April 27-28 2008

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

Lihue, Kauai – 81
Honolulu, Oahu – 88
Kaneohe, Oahu – 80
Kahului, Maui – 88
Hilo, Hawaii – 83
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 81

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 5 p.m. Sunday evening:

Honolulu, Oahu  – 84F
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 Sunday afternoon: 

0.23  MAKAHA RIDGE, KAUAI
0.68 POAMOHO, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.02 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
1.63 ULUPALAKUA, MAUI
0.62 PUU WAAWAA, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a high pressure center far to the NNE of the state. This high will keep moderately strong trade winds blowing across our islands through Tuesday.

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

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A special beach on the island of Kauai

The hazy atmosphere is clearing now, due to the strengthening trade winds, across all of the Hawaiian Islands. Our high pressure ridge is shifting further north, allowing the trade winds to get stronger through the next few days. This suggests that our winds will be able to ventilate away the long lasting volcanic haze. The computer models show that the trades, once they get fully established Monday into Tuesday, will last through the new work week ahead. The models continue to try and break down the trade winds by next weekend, but lets wait and see what they say over the next couple of days.

There were still a few heavy showers in the leeward areas, especially on Kauai and the Big Island, but most areas were quite dry Sunday. As the trade winds have the upper hand now, and the atmosphere is becoming more dry and stable, there won’t be very many showers falling. Whatever showers that do fall, will concentrating their efforts best along the windward coasts and slopes through most of the next week. The models, if they are right, would have us believe that next weekend could see some increase in showers, but again, lets give them another couple of days to make up their minds.

It’s Sunday evening as I begin writing this last section of today’s narrative.  Despite the return of the trade winds this weekend, I just walked out on my weather deck here in Kula, Maui, and can still barely see the West Maui Mountains. The air visibilities are better, no doubt about it, although they are far from pristine! As you recall, yesterday there were extremely heavy showers here in Kula, accompanied by heavy duty thunderstorms. These rains flooded the area, and when I was out on my walk this morning, saw that all kinds of rocks, gravel and dirt had been washed across the roads.

I suggested to my neighbor that we take his pickup truck, and go scoop some of it up. This would help motorists, and also serve to replenish some of our own dirt road on this property…which had been washed downhill. It was a good little project, allowing me to do some physical work for a change, rather than my usual office related weather work. Sunday actually turned out to be a nice day here in upcountry Maui, with only a very short shower…the kind with big drops that plop down. The trade winds have reached up here, with my wind chimes actually making a little song for a change. I briefly drove down to Makawao to pick up some food, otherwise I didn’t leave the property at all this weekend. I wish I would have gone surfing, but I just couldn’t get myself to get in the car and drive anywhere.

~~~ It’s sunny here at around 6pm, with my wind chimes making a sweet little trade wind tune. This weekend I popped a bottle of champagne for some reason, and have been sipping on it. It’s a great bottle from Reims, France called Champagne Henriot, NV Brut Souverain. A blend of 60% Pinot Noir, and 40% Chardonnay. I will be getting another bottle at some point soon…as it is my favorite now. It wasn’t a special occasion in the traditional use of the word, but somehow, it just felt right to have a little bubbly! Whether you’re sippin’ Champagne or not, I trust that you’re enjoying yourself, wherever you happen to be spending time at the moment! I’ll be back very early Monday morning with your next new weather narrative from paradise…see you then! Aloha for now…Glenn.

Ahh spring….

Behold, my brothers, the spring has come: the earth has received the embraces of the sun and we shall soon see the results of that love!  Every seed is awakened and so has all animal life.  It is through this mysterious power that we too have our being and we therefore yield to our neighbors, even our animal neighbors, the same right as ourselves, to inhabit this land.   

Tatanka Yotanka (Sioux Chief Sitting Bull) at the Powder River council in 1877