Hawaiian Islands weather details & Aloha paragraphs
Posted by GlennNovember 28-29 2007
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Wednesday:
Lihue, Kauai – 74
Honolulu, Oahu – 74
Kaneohe, Oahu – 81
Kahului, Maui – 74
Hilo, Hawaii – 83
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 84
Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 4 a.m. Thursday morning:
Barking Sands, Kauai – 75F
Kahului, Maui – 62
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours on each of the major islands, as of Thursday morning:
4.78 HANAPEPE, KAUAI
1.44 MANOA LYON ARBORETUM, OAHU
0.51 MOLOKAI
0.66 LANAI
1.55 KAHOOLAWE
2.04 KAHAKULOA, MAUI
6.09 HONAUNAU, 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 southeast over the northern part of our island chain. This pressure configuration will keep our winds mostly light, although locally gusty…blowing in from the SE today into Friday. 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.
Temporary rainy spell in the islands
photo credit: flickr.com
A series of cold fronts will approach the Hawaiian Islands, keeping us off and on shower prone through the rest of this week. These cold fronts will serve as a focus for showers, although they won’t keep constant rainy weather over us. The first of these frontal boundaries arrived several days ago, stalling in the area northwest of Kauai. The relatively close proximity of this elongated zone of low pressure has turned our winds to the south and southeast, which brings warm, humid, and moist air up from the deeper tropics. At the same time, we have low pressure troughing aloft over the state, which has destabilized our overlying atmosphere, prompting locally heavy showers and rain…along with a few thunderstorms.
Flash flooding will be a concern at times Wednesday, with flood watches and warnings being issued by the NWS forecast office in Honolulu when needed. The island of Kauai has been on the receiving end of the most intense rain lately, with the mountains on that northernmost island picking up 6.41 inches of the wet stuff during the last 24 hour period. The island of Oahu has seen locally heavy showers as well. The islands of Maui County saw increasing rain Wednesday, while the Big Island experienced locally heavy showers as well. This is a time when drivers should be very careful when out and about, as there will be ponding of roadways, and generally restricted visibilities due to showery weather.
It’s Wednesday evening here in the islands, as I begin writing this last paragraph of this narrative. As noted in the paragraphs above, we are intimately involved with inclement weather conditions in Hawaii. The latest computer models show another chance of showers occurring this weekend, when a new cold front or two arrives then. The long and short of all this is that rich tropical moisture will continue to move into the state at times, with an above normal amount of showers falling. ~~~ Here’s a looping satellite image so you can keep track of where the clouds are congregating, which happens to be those brightest and whitest clouds…while this looping radar image will help in that regard too. ~~~ Air temperatures have fallen atop Mauna Kea on the Big Island later in the day Wednesday, and as you can see from this webcam link, snow has begun falling. It will only show a dark screen until the first rays of light arrive up there at the crack of dawn Thursday. ~~~ I will be back very early Thursday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Wednesday night wherever you happen to be! Aloha for now…Glenn.
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