April 22-23 2008

Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Tuesday: 

Lihue, Kauai – 79
Honolulu, Oahu – 86
Kaneohe, Oahu – 80
Kahului, Maui – 84
Hilo, Hawaii – 80
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 83

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 4 p.m. Tuesday afternoon:

Honolulu, Oahu – 85F
Lihue, Kauai – 77   

Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours on each of the major islands, as of Tuesday afternoon:

0.12 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.05 POAMOHO 2, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.01 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.17 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.21 MOUNTAIN VIEW, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a 1025 millibar high pressure system located to the NE of the islands, the source of our trade winds now. Those trades will remain moderately strong, with locally stronger and gusty conditions in those windiest areas through Tuesday…becoming lighter Wednesday.

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.


Aloha Paragraphs




Happy Earth Day
Photo credit:flickr.com

Our local trade winds got softer today, before relaxing more in strength Wednesday. The latest forecast continues to show that by later Wednesday, the trades will go on vacation, giving way to lighter winds into Friday. This will be caused by low pressure systems moving by to our north. Starting later Wednesday, this low will push our trade wind producing ridge of high pressure down near the islands for several days. This in turn will bring back a period of light winds, which are expected to have a southeast tendency. If this manifests as described by the models, those light breezes will carry volcanic haze up over much of the rest of the state from the Big Island. The lighter winds will allow urban haze to form over the islands as well. The high pressure ridge will bounce back northward this weekend, bringing back the trade winds into next week. These trade winds will help to ventilate the atmosphere, and become quite strong by next Monday.

The overlying atmosphere remains dry and stable, which will limit showers in most areas here in Hawaii. The bulk of these few showers will fall along the windward coasts and slopes. As usual, we’ll see afternoon clouds gathering over and around the mountains…with perhaps a few showers over the Kona slopes. Looking into the second half of the week, the light winds will cause a convective weather pattern for a short time, although with a distinct lack of moisture to work with, whatever afternoon clouds that develop, will be rather benign in terms of shower production in the upcountry interior areas. The returning trade winds will bring the bias for showers back over to the windward sides this weekend. The tail-end of a cold front may be carried our direction by the returning trade winds later this weekend into early next week…which could begin to moisten the windward sides then.

It’s Tuesday evening as I begin updating this last section of today’s narrative.  As noted in the two paragraphs above, we have a few weather changes in store as we move through the rest of the work week. The first of which will be a faltering of the trade winds later Wednesday through Friday. The result of this will be the addition of localized haze, both of urban, and volcanic origins. The atmosphere will begin to feel rather muggy as well. Daytime temperatures will be slightly warmer than normal, while nights and early mornings will be slightly cooler than normal. Showers will be light at best, and generally limited to the uplands during the afternoon hours. The trade winds will return this weekend, to whisk away the haze, and bring back at least some incoming showers to the windward sides into early next week.

Today is Earth Day across the globe, a day to think of our home lovingly. Perhaps a day to renew our good thoughts of this round planet, that is trying to support all of us. There are more and more people trying to live together, and there are LOTS of us now! I for one declare my great love for the ground that I stand on, and the air that I breathe. Think about it, where would we be without it? It’s difficult to visualize how large this earth is, although it helps me to take it all in by looking at satellite imagery. It’s huge, but we need to think in terms of our small piece of it, where we live. We can take care of it as individuals, each in our own unique way. Recycling our trash properly, conserving water, driving a little less, just being nice to our neighbors…those kind of manageable tasks. Being nice to ourselves and others is a way of being grateful to our earth for taking care of us. It may sound a little airy fairy, although it takes being sensitive to get in touch with the vulnerable state of our planet earth. I for one declare that I will love the earth today, especially today, but I’ll even go further, and say, that everyday I will do my best to be a good planetary citizen!

~~~ Tuesday was another good day here in the islands, at least from a weather perspective. Winds have begun to turn ESE, and thus we’re starting to see volcanic haze coming up over Maui County from the Big Island already. Speaking of the Big Island, the northern fringe of a large area of high cirrus clouds rode up over that southernmost island today, helping to dim and filter the sunshine there. Here on Maui I could see the thick cirrus looming just to the south of the island during the day. Here’s a satellite image to show that stuff to the south and southeast. I expect the haze to increase, while the winds decrease over the next several days…with muggier conditions settling in during the days as well. I’ll be back very early Wednesday morning with your next new weather narrative. I hope you have a great Tuesday night wherever your place on Earth is today! Aloha for now…Glenn.

Interesting: Here’s a video showing the full Earth rising from the moon’s point of view