Hawaiian Islands weather details & Aloha paragraphs
Posted by GlennDecember 12-13 2007
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Wednesday:
Lihue, Kauai – 80
Honolulu, Oahu – 82
Kaneohe, Oahu – 79
Kahului, Maui – 80
Hilo, Hawaii – 73
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 82
Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 4 a.m. Thursdday morning:
Lihue, Kauai – 76F
Hilo, Hawaii – 68
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:
1.00 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.40 SOUTH FORK KAUKONAHUA, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.69 PUU KUKUI, MAUI
2.51 WAIAKEA UKA, BIG ISLAND
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.
Weather Chart – A 1035 millibar high pressure system is located far NE of the Aloha state, with its associated ridge of high pressure extending SW to the north of Hawaii. This high and ridge will keep locally strong trade winds blowing 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.
Gusty trade winds through Friday…then mellowing out a little
photo credit: flickr.com
These quickening trade winds will carry some showery clouds to the windward sides, with a few stray showers being carried over into the leeward sides on the smaller islands. At the moment, the overlying atmosphere is still unstable in the eastern end of the island chain, especially around the Big Island. This kept some locally heavy showers, and even a thunderstorm in the vicinity Wednesday. The only leeward area that will have showers yet though, would be the upper Kona slopes, where afternoon showers could occur. As the trough of low pressure, which is keeping the Big Island unstable, moves away…we’ll move back into a normal amount of passing shower activity everywhere.
It’s Wednesday evening here in the islands, as I begin writing this last paragraph of today’s narrative. As noted in the paragraphs above, increasingly strong trade winds will be the name of the game through the rest of this work week, although begin softening just a touch this weekend into next week. After we get rid of the more than ordinary amount of showers around the Big Island, the Aloha state should settle into a rather normal distribution of shower activty. Most of this precipitation will be focused along the windward coasts and slopes, with just a few spraying their way over the lower mountains on the smaller islands…into the leeward areas. The winds are going to be rather fresh, blowing in the 15-30 mph range generally, although those windiest areas will find wind speeds between 30-40 mph, with somewhat higher gusts in those typically windiest areas. This is nothing like what we saw last week, during the Kona storm, although is strong enough to have our coconut palm trees leaning over pretty far, along with having the surrounding ocean be all frothed-up with white caps! I’d say that there really isn’t anything to worry about though, as our islands are use to having trade winds of this magnitude. ~~~ It was a sunny day here in the state of Hawaii, that is unless you found yourself over on the eastern side of the Big Island, where the leftover showery clouds associated with a departing trough of low pressure, kept some areas there wet. Here on Maui it was a very nice sunny day along both the Lahaina, and the Kihei/Wailea coasts. The windward sides from Paia to Haiku and Paia had some incoming clouds with light showers, as did the upper west side around Napili and Kapalua. This time of year it’s so wonderful to have the warm sunshine beaming down during the days! ~~~ I’ll be back early Thursday morning with your next new weather narrative. I hope all you readers have a great Wednesday night wherever you happen to be spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.
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