Hawaiian Islands weather details & Aloha paragraphs
Posted by GlennDecember 26-27 2007
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Wednesday:
Lihue, Kauai – 79
Honolulu, Oahu – 80
Kaneohe, Oahu – 78
Kahului, Maui – 79
Hilo, Hawaii – 78
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 81
Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 4 a.m. Thursday morning:
Lihue, Kauai – 74F
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 Thursday morning:
2.14 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.83 NUUANU UPPER, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.43 KAUPO GAP, MAUI
1.01 PAHOA, 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 strong 1036 millibar high pressure system is located far to the NE of Hawaii Thursday, now moving southwest closer to the islands. This robust high pressure system will keep our trade winds blowing in the locally strong and gusty realms through Friday and Saturday. 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.
Cloud shadows offshore from the Big Island
photo credit: konaboy
Satellite imagery continues to show quite a few clouds upstream of all the Hawaiian Islands, some with embedded showers, being carried in our direction on the gusty trade winds. The windward sides of the islands will be on the receiving end of these showers for the most part. The leeward sides won’t see most of these showers, although may find a few stray showers flying over the lower mountains on the smaller islands. Those leeward sides will find warm sunshine during the days in most areas. Air temperatures will rise into the 70F’s to lower 80F’s during the days, which is normal for this time of year.
Looking further ahead, the models show a low pressure system moving by in the middle latitudes, pushing our trade wind producing high pressure system away to the NE. The GFS computer forecast model then shows a weak cold front, or a shearline approaching the state New Years Day. It’s still too early to know the exact details, although there’s a chance for this frontal boundary to push towards, or even into the state, bringing a modest increase in showers late New Years day or early next Wednesday. It now appears that this will be a short-lived blip on our radar screens however, with a cool blast of north winds coming into the state…bringing a brief tropical cool snap to the islands, followed by the return of the fair weather producing trade winds thereafter.
It’s Wednesday evening here in the islands, as I begin writing this last paragraph of today’s narrative. As noted above, the prolonged period of trade winds, at times unusually strong, is still holding tight in our Hawaiian Island weather picture. This longer than usual period of trade winds has been with us for well over two weeks now, having started soon after the "big blow" we had, associated with an intense Kona low pressure system earlier this month. ~~~ The southern part of the island chain will see the strongest winds blowing over the next several days. If wind speed expectations are actually met, we’ll find winds ranging between 15-30 mph, with higher gusts into the 40 mph range in those most windy places at times around Maui and the Big Island! ~~~ As always, there will be those areas that are sheltered from the blustery winds, even on the Big Island and Maui. Here in the Aloha state, it’s all about the direction the trade winds arrive, and ones orientation, or exposure, to the wind flow. ~~~ A large area of high and middle level clouds, which were looming to the south of the islands Wednesday morning, spread up over most of the island chain during the day. This looping satellite image shows this well. Depending upon the thickness, there should be a good chance of a colorful sunset Wednesday night, and then a nice sunrise again early Thursday morning. I think beach goers were a little disappointed that the high cirrus clouds filtered and dimmed our famous Hawaiian sunshine during the day. ~~~ I’ll be back online very early Thursday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Wednesday night wherever you happen to be spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.
It was a white Christmas atop the summits on the Big Island!
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