, Hawaii – 85
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 87
Temperatures early Friday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Kailua-kona – 79F
Hilo, Hawaii – 72
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours on each of the major islands, as of Friday morning:
0.20 WAILUA, KAUAI
0.30 OAHU FOREST NWR, OAHU
0.03 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.97 PUU KUKUI, MAUI
1.82 HILO AIRPORT, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1031 millibar high pressure system located far NE of Hawaii…with its associated ridge extending WSW to points north and NW of Hawaii Friday. The trade winds will remain moderately strong over Hawaii’s coastal waters…although locally stronger and gusty in those usual windiest locations through Saturday. 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 area around Hana, Maui
The trade winds aren’t going away anytime soon, that’s for sure. Weather maps show a moderately strong 1027 millibar high pressure system far to the NE at the moment. This high pressure cell will keep the trade winds active through at least the next week, and probably longer. The computer forecast models continue to show the trade winds picking up a notch in strength as we hit Friday into the upcoming weekend. This in turn will likely require the issuance of small craft wind advisories in the channels in the southern part of the state…as well as those windiest areas around Maui and the Big Island then.
There will be a few showers around along the windward sides, although nothing unusual in terms of precipitation is expected for the time being. As is common, with such a typical summertime trade wind weather pattern in force, the most generous amounts will be deposited along the windward coasts and slopes during the cooler night and early morning hours. There may continue to be a few showers falling during the afternoon hours along the Kona upcountry slopes as well. This leaves the leeward beaches in fine shape, with lots of sunshine, and mostly dry conditions.
It’s Thursday here in the islands, as I begin writing this last paragraph of today’s narrative. Other than recently retired tropical depression (Erick – 08E) in the eastern Pacific, and a storm or two (Usagi – 05W, and newly formed tropical depression 06W) in the western Pacific…the remainder of the Pacific Ocean is rather placid. This is often the case during the summer month of August. Fair weather prevails here in the central Pacific, with the moderately strong trade winds the dominate weather feature in the Hawaiian Island weather picture. There’s a few showers spilling onto the windward coasts and slopes, helping to water the tropical vegetation that grows there. Satellite imagery shows some fairly minor high cirrus clouds to the SW of the islands, which may skim across the skies over Maui and the Big Island at times. This wispy cirrus cloudiness usually provides nicely colorful sunrise and sunset colors. ~~~ Higher in the skies, we will find an active meteor shower late next week, and then later in the month a total lunar eclipse as well…both of which should add a little excitement to our lives then. I’ll have more information in this space about those celestial events soon. ~~~ I’ll be back early Friday morning with your next weather narrative. I hope you have a great Thursday night wherever you may be reading from! Aloha, Glenn
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