June 7-8 2008


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

Lihue, Kauai – 84
Honolulu, Oahu – 88
Kaneohe, Oahu – 82
Kahului, Maui – 90
Hilo, Hawaii – 86
Kailua-kona – 84

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

Honolulu, Oahu – 84F  
Kaneohe, Oahu – 78

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:

0.43  Moloaa Dairy, Kauai
1.63 Poamoho 2, Oahu
0.00 Molokai
0.24 Lanai
0.00 Kahoolawe
0.01 Puu Kukui, Maui
0.05 Pohakuloa West, Big Island

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a 1033 millibar high pressure system to the northeast of the islands. This high pressure cell, along with its associated ridge, will keep moderately strong trade winds blowing across our area through Sunday…locally stronger and gusty in those windiest areas around Maui and the 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. 

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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Like today here in the islands
Photo Credit: flickr.com

The trade winds will boost up a bit now into early in the new week ahead. The computer forecast models suggest that this trade wind flow will prevail through all of next week. A moderately strong 1033 millibar high pressure system, to the northeast of the islands, is the source of our trade wind flow Saturday night. Our winds will increase just enough this weekend, that we’ve seen small craft wind advisory flags going up over the windier areas around Maui and the Big Island. It appears that these cooling and refreshing trade winds will ease off some starting Tuesday, although remain in the light to moderately strong category thereafter.

Now that the atmospheric destabilizing upper level trough of low pressure is to our west…we’ll drop back into a normal trade wind weather pattern. Already we’ve seen dry air moving in from the east, taking away the recent threat of localized heavy showers. Although there will remain those usual showers along the windward coasts and slopes…especially during the night and early morning hours. Meanwhile, we find a considerable amount of high cirrus clouds moving our way from the south, as shown on this looping satellite image. This may give us a nice sunset Saturday evening!

~~~ The main story now, besides the gusty trade winds this weekend, will be the fairly large surf impacting our south and west facing leeward beaches. Late autumn storms in the southern hemisphere, down near New Zealand last week, generated this swell train of waves. This swell began arriving Friday, and will bring relatively large breaking waves to our south and west facing beaches into Sunday. These breakers will be large enough that the general public may need to use caution when entering the ocean, so please be careful out there this weekend. The NWS office in Honolulu issued a high surf advisory, which will remain active into Sunday.

~~~  I got over to the Lahaina side for some surfing this morning, which was a lot of fun! The waves were large enough that there were some juicy rides, although not so large to be intimidating. I saw evidence along the highway between Olowalu and Lahaina town, of some extreme high tides this last week. There was sand and stuff on the side of the road, with puddles of sea water still on the ocean side of the road. At the same time, there were very low tides during the morning hours in contrast.

It’s early Saturday evening as I sit here in Kula, Maui, typing out this last paragraph. It was another hot day here on Maui, with two days in a row now topping out at 90F degrees down in Kahului. It was even very warm up here in Kula, although late this afternoon, the clouds piled-up against the slopes of the Haleakala Crater, cooling things off nicely. As promised this morning, here’s a link to a music group called Radiohead, singing a song called Creep. This song is certainly not for everyone, but for some reason I really like it! While we’re watching music video’s, here’s another that I know many of you will be able to relate to, called I only have eyes for you by the Flamingo’s.  At any rate, I hope you have a great Saturday night, partying down, or mellowing out, whichever the case may be. I’ll be back Sunday morning with your next new weather narrative from paradise. Aloha for now…Glenn.