Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs
Posted by GlennNovember 15-16 2007
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Thursday:
Lihue, Kauai – 82
Honolulu, Oahu – 84
Kaneohe, Oahu – 81
Kahului, Maui – 86
Hilo, Hawaii – 84
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 84
Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 4 a.m. Friday morning:
Lihue, Kauai – 76F
Kahului, Maui – 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:
1.08 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.70 OAHU FOREST NWR, OAHU
0.04 MOLOKAI
0.01 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.07 OHEO GULCH, MAUI
0.14 PAHOA, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – A high pressure system far to the ENE of the islands, has a weakening ridge of high pressure stretched out from its center…into the area north of Hawaii. Gale low pressure systems further to the north through NW, will push this high pressure ridge southward…with a corresponding drop in trade wind speeds as we move into the weekend. 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.
A Hawaiian rainforest pool
photo credit: flickr.com
The trade winds will ease back into the softer realms Friday into the weekend. The latest weather model output has changed some during the last 24 hours, now showing lighter winds in the islands…extending into the next week time frame. This fact isn’t going to have a huge influence in our local weather conditions, although there will be a few. The most notable difference will just be lighter breezes, and perhaps an increase in relative humidity that we will feel during the days. The nights may become a bit cooler too, with a touch of autumn chill in the early morning hours.
Rainfall during the next week will generally be quite light, although there will be a couple of periods when it could become more pronounced. There will be several upper level low pressure systems looming to the north of the Hawaiian Islands, actually offshore from the islands themselves. It appears that for the most part they will be passing across our area to the north, although may drop into the region NE of Hawaii. At the same time we may see a cold front or two approaching from the northwest direction. The first chance of an increase in showers could arrive this Sunday into Monday, with perhaps a somewhat better chance for more widespread showers later next week…although that is not a sure thing yet!
It’s Thursday evening here in islands, as I start writing this last paragraph of today’s narrative. After reading the two paragraphs above, you might have come away feeling slightly uncertain about exactly what will be happening weatherwise as we move into next week. I think that is a reasonable response, because as I was writing the paragraphs above…I had that same feeling! Now that we’re getting deeper into our autumn season, the weather will start to get a little more chanagable…a bit more shifty. During the summer months, our local weather is really steady, with just how strong the trade winds will be on a daily basis…the primary forecast problem. However as we get further into November, approaching winter, things can change more quickly, taking us by surprise a little more than usual. I believe that the forecast for next week will work itself out over the next few days, but the bottom line is that there don’t appear to be any major rainstorms on the immediate horizon that I can see at the moment. ~~~ The next couple of days will be just fine. As the winds come down in strength over the next several days, the bias for showers may split itself between the windward coasts and slopes…and the afternoon hours in the upcountry interior areas. None of this is a threat to vacationers or local residents though, with still lots of daytime sunshine beaming down. ~~~ I’ll be back very early Friday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Thursday night wherever you happen to be reading from! Aloha for now…Glenn.
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