Hawaiian Islands weather details & Aloha paragraphs
Posted by GlennMarch 1-2 2008
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Saturday:
Lihue, Kauai – 80
Honolulu, Oahu – 81
Kaneohe, Oahu – 80
Kahului, Maui – 80
Hilo, Hawaii – 83
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 83
Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 5 a.m. Saturday morning:
Kailua-kona – 70F
Molokai airport – 59
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours on each of the major islands, as of Saturday afternoon:
0.02 POIPU, KAUAI
0.02 KAHUKU TRAINING AREA, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.00 MAUI
0.01 PAHALA, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map. A high pressure ridge will remain over the islands through Sunday. Winds will be light and variable, with a tendency to be southeast through east.
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.
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.
Big ones…people in awe and taking pictures!
Photo Credit: MSW
Our local winds will be light this weekend, coming in from the east and southeast directions. The Big Island end of the island chain will remain in an easterly wind flow, while the Kauai side will see southeast winds for the most part. Cold fronts moving by to the north of the state will keep a high pressure ridge close to the islands through Sunday. As Monday arrives, the ridge will bounce a little north of Kauai, at which point we’ll see light trade winds push further into the state from the south. There will be volcanic haze associated with this light winded weather pattern.
These weather circumstances will bring a cross between light trades and a modified convective pattern. This mixed up reality, with a bit of both influences, will find very few showers falling either way. Where the trade winds occur, we will see a few light sprinkles along the windward sides. Where we find light southeast winds blowing, we’re likely to see afternoon cloudy periods around the mountains…with those few sprinkles focused in the upcountry regions. The bottom line here is that the overlying atmosphere is very dry and stable, greatly limiting showers everywhere.
It’s Saturday evening as I begin updating this last paragraph of today’s narrative. The day mirrored expectations, at least in terms of the weather forecast that is. Skies were clear during the morning hours, with those afternoon cumulus clouds arriving right on time…during the afternoon hours upcountry. The clouds got fairly extensive, although did a good job of hugging to the mountain slopes…rather than extending down over the coasts. This made for a good beach day, and with the light winds, drawing crowds to the ocean shores. Skies will clear just about everywhere after sunset, which should be a good one, what with the high and middle levels clouds that snuck in during the day. Sunday we’ll see a xerox copy of Saturday, with yet another dry day on tap. The one problem with these types of weather situations is that haze can collect in such a dry and stable atmosphere, some of it having a volcanic origin…from the Big Island. Here’s a picture of the volcanic vent on the Big Island, the source of the volcanic haze that gets carried up over the rest of the state on southeast winds. It will take until the middle of the upcoming week for the haze to clear completely, at which point moderately strong trade winds will return…lasting through the rest of the week. ~~~ My neighbors have invited me to go with them to a dance party in Makawao this evening, although whether or not we’ll actually make it, is another story. Saturday night is my big party night of the week, so I’m hoping that we’ll rally for the occasion! ~~~ I’ll be back at the internet drawing board Sunday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Saturday night, dancing or otherwise, until then! Aloha for now…Glenn.
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