Hawaiian Islands weather updates & Aloha paragraphs
Posted by GlennNovember 29-30 2007
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Thursday:
Lihue, Kauai – 81
Honolulu, Oahu – 80
Kaneohe, Oahu – 80
Kahului, Maui – 84
Hilo, Hawaii – 78
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 83
Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 4 a.m. Friday morning:
Honolulu, Oahu – 77F
Hilo, Hawaii – 65
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:
0.75 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.11 SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.04 KAHOOLAWE
0.04 OHEO GULCH, MAUI
0.64 KAHUA RANCH, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Deep low pressure systems to the northwest of Hawaii, along with their associated cold fronts, have pushed our trade wind producing high pressure ridge into the area NE of Hawaii. This pressure configuration will keep our winds mostly light…coming in from the south and SE today, then south to SW Saturday ahead of a cold front. 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.
Front and center…north shore of Oahu
photo credit: flickr.com
The wind flow across the Hawaiian Islands Thursday evening is still coming up from the southeast direction, although it’s carrying considerably less moisture in it, then during the previous 24 hours. The atmosphere remained a little unstable today, as cold air associated with a trough of low pressure far overhead, kept the air mass slightly shower prone. The winds will remain from the southeast for the time being, providing at least some moisture from the deeper tropics to our south. The threat of widespread rain has diminished greatly however, although the threat of a localized shower still exists.
This situation will continue into Friday, although things begin to change in a different direction then. This satellite image shows a cold front to the northwest of
The models go on to point out a second cold front moving in our direction Sunday, initiating significantly stronger Kona winds. This second front will progress down through the island chain late Sunday into Monday, where it will stall over
This all fits though, as we find ourselves in a La Nina phase of the ENSO cycle…with wetter conditions than during a normal late autumn early winter period. At any rate, after this final cold front moves through by the middle of next week, we will likely see a tropical cool snap occur here in the islands for a day or two…as chilly and brisk north winds flood down into our area from northern latitudes of the Pacific. As always, forecasts out this far into the future, are subject to major revisions and second or third thoughts at least, with changes between now and then more than likely.
It’s Thursday evening here in the islands, as I begin writing this last paragraph of today’s narrative. Thursday turned out to be a really nice day here on Maui, with lots of warm sunshine beaming down. It was just another example of the old adage: "what a difference a day makes". This of course refers to the wet and rainy day that we saw just yesterday. ~~~ I made it to the beach during my lunch break, and found sunny weather, with light winds…which was delightful! I got in the ocean, and found it to be warm, definitely warm enough that it made for a very pleasant swim. There were some small waves breaking, which I really wanted to bodysurf, although I’m still healing my shoulder, from a skateboarding fall I took earlier in the year. ~~~ I just finished work down here in Kihei, and am about to jump in my car for the drive upcountry to Kula. I can see some clouds up there, although the entire south coast from Makena, Wailea to Kihei, is awash in sunlight. ~~~ I want to thank all of you who were so kind to leave a response to my recent narratives, in the box below. As you can see, I always respond back in turn. It is good to have a little give and take here, it helps me to realize that there are many folks who read these narratives on a daily basis, or at least occasionally. ~~~ I’ll be back with your next new narrative very early Friday morning, I hope you can join me then, or at least at some point during the day. Aloha for now…Glenn.
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