Hawaiian Islands weather details & Aloha paragraphs
Posted by GlennDecember 27-28 2007
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Thursday:
Lihue, Kauai – 77
Honolulu, Oahu – 79
Kaneohe, Oahu – 76
Kahului, Maui – 77
Hilo, Hawaii – 75
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 80
Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 4 a.m. Friday morning:
Lihue, Kauai – 75F
Hilo, Hawaii – 69
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:
3.51 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
1.08 POAMOHO 2, OAHU
0.03 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
1.72 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
2.44 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 strong 1033 millibar high pressure system is located to the NE of Hawaii Friday. This active high pressure system will keep our trade winds blowing in the locally strong and gusty realms through 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.
Windy weather…lighter in the sheltered areas
photo credit: flickr.com
The rush of trade winds coming into the state will continue to carry off and on showers into the windward sides of the islands. The windward sides of the islands will be on the receiving end of these showers through the next several days at least…and have become rather soggy in places. The leeward sides won’t see most of these showers, although may find some showers flying over the lower mountains on the smaller islands into those leeward areas at times too. The Kona coast on the Big Island, and the Wailea/Kihei, and Lahaina areas on Maui, have taller mountains, keeping the windward moisture from spreading over into those sections for the most part.
The latest models show a low pressure system moving by in the middle latitudes, pushing our trade wind producing high pressure system away to the NE Saturday…with lighter winds Sunday. The GFS computer forecast model then shows a weak cold front, or a shearline approaching the state New Years Day. There’s a chance for this frontal boundary to push into the state, bringing a modest increase in showers New Years day along the windward sides. It now appears that this will be a short-lived blip on our radar screens however, with coolnorth to NE breezes coming into the state in the fronts wake. This in turn will bring a brief tropical cool snap to the islands, followed by the return of the fair weather producing trade winds thereafter.
It’s Thursday evening here in the islands, as I begin writing this last paragraph of today’s narrative. As noted above, the trade winds aren’t done with us yet, and have become locally strong again, and will remain that way over the next couple of days. The southern part of the island chain will see the strongest winds blowing. In general, 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! The strongest gust that I saw Thursday afternoon was the 52 mph pile driver gust at Kawaihae on the Big island. As always though, there will be those areas that are sheltered from the blustery winds, even on the Big Island and Maui. When I went to the beach today in Kihei, there was barely a breath of wind, while Maalaea Bay (not that far away) had a gale warning active there! ~~~ A large area of high and middle level clouds continues to spread up over the island chain, and will likely remain overhead for another day or two. This looping satellite image shows this situation well. This will do too good a job of filtering and dimming our famous Hawaiian sunshine, which has not been good news for all the visitors here, who want that priceless sun tan before heading back to the cold country! I’ll be back very early Friday morning with your next new weather narrative from paradise. I hope everyone has a great Thursday night until then! Aloha for now…Glenn.
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