2008
Yearly Archive
Posted by Glenn
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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
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
Posted by Glenn
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April 26-27 2008
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Saturday:
Lihue, Kauai – 79
Honolulu, Oahu – 86
Kaneohe, Oahu – 80
Kahului, Maui – 86
Hilo, Hawaii – 83
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 83
Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon:
Kahului, Maui – 84F
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 Saturday afternoon:
1.17 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.62 LULUKU, OAHU
0.0 MOLOKAI
0.10 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
1.24 KULA, MAUI
2.00 PALI 2, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing that the tail-end of a cold front, associated with a deep storm in the Gulf of Alaska, will be moving away. At the same time, we’ll find strengthening trade winds as a high pressure ridge to our north takes its place.
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
The hazy sunset skies over Hawaii
The trade winds are slowly returning this weekend, gradually clearing the atmosphere of haze and all the extra humidity of late. Our high pressure ridge will ever so slowly shift northward, allowing the trade winds to ease back into the state from east. This suggests that our winds will be picking up, light at first, ventilating away the long lasting volcanic haze westward late in the weekend slowly. The computer models show that the trades, once they get well established, will last through the new week ahead.
As the trade winds arrive back into our Hawaiian Island weather picture, showers will move onto the windward sides. The last several days have seen a convective weather pattern, with clear mornings giving way to showery clouds over the interior areas during the afternoons. As the strengthening trade winds firm, so will the likelihood of showers passing their way along the windward coasts and slopes. The leeward sides of the islands will find dry weather in most cases…although the Kona slopes could see a few afternoon showers.
It’s Saturday evening as I begin writing this last section of today’s narrative. Saturday has been a transition day here in Hawaii, shifting from a light wind, hazy convective weather pattern…into the return of a long lasting trade wind episode. The trade winds certainly didn’t barrel back into our Hawaiian Island weather picture by any means, although they did show their face at last. Late Saturday afternoon the trade winds were gusting to 30 mph at times at Maalaea Bay here on Maui, which is a good sign of things to come. Despite the mid-day arrival of the trade winds, showers broke out from the ripe towering cumulus clouds upcountry again today, where thunderstorms and heavy rains, with localized flooding occurred in places. As the trade winds continue to firm, the bias for showers will reach back over to the windward sides of the islands starting Sunday.
~~~ I had the best intentions to go out today, although after washing my clothes, hanging them on the line, and having a leisurely breakfast, I got caught up. It wasn’t anything other than the way the weather was acting that stopped me from getting in my car! Clouds began gathering early, and did nothing but get thicker and thicker as the morning graded into the early afternoon hours. At that point I was committed to watching the show from my weather deck, and it certainly was some show to watch! The rains started gentle enough, although it didn’t take long before it was just pouring down. Then, and this is where it started to get really good, we had the most intense lightning and thunder. I rarely get to experience this kind of weather, so I was very happy that I had hung at home.
~~~ It’s early Saturday evening at the moment, and even with the return of the trade winds today, and the atmosphere clearing rainfall, it’s still exceptionally hazy out there. I still can’t see the West Maui Mountains, although I can now see the north shore slightly…where there are waves breaking on the reefs down there…and there’s the south shore peeking through the haze too. I’m still a little "worked-up" over the amazing thunderstorm activity that exploded over the Kula, Maui area earlier in the day…in what seemed like right over my house! Sunday should bring gradually clearing skies, at least we can hope so, as the trade winds help to clear our hazy skies then. I’ll be back early Sunday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Saturday night until then! Aloha, 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
Posted by Glenn
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April 25-26 2008
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Friday:
Lihue, Kauai – 81
Honolulu, Oahu – 83
Kaneohe, Oahu – 80
Kahului, Maui – 84
Hilo, Hawaii – 84
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 84
Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 4 p.m. Friday afternoon:
Kailua-kona – 81F
Lihue, Kauai – 69
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours on each of the major islands, as of Friday afternoon:
1.55 MOLOAA DAIRY, KAUAI
1.29 OLOMANA FIRE STATION, OAHU
0.51 MOLOKAI
0.01 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.05 KULA, MAUI
0.10 WAIAKEA UKA, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a high pressure system located far to the NE of the islands, with its ridge in the process of moving north of Kauai. Our winds will remain light…becoming trade winds Saturday into Sunday.
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
A different kind of surfer!
The trade winds will be taking over the controls now, kicking the light wind convective weather pattern out of Dodge. Our high pressure ridge will be bouncing northward this weekend, bringing back the refreshing trade winds. These refreshing tropical breezes will help to ventilate the volcanic haze away from the smaller islands…although the Big Island will remain hazy in places unfortunately. The strengthening trades are expected to remain active into the new week ahead.
The trade winds will bring back a few passing showers to the windward sides of the islands. The leeward sides will remain mostly dry, and without any intrusions of high clouds at the moment, we’ll find lots of warm sunshine beaming down. The emphasis for showers Friday was over and around the interior sections, but that will shift back over to the windward sides now into the new week ahead. Our days will be nice and balmy, with air temperatures at night seasonably cool.
It’s Friday evening as I begin writing this last section of today’s narrative. We’ve been locked into a stagnant air mass the last several days, which has kept warm and muggy weather over us…along with copious volcanic haze as well. This sultry reality will be taking a hike now, booted out by the easterly trade winds. This puts us back into a more normal weather pattern for the spring month of April. The long range computer forecast models suggest that we’ll see a long spell of these cooling trade winds unrolling well into the future.
~~~ Since it’s Friday, I’m going to see a new film this evening after work. This time around I’ll try out Shine a Light (2008)…starring Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and the rest of the boys, of course. This is a documentary on the Rolling Stones’ concert at the Beacon Theatre in New York in 2006. I’ve always loved the Stones, haven’t you!? The film is directed by the famous producer Martin Scorsese. A movie reviewing website called rottentomatoes is giving Shine a Light a grade of 87 points out of a possible 100. I’m sure that I’ll be enjoying this film, and will certainly let you know what I think early Saturday morning, when I come back online with your next new weather narrative from paradise. Here’s the trailer for Shine a Light for your entertainment. I hope you have a great Friday night wherever you happen to be spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.
Interesting: Earlier this week, on a spring day in April, John Stubblefield walked past the blue tanks of striped bass, Atlantic sea bream, and cobia stored inside a Baltimore, Maryland, laboratory. "In this tank, it’s spring in May. This tank it’s spring in September," he said. At the University of Maryland‘s Center for Marine Biotechnology, Stubblefield and his fellow researchers are not only altering nature, they are creating what may be the next generation of seafood. The experiment uses city-supplied water and a complex microbial filtration system to raise a few hundred fish completely indoors. Yonathan Zohar, the center’s director and the study’s leader, said it is the first indoor marine aquaculture system that can re-circulate nearly all of its water and expel zero waste. "I’m a strong believer that in 20 years from now, most seafood will be grown on land," Zohar said. "It can go to the Midwest, it can go into the inner city, it can go wherever." If Zohar’s team proves the system could become economically competitive with current marine fish farming techniques, Zohar says he may have found a sustainable answer to the world’s growing fishery crisis.
Interesting2: Human beings may have had a brush with extinction 70,000 years ago, an extensive genetic study suggests. The human population at that time was reduced to small isolated groups in Africa, apparently because of drought, according to an analysis released Thursday. The report notes that a separate study by researchers at StanfordUniversity estimated the number of early humans may have shrunk as low as 2,000 before numbers began to expand again in the early Stone Age. "This study illustrates the extraordinary power of genetics to reveal insights into some of the key events in our species’ history," Spencer Wells, National Geographic Society explorer in residence, said in a statement. "Tiny bands of early humans, forced apart by harsh environmental conditions, coming back from the brink to reunite and populate the world. Truly an epic drama, written in our DNA." Wells is director of the Genographic Project, launched in 2005 to study anthropology using genetics. The report was published in the American Journal of Human Genetics.
Interesting3: Elevated levels of sulfur dioxide pouring from Kilauea volcano Wednesday forced the evacuation of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for the second time this month. About 2,000 people were forced to leave the park when a lack of wind kept the noxious gas from Halemaumau Crater lingering over the Big Island volcano, park spokeswoman Mardie Lane said. "Right now we have little to no wind," Lane said. The plume from the volcano’s main crater was lingering over the area rather than getting blown away by trade winds the way it had been earlier in the week. "When you step outside, definitely your eyes tear, you have that feeling that you’d like to cough or clear your throat," Lane said. A rare two-day park closure earlier this month was caused by a shift in wind direction that prevented the gas from being blown out to sea. "Our primary concern is for the health and safety of visitors and employees," said Joe Molhoek, the park’s incident commander. "We’re in close contact with the National Weather Service and look forward to favorable winds by week’s end."
Posted by Glenn
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April 24-25 2008
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Thursday:
Lihue, Kauai – 82
Honolulu, Oahu – 84
Kaneohe, Oahu – 82
Kahului, Maui – 83
Hilo, Hawaii – 83
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 82
Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 4 p.m. Thursday afternoon:
Honolulu, Oahu – 82F
Hilo, Hawaii – 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 Thursday afternoon:
0.03 MOLOAA DAIRY, KAUAI
0.01 WAIANAE VALLEY, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.02 PUKALANI, MAUI
0.13 WAIAKEA UKA, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a 1028 millibar high pressure system located far to the ENE of the islands Friday….with its ridge just north of Kauai. Our winds will remain light…gradually becoming trade winds later Saturday.
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
Black sand beach near Hana, Maui
Photo credit: flickr.com
The light wind pattern will remain in place through Friday, with strengthening trade winds on tap for the weekend. We see storminess in the middle latitudes pushing a high pressure ridge down close to the islands Thursday evening. When a high pressure ridge gets this close, the trade winds retreat to the area south of Hawaii. Looking at this latest weather map, we see the isobars (lines of equal air pressure) widely spaced around the Aloha state…and coming up from the southeast direction. This has made for an increasingly hazy environment for many areas from the Big Island up through Maui. Oahu and Kauai have been immune to this point, but they will see the haze arriving Friday. Light winds here in the tropics, will make our overlying atmosphere feel very warm and muggy during the days. The returning trade winds this weekend will ventilate the haze, and make our heat feel more bearable.
A weak cold front has pushed into the area near Kauai, although the rest of the state remains quite dry. The light winds have prompted a convective weather pattern, with days beginning generally clear, and slightly cooler than normal for this time of year. Daytime heating, with the lack of cloudiness during the morning hours, will get air currents rising. The moisture being carried upwards in these thermals will cool quickly into cumulus clouds during the late morning hours. These convective clouds will gather most effectively over and around the mountains, and by afternoon, the mountains will be covered up in most areas…although spreading over the coasts locally. These clouds will drop some showers, although not in any widespread way…perhaps most generously near Kauai, the island closest to the frontal cloud band. The upcountry areas will find the most generous showers falling. Skies will clear again after dark, with the process repeating itself through Friday into early Saturday. As the trade winds return later Saturday, the emphasis for showers will shift back over to the windward sides. Looking into next week, this windward bias for showers will continue, with favorably inclined weather prospects for the leeward sides of the islands.
It’s Thursday evening as I begin writing this last paragraph of today’s narrative. The light winds Thursday, with the addition of haze locally, gave island skies a milky look. As you can see by looking at this looping satellite image, the southern part of the state, and especially the Big Island, had to deal with high clouds streaming up from the deeper tropics on the high level jet stream level winds. It was so hazy here on Maui, that it was very difficult to see the Haleakala Crater, or even the West Maui Mountains, from the central valley! This haze will stick with us through Friday, and only begin to disperse as we move into the weekend. Where the sunshine was plentiful, the atmosphere felt very warm and humid today as well. ~~~ As you may know I had trouble with my website editor again this morning. My webmaster informed me that I needed to clear my cache, which eliminated the problem. Now I have to go home to my home computer, and hope that that solves the problem there. I trust that it will, and that early Friday morning I’ll be able to do my normal work, without any problems. Please forgive any inconvenience this may have caused. If I have the luck I need, Friday’s new narrative will come out on time as expected. I hope you have a great Thursday night until then. Aloha for now…Glenn.
Interesting: Tyrannosaurus rex just got a firm grip on the animal kingdom’s family tree, right next to chickens and ostriches. New analyses of soft tissue from a T.rex leg bone re-confirm that birds are dinosaurs’ closest living relatives. "We determined that T. rex, in fact, grouped with birds – ostrich and chicken – better than any other organism that we studied," said researcher John Asara of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School. "We also show that it groups better with birds than [with] modern reptiles, such as alligators and green anole lizards." Scientists long suspected non-avian dinosaurs were most closely related to modern-day birds.
This idea initially rested largely on similarities between the outward appearances of bird and dinosaur skeletons. Later, further evidence on the close evolutionary relationships among birds and non-avian dinosaurs accumulated. The latest evidence comes from an ancient femur bone unearthed in 2003 by Jack Horner of the Museum of the Rockies in the Hell Creek Formation, a fossil-packed area that spans Montana, Wyoming and North and South Dakota. It seems some 68 million years ago, a teenage T. rex died and left behind a drumstick-shaped femur bone that today still contains intact soft tissue and the oldest preserved proteins discovered to date.
Interesting2: Human beings may have had a brush with extinction 70,000 years ago, an extensive genetic study suggests. The human population at that time was reduced to small isolated groups in Africa, apparently because of drought, according to an analysis released Thursday. The report notes that a separate study by researchers at StanfordUniversity estimated the number of early humans may have shrunk as low as 2,000 before numbers began to expand again in the early Stone Age. "This study illustrates the extraordinary power of genetics to reveal insights into some of the key events in our species’ history," Spencer Wells, National Geographic Society explorer in residence, said in a statement. "Tiny bands of early humans, forced apart by harsh environmental conditions, coming back from the brink to reunite and populate the world. Truly an epic drama, written in our DNA." Wells is director of the Genographic Project, launched in 2005 to study anthropology using genetics. The report was published in the American Journal of Human Genetics.
Interesting3: Elevated levels of sulfur dioxide pouring from Kilauea volcano Wednesday forced the evacuation of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for the second time this month. About 2,000 people were forced to leave the park when a lack of wind kept the noxious gas from Halemaumau Crater lingering over the BigIsland volcano, park spokeswoman Mardie Lane said. "Right now we have little to no wind," Lane said. The plume from the volcano’s main crater was lingering over the area rather than getting blown away by trade winds the way it had been earlier in the week. "When you step outside, definitely your eyes tear, you have that feeling that you’d like to cough or clear your throat," Lane said. A rare two-day park closure earlier this month was caused by a shift in wind direction that prevented the gas from being blown out to sea. "Our primary concern is for the health and safety of visitors and employees," said Joe Molhoek, the park’s incident commander. "We’re in close contact with the National Weather Service and look forward to favorable winds by week’s end."
Posted by Glenn
No Comments
April 23-24 2008
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Wednesday:
Lihue, Kauai – 79
Honolulu, Oahu – 84
Kaneohe, Oahu – 80
Kahului, Maui – 85
Hilo, Hawaii – 81
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 83
Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 10 a.m. Wednesday afternoon:
Kahului, Maui – 82F
Hilo, Hawaii – 76
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours on each of the major islands, as of Wednesday afternoon:
0.01 MOLOAA DAIRY, KAUAI
0.00 OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.04 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.16 KAHAKULOA, MAUI
0.21 HONOKAA, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a 1026 millibar high pressure system located to the ENE of the islands. Low pressure centers far north of Hawaii will weaken our local winds, turning then to the ESE to SE through Thursday.
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
The beauty of waves framed by palm trees
Photo credit: MSW
The Hawaiian Islands will be slipping back into a light and variable wind pattern now, similar to the one we had last week about this time. The same dynamics are at play this time around, with storminess in the middle latitudes pushing a high pressure ridge down over or near the north of Kauai. When a high pressure ridge gets this close, our normal spring time trade winds falter quickly. Looking at this latest weather map, we see the isobars (lines of equal air pressure) widely spaced around the Aloha state. This implies light to very light winds in our area of the north central Pacific for the time being. The outlook continues to suggest that our low level winds will begin a gradual swing around to the southeast direction too. This is a recipe for an increasingly haze environment for many areas from the BigIsland up through Maui to Oahu…and perhaps even up the chain to Kauai? Light winds here in the tropics, will make our overlying atmosphere feel very warm and muggy during the days. The two relief valves are: the daytime sea breezes along the coasts, and the cloud cover that develops in the upcountry interior areas. The trade winds will return this weekend, bringing relief from the heat, humidity, and haze…which will extend into next week.
At the moment, the air mass over and around the islands is dry and stable. This is greatly limiting the rainfall capabilities of our local clouds. The light winds will prompt a convective weather pattern, with days beginning generally clear, and slightly cooler than normal for this time of year. Daytime heating, with the lack of cloudiness during the morning hours, will get air currents rising. The moisture being carried upwards in these thermals will cool quickly into cumulus clouds during the late morning hours. These convective clouds will gather most effectively over and around the mountains, and by afternoon, the mountains will be covered up in most areas. These clouds, if there was a lot of moisture around, and cold air aloft, would typically drop some serious showers. This time around though, there is neither, which will keep showers on the light side. Skies will clear again after dark, with the process repeating itself again the next day, through Friday into Saturday. As the trade winds return later Saturday, the emphasis for showers will shift back over to the windward sides. Looking into next week, this windward bias for showers will continue, with favorably inclined weather prospects for the leeward sides of the islands.
It’s early Wednesday evening as I begin writing this last paragraph of today’s narrative. I had trouble with my website editing tool early this morning. My webmaster was able to correct the problem, and was able to get some new updated weather information online to you later in the day. I apologize for the delay in the narrative, and hopefully things will smooth out now, and remain that way well into the future! ~~~ Wednesday was a good day, although the volcanic haze accumulated quickly during the afternoon. Each of the islands acted as a heating pad for the cauliflower type cumulus clouds, that stacked up over them today. It’s getting rather muggy out there too, although the nights and early morning hours will be slightly cooler than normal. ~~~ On another note, I know a lot of folks are complaining of high gasoline prices these days, with good reason for sure. Today, here in Kihei, Maui, I filled up my tank, with gas that was selling for $4.35 per gallon…that’s as high as I’ve ever paid in my life! I was just reading today that over 50% of the worlds population uses rice as their main food staple. The price of rice, since the first of this year, has risen an astonishing 68%! Wow, the times they are a changing, as was coined by Bob Dylan way back when. ~~~ Regardless of rising whatever, you can count on my being back with your next new weather narrative from high priced Hawaii very early Thursday morning, at least probably
. Aloha for now…Glenn.
Interesting: Visitors to Alaska often marvel at the crisp, clear air. But the truth is, the skies above the Arctic Circle work like a giant lint trap during late winter and early spring, catching all sorts of pollutants swirling around the globe. In recent weeks, scientists have been going up in government research planes and taking samples of the Arctic haze in hopes of solving a mystery: Are the floating particles accelerating the unprecedented warming going on in the far north? While carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that trap the Earth’s heat are believed to be the chief cause of global warming, scientists suspect that airborne particles known as aerosols are also contributing to the Arctic meltdown.
To prove their suspicions, they are analyzing the haze, using mass spectroscopy and other technology to identify what is in it, where it came from and how it interacts with the clouds, the sunlight and the snow cover.
Their air samples have been found to contain dust from Asian deserts, salts that swell up moisture, particles from incomplete burning of organic material from forest and cooking fires, and all manner of nasties emitted by automobile tailpipes, factory smokestacks and power plants. Collectively, they are a United Nations of pollution. Through chemical analysis, the particles can be traced to their sources throughout Asia, Europe and North America. "The Arctic is a melting pot for mid-latitude pollution,” said Daniel Jacob, a Harvard scientist taking part in the research. "We have signatures of just about everything you can imagine flying around in the Arctic.”
Interesting2: Major greenhouse gases in the air are accumulating faster than in the past despite efforts to curtail their growth. Carbon dioxide concentration in the air increased by 2.4 parts per million last year, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Wednesday, and methane concentrations also rose rapidly. Concern has grown in recent years about these gases, with most atmospheric scientists concerned that the increasing accumulation is causing the earth’s temperature to rise, potentially disrupting climate and changing patterns of rainfall, drought and other storms. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has worked to detail the scientific bases of this problem and the Kyoto agreement sought to encourage countries to take steps to reduce their greenhouse emissions. Some countries, particularly in Europe, have taken steps to reduce emissions. But carbon dioxide emissions, primarily from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas have continued to increase.
Posted by Glenn
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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
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April 21-22 2008
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Monday:
Lihue, Kauai – 79
Honolulu, Oahu – 86
Kaneohe, Oahu – 81
Kahului, Maui – 86
Hilo, Hawaii – 81
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 83
Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 4 p.m. Monday afternoon:
Honolulu, Oahu – 83F
Molokai airport – 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 Monday afternoon:
0.56 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.39 POAMOHO 2, OAHU
0.06 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.02 KAHOOLAWE
0.40 PUU KUKUI, MAUI
0.53 KEALAKEKUA, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a 1027 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
Waterfall on the Big Island of Hawaii
Photo credit:flickr.com
Moderately strong trade winds will dominate our Hawaiian Island weather picture through Tuesday. The computer forecast models suggest that by Wednesday the trades will start breaking down, giving way to lighter winds into early Friday. This will be caused by a low pressure system 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 a couple of days. This in turn will bring back a period of light winds, which if they swing around to the southeast direction…could carry volcanic haze up over Maui County from the Big Island. The lighter winds will allow urban haze to form over the island of Oahu. The high pressure ridge will bounce back northward later Friday, bringing back the atmospheric clearing trade winds during the weekend and beyond.
Whatever few showers that fall over the next couple of days, will be limited in coverage, and on the light side. The majority 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 further ahead, during the second half of this new week, the light winds will cause a convective weather pattern for a short time, with most of the showers that fall then, occurring during the afternoons in the upcountry interior areas. The returning trade winds will bring the bias for showers back over to the windward sides later Friday into the weekend.
It’s Monday evening as I begin updating this last section of today’s narrative. This time of year, it’s more and more difficult to hold back the trade winds from blowing. We will see them blowing most of the time this week, although as noted in a paragraph above, there will be a couple of days when they falter. This short break from the trade winds will be short lived, as a low pressure system, later Wednesday through early Friday, moves by to our north…knocking the trade winds down. As is often the case, the trade winds will keep our air visibilities in good shape. As the trade winds give way to light and variable winds however, we often see haze developing, some of it of a volcanic origin if southeast breezes are blowing. It’s too early to know just how thick this haze may be Thursday into Friday, although we do know that whatever is still around, will be ventilated away by the returning trade winds later Friday into the weekend.
~~~ Monday was a great day here in Hawaii, with plentiful sunshine beaming down just about everywhere. All that sunshine gave a kick upwards to our local thermometers! The maximum temperature in both Kahului, Maui, and Honolulu, Oahu, reached a very warm 86F degrees. While I was in Kihei, right down near the beach, my car thermometer was reading 89F degrees, which felt more like summer than spring! Looking out the window here in Kihei, before I drive upcountry to Kula, skies are almost totally clear, with just a few clouds hugging the sides of the West Maui Mountains…and up on the Haleakala slopes. I expect a mostly clear night, with yet another gorgeous day on tap Tuesday. I’ll be back very early Tuesday morning with your next new weather narrative. I hope you have a great Monday night until then! Aloha for now…Glenn.
Interesting: JPL (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory) Earth Scientists Reflect on Earth Day – April 21, 2008
In commemoration of Earth Day on Tuesday, April 22, JPL Earth scientists were asked to reflect on the event, and what it means to them. Here are some of their responses:
"My father was a biologist who brought his family from Cuba to the United States. I still remember as a boy long walks with him on the beach as he pointed out the different organisms and the beauty of our planet. Those long walks instilled in me a love for understanding our planet, and more importantly, the desire to make sure we are good stewards of the precious gift we call planet Earth."
– Jorge Vazquez, PhysicalOceanographyDistributedActiveArchiveCenter task scientist
"At NASA, every day is Earth Day. After all our explorations of the universe, we are still awed by our own miracle planet and reminded daily that we have only one Earth. But we also see warning signs posted all over our home. Oceans are warming and rising, glaciers are retreating, our atmosphere carries pollution to all nations, forests are disappearing and our out-of-control population growth is crushing the environment. Yet Earth is a tough old gal, and we still control our collective future. Earth Day is a time for us to pause and consider how each of us, all of us, can work together as trustees of our home, Earth, to benefit our collective future."
– Bill Patzert, climatologist
"At the moment I am working with a number of JPL colleagues on the topic of global change and the role that JPL and NASA can play in this process. The considerable talent and expertise of the people I have the opportunity to work with in conjunction with their and JPL’s sincere intentions to contribute to this very important global problem make Earth Day particularly meaningful and going to ‘work’ extremely fun!"
– Duane Waliser, senior research scientist
"I study Earth science because I want to know: ‘What will the future bring?’"
– Tony Mannucci, Ionospheric and Atmospheric Remote Sensing Group
"NASA and international space agencies are collaborating to study the polar regions of Earth in ways that have never been done in the past. Observations gathered by satellites as well as field parties on the ground have shown that the vast expanses of ice in Greenland and Antarctica are melting away in response to climate warming. We are now putting all our efforts to be able to predict how ice will melt in the coming century because ice melt raises global sea level and the impact this will have on coastal populations will be significant–some populations will have to leave their homes and move inland."
– Eric Rignot, senior research scientist
"I have been working at JPL for 10 years, mainly on developing and using radar satellites to study vegetation all over the world. Radars allow us to measure vegetation changes and some characteristics of its structure, such as height and biomass (the amount of material in the forest). This enables measurement of the impact of climate change on vegetation. How do they contribute to the atmosphere (example: oxygen, carbon dioxide) and other life forms (human and animals) on Earth? Are forests destroyed? Can they survive climate change?"
– Marc Simard, senior scientist, radar systems
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April 20-21 2008
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Sunday:
Lihue, Kauai – 78
Honolulu, Oahu – 85
Kaneohe, Oahu – 79
Kahului, Maui – 83
Hilo, Hawaii – 81
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 84
Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 5 p.m. Sunday evening:
Honolulu, Oahu – 80F
Molokai airport – 74
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:
0.85 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
1.14 MANOA LYON ARBORETUM, OAHU
0.06 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.02 KAHOOLAWE
2.29 PUU KUKUI, MAUI
1.44 GLENWOOD, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a 1027 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.
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
Nice waves breaking at our local beaches now
Photo credit:flickr.com
Locally gusty trade winds will continue, strongest during the afternoon hours as usual. The long range computer forecast models suggest that by this coming Wednesday, the trades will break down. This will be caused by a deep low pressure system moving by to our north. This low will have an associated cold front, which will approach the islands, but not make it all the way down into our area. During the second half of the week, this low and front will keep our ridge of high pressure down over the islands for several days. This in turn will bring back a period of light winds, which will likely will swing around to the southeast direction…carrying volcanic haze up over the Aloha state from the Big Island.
The trade winds will carry a few showers our way, although the leeward sides will remain generally sunny to partly cloudy during the days. The majority of these showers will fall along the windward coasts and slopes. There is good chance that afternoon clouds will gather over and around the mountains…as they did Saturday. The leeward slopes on the Big Island had a couple of thunderstorms, which may flare-up again this afternoon. Looking further ahead, during the second half of the new week, the light winds will cause a convective weather pattern, with most of the showers that fall, occurring during the afternoons in the upcountry interior areas.
It’s Sunday evening as I begin updating this last section of today’s narrative. Today was very near a repeat performance of Saturday, at least in terms of the weather. Many areas started off with clear skies, although clouds increased as the day wore on. The trade winds, as noted above, will still be on the breezy side, although not strong enough to trigger small craft wind advisories in our coastal waters now. You may have noticed in the paragraphs above, that our local trade winds will be faltering again by the middle of the new week. This is not great news, if you are one of those folks who have respiratory problems due to the volcanic haze that gathers over our islands. This last week we had just such conditions, and the light southeast winds may bring up that vog over us again starting Wednesday.
~~~ I got up very early Sunday morning, actually at 415am, the same time I do during the weekdays. I didn’t mind however, as it was for a good cause. I took the drive over to the Lahaina side, for a surfing excursion. I paddled out just as the warm sunshine was hitting the water, just to the south of Lahaina town here on Maui. There were only two guys out, and I knew one of them. Later more folks paddled out, but it never really got crowded. I must say that I got many thank you comments, for the surf page that I produce on this website. The tide got very low, and the water was clear enough, that I could see just how close the reef was just below my feet. My surfboard only hit the reef slightly once, when I got stuck inside, after riding a nice wave towards shore. I had some concern about my arms, and paddling, as I’ve been healing my shoulders from a skateboarding accident I had last year. I’m delighted to say that my upper arms were stiff, but they stretched out as I was out there paddling for waves, it is with relief that I now know I can go surfing more…like next weekend I hope!
~~~ I’m about ready to go down stairs from my Kula, Maui weather tower, to make dinner. I’ll make a nice red pasta sauce, and then just cook spaghetti each night during the week. I’ll sauteed three large portobello mushrooms, an onion, garlic, a couple of zucchini’s, along with a hot green pepper in extra virgin olive oil…then throw in a can of organic Muir Glen diced tomatoes. As I’ve mentioned many times here, I love having a ready made sauce, which I’ll add the sauce, and then grate some nice cheese over the plating each work night. I hope you have a great Sunday night! I’ll meet you here very early Monday morning with your next weather narrative from paradise. Aloha for now…Glenn.
In celebration of Earth Day weekend: If the Earth were only a few feet in diameter…floating a few feet above a field somewhere, people would come from everywhere to marvel at it. People would walk around it, marveling at its big pools of water, or little pools and the water flowing between the pools. People would marvel at the bumps on it, and the holes in it, and they would marvel at the very thin layer of gas surrounding it and the water suspended in the gas. The people would marvel at the creatures walking around the surface of the ball, and at the creatures in the water.
The people would declare it as sacred because it was the only one, and they would protect it so that it would not be hurt. The ball would be the greatest wonder known, and people would come to pray to it, to be healed, to gain knowledge, to know beauty and to wonder how it could be. People would love it, and defend it with their lives because they would somehow know that their lives, their own roundness, could be nothing without it. If the Earth were only a few feet in diameter.
Posted by Glenn
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April 19-20 2008
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Saturday:
Lihue, Kauai – 80
Honolulu, Oahu – 86
Kaneohe, Oahu – 80
Kahului, Maui – 85
Hilo, Hawaii – 76
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 83
Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon:
Honolulu, Oahu – 83F
Hilo, Hawaii – 74
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:
0.05 MOLOAA DAIRY, KAUAI
0.30 PALISADES, OAHU
0.05 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.24 PUU KUKUI, MAUI
0.72 WAIAKEA UKA, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing high pressure systems to the NE and NW. Our trade winds will remain moderately strong, although locally stronger and gusty Sunday and Monday.
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
Tropical full moon
Artist:James Coleman
Moderately strong trade winds, now active across the entire state of Hawaii…will continue into the new week ahead. This is good news, as the hazy and muggy weather of this last week, continue to be blown away. Skies should show improved clarity, with less relative humidity in general. The long range computer forecast models suggest that by next Wednesday, the trades will relax a little in strength. Those models go on to indicate go on to show that the slightly lighter trade winds will last only a few days…with stronger trade winds returning Friday into next weekend.
The trade winds will carry a few showers to our windward sides, leaving the leeward sides sunny to partly cloudy during the days. This looping satellite imagery shows high and middle level clouds looming to the south, minding its manners down there for the time being. Otherwise, most of the clouds locally will occur along the windward sides…where a few showers will spill along those coasts and slopes. The overlying atmosphere is fairly dry and stable now, which will limit shower production, even in regards to those stratocumulus and cumulus clouds being carried our way on the breezy trade winds.
It’s Saturday evening as I begin updating this last section of today’s narrative. Saturday was a delightful day, that is if you don’t mind a bit of gusty trade winds blowing…and some misty showers falling along the windward sides. The leeward areas basked in warm sunshine in many areas, where it was generally less windy than elsewhere. Clouds gathered, as usual, around the mountains, but didn’t drop much precipitation. I see little change for Sunday, which will be another nice day as well…carrying forth right on into the new week ahead.
~~~ You may have noticed the growing size of the moon lately? Well, if not, I’m pretty sure you will tonight. The April full moon occurs Saturday night, actually, the official time of full moon is early Sunday morning at 12:25am here in Hawaii. This moon will light the way for whatever night hikes that you might have planned, or at least a walk on some sandy beach perhaps.
~~~ I saw the new film Friday night called The Forbidden Kingdom (2008), starring Jackie Chan, Jet Li, among others. It’s about an American teenager who is obsessed with Hong Kong cinema and kung-fu classics makes an extraordinary discovery in a Chinatown pawnshop: the legendary stick weapon of the Chinese sage and warrior, the Monkey King. With the lost relic in hand, the teenager unexpectedly finds himself traveling back to ancient China to join a crew of warriors from martial arts lore on a dangerous quest to free the imprisoned Monkey King. The Maui Megaplex used its largest theater to show this film, and it was packed. The local population here love this kind of film, and I noticed when walking out of the theater afterwards, that I was the only white guy walking among all brown skin folks! This film was just about what I had expected, although it had a funny edge that kept coming out, with lots of laughs along the way. Jet Li is a pretty serious guy, although with Jackie Chan involved, there’s always some aspect of comedy. I have to admit, as is often the case, I had a pretty good crush going on over the two leading ladies in this Kung-fu movie! Here’s the trailer, see what you think.
~~~ I did little projects around the house today, which was pleasant. I have my surfboard strapped to the racks on the top of my car. I’ll get up early Sunday morning, update this website, have a little breakfast and coffee, and then take the drive over to the Lahaina side for a long awaited surf session. I have been healing my shoulders from a skateboarding accident I had last year, and am finally feeling strong enough to get out there and paddle my surfboard into some nice south swell waves. I may be a little rusty in my riding, but the truth is that surfing, once you know how, is like riding a bike, you never forget. I’ll meet you here early in the morning for more updates on this webpage, I hope you have a great full moon Saturday night until then! Aloha for now…Glenn
In celebration of Earth Day weekend: If the Earth were only a few feet in diameter…floating a few feet above a field somewhere, people would come from everywhere to marvel at it. People would walk around it, marveling at its big pools of water, or little pools and the water flowing between the pools. People would marvel at the bumps on it, and the holes in it, and they would marvel at the very thin layer of gas surrounding it and the water suspended in the gas. The people would marvel at the creatures walking around the surface of the ball, and at the creatures in the water.
The people would declare it as sacred because it was the only one, and they would protect it so that it would not be hurt. The ball would be the greatest wonder known, and people would come to pray to it, to be healed, to gain knowledge, to know beauty and to wonder how it could be. People would love it, and defend it with their lives because they would somehow know that their lives, their own roundness, could be nothing without it. If the Earth were only a few feet in diameter.
Posted by Glenn
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April 18-19 2008
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Friday:
Lihue, Kauai – 80
Honolulu, Oahu – 87
Kaneohe, Oahu – 81
Kahului, Maui – 85
Hilo, Hawaii – 83
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 83
Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 4 p.m. Friday morning:
Honolulu, Oahu – 85F
Molokai airport – 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 Friday afternoon:
0.16 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.53 OLOMANA FIRE STATION, OAHU
0.02 MOLOKAI
0.11 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.12 PUU KUKUI, MAUI
0.04 HILO AIRPORT, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a low pressure system moving away to the north. This is allowing high pressure to establish itself to the NE and NW. Our trade winds will picking up strength through the weekend.
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
Dolphins in Hawaiian waters
Photo Credit: flickr.com
The trade winds came charging back into Hawaiian waters Friday! A long lasting low pressure system, to the north of the islands, finally moved northward. This in turn allowed the return of what started out as light trade winds…which increased quickly during the day. The thick volcanic haze of late, and the muggy air too, are quickly leaving…as the trade winds scrub the air clean. These moderately strong trade winds will continue this weekend, and into the new week ahead. The long range computer forecast models suggest that by next Wednesday, they will relax in strength for several days.
The returning trade winds will provide good weather conditions well into the future. As is always the case, or at least almost always, we’ll see the return of a few showers to the north and east facing windward sides. The south and west sides, referred to as leeward, will remain mostly dry and sunny during the days. This looping satellite imagery shows high cirrus clouds looming to the west and southwest, so that we may see that high level moisture arriving, carried on the upper winds aloft…eventually. Otherwise, most of the clouds will occur along the windward sides…where a few showers will spill along those coasts and slopes.
It’s Friday evening as I begin updating this last section of today’s narrative. Friday was a transition day, taking us out of the light winds, muggy and hazy weather conditions…back into a freshening trade wind weather pattern. Most areas of the state have had to put up with hazy conditions, caused by the volcanic emissions from the Big Island, carried up the island chain on the southeast wind flow. We started the day off in a voggy way (vog is what we call volcanic haze in Hawaii), but relief came on heels of the stiffening trade winds. It took most of the day, but the vog is rapidly thinning, and will continue to do so into the weekend.
~~~ You may have noticed the growing size of the moon lately? Well, if not, I’m pretty sure you will over the next couple of nights. The April full moon occurs Saturday night, and will be reflecting all kinds of sunshine after dark!
~~~ I had a hard time trying to decide which film to see this evening, as there are so many good ones to chose from. I finally picked the new film called The Forbidden Kingdom (2008), starring Jackie Chan, Jet Li, among others. An American teenager who is obsessed with Hong Kong cinema and kung-fu classics makes an extraordinary discovery in a Chinatown pawnshop: the legendary stick weapon of the Chinese sage and warrior, the Monkey King. With the lost relic in hand, the teenager unexpectedly finds himself traveling back to ancient China to join a crew of warriors from martial arts lore on a dangerous quest to free the imprisoned Monkey King. I love this kind of action flick, and am looking forward to seeing it! Here’s the trailer for this flim, see what you think. I’ll let you know what I thought early Saturday morning when I’m here with your next new weather narrative from paradise then. Aloha for now…Glenn.
Interesting: The first typhoon to threaten China this year churned toward the southern island province of Hainan on Friday, forcing about 120,000 people to evacuate fish farms and low-lying areas, forecasters and media said. Fifty-six fishermen were reported missing. Typhoon Neoguri was expected to sweep over Hainan’s northeastern coast on Friday night or early Saturday, lashing the city of Wanning or Wenchang, the nation’s meteorological observatory said. The last time a typhoon threatened China so early in the season was before 1949, Chen Lei, a flood relief official, was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua News Agency. Neoguri, which means "raccoon" in Korean, was packing winds of up to 75 miles per hour as it swirled across the South Sea and approached Hainan, famous for its resorts, beaches and tropical fruit orchards, forecasters said. About 21,800 fishing boats with 80,000 crew sought shelter in ports or reefs in Hainan, and 20,000 more sailed to safer waters in nearby Guangdong province, Xinhua said.
Interesting2: Scientists studying the icy depths of the sea around Antarctica have detected changes in salinity that could have profound effects on the world’s climate and ocean currents. The scientists returned to the southern Australian city of Hobart on Thursday after a one-month voyage studying the Southern Ocean to see how it is changing and what those changes might mean for global climate patterns. Voyage leader Steve Rintoul said his team found that salty, dense water that sinks near the edge of Antarctica to the bottom of the ocean about 5 km (3 miles) down was becoming fresher and more buoyant. So-called Antarctic bottom water helps power the great ocean conveyor belt, a system of currents spanning the Southern, Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans that shifts heat around the globe. "The main reason we’re paying attention to this is because it is one of the switches in the climate system and we need to know if we are about to flip that switch or not," said Rintoul of Australia’s government-backed research arm the CSIRO. "If that freshening trend continues for long enough, eventually the water near Antarctica would be too light, too buoyant to sink and that limb of the global-scale circulation would shut down," he said on Friday.
Interesting3: Just as canaries help miners monitor underground gases, marine turtles are emerging as excellent indicators of the effects of climate change. “Turtles are a really good way to study climate change because they depend on healthy beaches as well as mangroves, sea grass beds, coral reefs and deep oceane cosystems to live”, said Dr. Lucy Hawkes, coordinator of an initiative to develop adaptation strategies for climate change impacts to turtles. As part of the initiative, WWF launched a new website today, Adaptation to Climate Change in Marine Turtles (ACT). “Understanding of how climate change may affect the beaches, the reef and the open ocean will not only benefit endangered sea turtle populations, but also the millions of people who live along the coastlines of the world and depend upon marine resources and environemental services.” The public, educators, conservationists and scientists will be able to share information and projects to try to gain a better picture of how climate change will affect turtles and what might be done to combat the impacts.
Interesting4: Full moons are said to be behind many strange things, but here’s one you didn’t know about: At full moon, our favorite satellite (the moon) is whipped by Earth’s magnetotail, causing lunar dust storms and discharges of static electricity. This new finding, announced this week by NASA, is important to future lunar explorers: Astronauts may find themselves "crackling with electricity like a sock pulled out of a hot dryer," according to an agency statement. The effect on the moon was first noticed in 1968, when NASA’s Surveyor 7 lander photographed a strange glow on the horizon after dark. Nobody knew what it was. Now scientists think it was sunlight scattered by electrically charged moon dust floating just above the surface. That fits with data from NASA’s Lunar Prospector, which orbited the moon in 1998-99. During some crossings of the magnetotail, the spacecraft recorded big changes in the lunar night-side voltage.
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