Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs
Posted by GlennOctober 29-30 2007
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Monday:
Lihue, Kauai – 83
Honolulu, Oahu – 86
Kaneohe, Oahu – 83
Kahului, Maui – 83
Hilo, Hawaii – 82
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 87
Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 4 a.m. Tuesday:
Honolulu, Oahu – 76F
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 Tuesday morning:
0.06 KALAHEO, KAUAI
0.07 MOANALUA, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.02 KAHOOLAWE
0.28 PUU KUKUI, MAUI
0.23 GLENWOOD, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – High pressure systems to the NE of the islands will keep moderately strong trade winds blowing, stronger and gusty in those locally windiest areas through Wednesday. Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map. 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 and Radar 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 north shore of Kauai
photo credit: flickr.com
The gusty trade winds will continue through the first half of this new week…and then mellow out starting Thursday into the weekend. The latest weather maps show high pressure centers far to the north and northeast Monday, which are the source of our trade winds. These trade winds are strong enough to keep small craft wind advisories active across those windiest marine waters in the southern part of the Aloha state. The weather models are suggesting that this trade wind pattern will continue through the middle of the week. As we move into the second half of the week however, an approaching trough of low pressure will cause the winds to get lighter from the south or SE…ending up being very light by the weekend.
The windward sides will continue to see some passing shower activity, although drier weather is expected later in the day through Tuesday. A new shower area is expected to be carried into the state by mid-week, which may interrupt Halloween tricker treaters along the windward sides that evening. Satellite imagery shows another showery looking area taking aim on the Big Island, which may increase showers again already Tuesday. The computer models continue to describe an approaching upper level trough of low pressure towards the weekend. The presence of this upper level trough could destabilize our overlying atmosphere, with another increase in showers then. The trough may turn our winds SE, which would bring in volcanic haze to some parts of the state, and trigger afternoon convective showers over the interior parts of the islands.
I’m back in the islands, after communing with the wilderness of California…having had a fabulous time! I actually spent quite a lot of time with family and friends too, some of it out in nature, and then some other parts in the cities and towns. I realized just how important the connection to nature is, especially when I got out away from the civilized world in a sense. My spirit yearned for that open space, those trees, mountains, and of course the ocean. I’m already thinking about my next vacation, where the NE corner of California, on the east side of the northern Sierra…grades up into SE Oregon, on the east side of the Cascade mountains. I understand that the the high desert up there is great, with Quaking Aspen groves intermixing with the evergreens, along with the Juniper and Sage. I hear that there are hot springs up that way too, which if I can’t have a hot tub nearby, hot springs would suffice just fine!
Touching back on my trip a little more, I remember fondly one late afternoon hike in Marin County, just north of San Francisco…when a lady friend and I were out walking in the coastal hills just inland from the ocean. We rounded a corner, when we saw a bobcat sitting in the grass. It was just far enough away that it felt enough space between us and him to stay put. We immediately sat down, brought out the binoculars, and for maybe 10 minutes he let us gawk. He eventually walked away…it was so exciting to be that close to a wild animal like that…a predator! That same day we saw deer, rabbits, hawks and ravens, and a good sighting of a Great Horned Owl. Walking around in the woods seems like a great thing to retire to, just traipsing around outside seems healthy and interesting both. Anyway, I had a great time, enjoyed seeing my Mom and Dad of course, and the renewing of friendships too.
It’s Monday here in Kula, my first day back to work after that wonderful three week vacation. As was noted above, in the first two paragraphs of this narrative, the trade winds will be the main driver in our Hawaiian Island weather picture for the next several days. The passing shower activity that we saw along the windward sides yesterday, which has extended into Monday, will finally move away. Satellite imagery shows less clouds upstream, so a drying trend will start later Monday into Tuesday…although the Big Island may still see an inflow of passing showers along the windward side. ~~~ It was so good to have some time away from work, taking the time to recharge my batteries so to speak. I’m feeling good about getting back into my work schedule, and seeing my friends at work. I’ll miss spending time with my family, and my friends on the mainland though. It is great to be back here in Hawaii, with the warm weather, and the warm ocean too! ~~~ I’ll be back early Tuesday morning with your next new tropical weather narrative, I hope you have a great Monday night wherever you happen to be spending it, either here in the islands or elsewhere! Aloha for now…Glenn.
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