July 12-13 2008


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

Lihue, Kauai – 84
Honolulu, Oahu – 89
Kaneohe, Oahu – 85
Kahului, Maui – 87
Hilo, Hawaii – 86
Kailua-kona – 86

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

Kahului, Maui – 87F  
Lihue, Kauai – 79

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:

0.67  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.14 Kahuku, Oahu
0.00 Molokai
0.05 Lanai
0.01 Kahoolawe
0.98 Oheo Gulch, Maui
0.85 South Point, Big Island

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing high pressure systems located far to the north and northeast of the islands. At the same time we find a surface trough of low pressure to the east and northeast, which will be moving across the state soon. This pressure configuration will keep lighter than normal winds blowing through Monday. Here’s a link to the NOAA weather school.

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. 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 weather conditions.

Aloha Paragraphs


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1233/533883186_3c1c9b1fe0.jpg?v=0
The end to another perfect day in the islands!
Photo Credit: Flickr.com







Our local trade winds will generally be light the rest of the weekend…through the first half of the upcoming work week. A trough of low pressure, now to the east-northeast of the Big Island, will across the islands later Sunday and Monday, which is why our winds are more from the northeast than usual, and softer too. The computer models forecast it will take until after mid-week, before our trade winds will start to increase again in strength, becoming stronger during the second half of the week. 

There will be a few showers falling, mostly along the windward sides, and perhaps a few along the leeward areas here and there too.  The overlying atmosphere is pretty dry and stable now however, which will limit shower activity. Despite the trough of low pressure moving by over the next couple of days, there won’t be all that many showers falling. Most of the showers that fall along those windward coasts and slopes, will occur during the nights and early mornings. In contrast, whatever convective shower that occur along the leeward slopes…will fall during the afternoon into the early evening hours.

~~~ It’s early Saturday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I begin updating this last section of today’s weather narrative from paradise. There have been spotty showers falling in many places across the Hawaiian Islands Saturday. Here in Kula, there have been at least four different individual shower periods during the last 24 hours. The latest is falling as I write, after an earlier fairly heavy downpour earlier in the afternoon…although it was brief. It had a slant to it, with the winds involved, which gave it the look of winter for several minutes. I’m quite sure that you’ve, if you’re a regular reader, that this year has been full of unusual weather circumstances…which continues on into this early summer period.

I went over to the Lahaina side early this morning, where I found fun waves to surf. It was nice and glassy (smooth ocean), with the waves generally breaking in the knee to shoulder high range. I coudn’t resist



stopping at Baldwin Beach, on the north shore, on the way home. I love walking on that long sandy beach in the mornings, watching the clouds move by in the trade winds offshore. It always feels so good to drive back home to Kula, which is in the upcountry area, under the cloud cover…and the cooler temperatures. I have a friend coming over for dinner soon, so I’d better get out in the garden and pick from the several varieties of salad greens we’re growing. I hope you have a great Saturday night wherever you’re spending it! I’ll be back online Sunday morning with your next new weather narrative. Aloha for now…Glenn.