January 27-28 2008

0.59 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
1.07 SOUTH FORK KAUKONAHUA, OAHU
0.13 MOLOKAI
0.01 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
2.38 PUU KUKUI, MAUI
1.83 GLENWOOD, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map. A relatively strong 1033 millibar high pressure system, located far to the north of the islands, will keep locally strong and gusty trade winds blowing for the time being. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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


One of the many fresh water pools along the Hana highway, Maui
photo credit: flickr.com 

Moderate to locally strong and gusty trade winds will keep the Hawaiian Islands breezy through the next week. The latest weather maps show a 1033 millibar high pressure system located to the north of Hawaii Sunday evening. This trade wind producing high pressure cell will wobble around in that area, with only slight fluctuations in our local wind speeds. Meanwhile, a gale force low pressure system is moving into the California coast. The combination of the high to the north, and low pressure system far to our NE, will continue to bring slightly cooler than normal air into the Aloha state.

These trade winds will carry showery clouds to the windward sides at times…which will be enhanced by colder than normal air aloft. The incoming clouds, with their associated showers, will be quite numerous and frequent, well into the new week ahead. These active showers will for the most part be restricted to the windward coasts and slopes. Although, with the trade winds blowing this strongly, there’s always the chance that a few of these windward biased showers will be blown over into the leeward sides…especially on the smaller islands.

It’s Sunday evening as I update this last paragraph of today’s narrative.  As noted in the paragraphs above, the Hawaiian Islands will continue to see blustery trade winds, filled with showery clouds along the windward sides at times. Otherwise, our local weather will be fine, especially along the leeward sides…where sunshine will be in no short supply. ~~~ Last night I had dinner with a friend in Kahului, Maui, and went to see another new film called There will be Blood starring Daniel Day-Lewis. This film apparently is up for an Oscar nomination, and is getting excellent B+ – A- reviews. The film revolves around an epic tale of family, faith, power and oil set on the incendiary frontier of California’s turn-of-the-century petroleum boom. The story chronicles the life and times of one Daniel Plainview, who transforms himself from a down-and-out silver miner, raising a son on his own into a self-made oil tycoon. But even as the well raises all of their fortunes, nothing will remain the same as conflicts escalate and every human value–love, hope, community, belief, ambition and even the bond between father and son–is imperiled by corruption, deception and the flow of oil. Here’s the trailer for this film.  It’s a long film, almost three hours in fact, and since it started late, I found myself being a little more tired than I would have preferred. The length of the film made it somewhat tedious for me, although that didn’t keep it from being an impressive piece of work. Here’s the trailer for this film. It included excellent performances, in which several of the main actors turned out to be at least somewhat crazy!  I enjoyed the film, although not as much as what has turned out to be my favorite film of the recent past, which was No Country for Old Men.  Neither one of these films were all that easy to watch, both were very intense, but very well done in so many ways. I must say that seeing new films is definitely one of my favorite things to do!  ~~~ I hope you have a great Sunday evening wherever you happen to be spending it!  I’ll be back with more weather news and details very early Monday morning. Aloha for now…Glenn. 

 

January 26-27 2008

1.19 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.38 SOUTH FORK KAUKONAHUA, OAHU
0.04 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
1.29 PUU KUKUI, MAUI
0.98 GLENWOOD, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map. A relatively strong 1034 millibar high pressure system, located far to the north of the islands Sunday, will keep moderate to locally strong and gusty trade winds blowing into Monday. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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 end of another beautiful day on Maui
photo credit: flickr.com 

Gusty trade winds will dominate the Hawaiian Island weather picture this weekend…into the new week ahead. The latest weather maps show a robust high pressure system located far to the north of Hawaii. This trade wind producing high pressure cell will be moving southward, closer to our area now. This in turn will prompt a surge in our local trade wind speeds, with small craft advisories now active across the entire state. Meanwhile, a gale to near storm force low pressure system will spin offshore from the California coast. The combination of the high and low pressure systems working together, will continue to bring slightly cool air into the Aloha state.

These gusty trade winds are expected to continue through the next week, with no letup in sight. This isn’t too unusual, as any month of the year can have trade winds blowing. This winter however has had more than the normal number of days with the trade winds blowing. We could point to the fact that we have an active La Nina happening here in the Pacific Ocean, for a possible reason. The good thing about this, is that typically when the trade winds are active, we have more or less favorable weather conditions in the islands…although the windward sides can find off and on passing showers prevailing. 

Those windward biased showers will be around through the next week…although of an off and on nature. The incoming clouds, carried by the trade winds, will be quite shallow, at least through the next couple of days. This usually keeps whatever showers that fall restricted to the windward coasts and slopes. Although, having said that, we need to remember that with the trade winds blowing this strongly, there’s always that chance that a few of the windward biased showers can be blown over into the leeward sides…especially on the smaller islands.

It’s Saturday evening as I begin writing this last paragraph of today’s narrative.  A trough of low pressure to the west of the state, near the International Dateline, continues to send us some minor high level cirrus clouds. This will likely dim and filter our famous Hawaiian sunshine some…although it seems to be thinning now. As I mentioned above, the orientation of our local winds, both at the surface and aloft, will keep our overlying atmosphere slightly cooler than normal for the next several days. ~~~ Tonight I have dinner plans with a friend, and then on to see yet another new film called There will be Blood starring Daniel Day-Lewis…which is getting excellent B+ – A- grades. This film revolves around an epic tale of family, faith, power and oil set on the incendiary frontier of California’s turn-of-the-century petroleum boom. The story chronicles the life and times of one Daniel Plainview, who transforms himself from a down-and-out silver miner raising a son on his own into a self-made oil tycoon. But even as the well raises all of their fortunes, nothing will remain the same as conflicts escalate and every human value–love, hope, community, belief, ambition and even the bond between father and son–is imperiled by corruption, deception and the flow of oil. Here’s the trailer for this much looked forward to new film…at least on my part.  ~~~ I hope you have a great Saturday night wherever you happen to be spending it! I’ll be back Sunday with more weather news from paradise. Aloha for now…Glenn. 

 

January 25-26 2008

0.72 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
1.01 NUUANU UPPER, OAHU
0.09 MOLOKAI
0.01 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
1.83 PUU KUKUI, MAUI
2.18 PAHOA, 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. 

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map. A strong 1038 millibar high pressure system, located far to the north of the islands, will move closer over the next few days…with increasingly strong and gusty trade winds. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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


Grabbing a little solitude on Kauai
photo credit: flickr.com 

The weather here in the islands will be characterized by gusty trade winds, and some passing windward showers. The latest weather maps show a strong high pressure system located far to the north of Hawaii. This trade wind producing high pressure cell will be moving southward, closer to our area over the next few days. This in turn will prompt a surge in our local trade wind speeds, with small craft advisory flags now waving in the breezes over the windiest areas…which will be extended across the entire state into the weekend. 

These gusty trade winds are expected to blow through the next week, with no letup in sight. This isn’t too unusual, as any month of the year can have trade winds blowing. This winter however has had more than the normal number of days with the trade winds blowing. We could point to the fact that we have an active La Nina happening here in the Pacific Ocean…for a possible reason. The good thing about this, is that typically when the trade winds are active, we have more or less favorable weather conditions in the islands. 

As far as rainfall is concerned, here has been relatively little in most areas. This will continue to be the case for the time being, although starting later Friday into Saturday, there will be a temporary increase in showers. This surge of showers will focus most intently on the windward sides of the islands, leaving the leeward sides alone. Although, having said that, we should remember that with the trade winds blowing, there’s always that chance that some of the windward biased showers can be blown over into the leeward sides…especially on the smaller islands.

Well, as you can see, I’m back in Hawaii, having had a great trip to the mainland. Most of you regular readers know that I went to California to visit my parents last week, and on to New Orleans to attend an American Meteorology Society conference afterwards. I had a good time in both cases, enjoying the company of my family, and then to mix with over 3,000 weather professionals at the conference. It’s always good to leave the tropics once in a while, to get out there and be stimulated by travel. I came back well, and am now ready to get back to work here on Maui.

I did a lot of flying Thursday, starting out in rainy New Orleans early in the morning. It was then on to Denver, where the air temperature was 18F degrees when I flew into that airport briefly. It was great to see all the snow covering the ground in the high plains. Then it was a flight over the Rocky Mountains, which as you can imagine were snowy…and beautiful. When I landed in Los Angeles, it was cloudy with showers in the area, and a cool 50F degrees. Finally, I took the long flight back to the Kahului, Maui airport, and was picked up by my next door neighbor…driving up the slopes of the Haleakala Crater to home.

It’s early Friday evening as I start updating this last paragraph of today’s narrative.  A trough of low pressure to the west of the state, over near the International Dateline, sent lots of high level cirrus clouds over the islands Friday. This ended up dimming and filtering our famous Hawaiian sunshine quite a bit. This looping satellite image shows this high cloudiness continuing to spread over our area. At the same time, that animated satellite image shows clouds and showers heading our way from the NE, or more accurately being carried in our direction…on the increasingly strong trade wind flow. These showers will make the windward sides wetter this evening, lasting into Saturday. Drier air will flood into our area by Sunday, with just a normal distribution of windward biased showers as we move into the new week ahead. ~~~ I’ll be heading to a new film this evening, called Cloverfield, a new 2008 film. I didn’t recognize any of the actors starring in this film, although the critics and users, both gave it a B grade. It’s about five young New Yorkers who throw their friend a going-away party the night that a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Told from the point of view of their video camera, the film is a document of their attempt to survive the most surreal, horrifying event of their lives. Just in case you were curious, here’s a trailer for this new film. It doesn’t look great, although it somehow feels like what I want to see. Saturday night I have plans to see another new film called There will be Blood starring Daniel Day-Lewis…which is getting excellent B+ – A- grades. ~~~ I hope you have a great Friday night wherever you happen to be spending it! I’ll be back early Saturday morning with more weather news from paradise.

January 25-26 2008

1.73 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.48 POAMOHO 2, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.11 OHEO GULCH, MAUI
0.01 WAIKII, 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. 

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map. A strong 1039 millibar high pressure system, localted far to the north of the islands, will move closer over the next few days…with increasingly strong and gusty trade winds. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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


Coastal scene on the Big Island
photo credit: flickr.com 

Glenn James will be away from the Hawaiian Islands Tuesday, January 15th through Thursday, January 24th. He will be at the American Meteorological Society conference, with the focus being tropical cyclones. This conference will also double as their annual meeting…and take place in New Orleans. Glenn stopped off in southern California on the way to the conference, for a visit with his parents…and had a great time with them!

I just spent my fourth day here in New Orleans…attending about five hours of weather related talks. As has been the case all week, I kept my focus on climate change, and how that influences tropical cyclones as much as possible. This last day of the conference, was still intereresting, although I found myself getting tired. My attention span flagged a bit, after near back-to-back presentations day after day…many of which were pretty high level in terms of deep meteorological content. 

Last evening I walked down to the French Quarter again, found Bourbon Street, and walked all the way to the end…and back. The bell man at the hotel I’m staying at, had recommended an eating place, and I tried it out. It was called Galatoire’s…which stated: Indulge in the Tradition. I ordered fresh Pompano, covered with clams, along with potatoes, garlic bread and a fresh salad. I very much enjoyed this meal, along with a glass of Geyser Peak Cabernet Saugvinon.

The high point of Wednesday’s activities was a guided bus tour around New Orleans…focusing most intently on the area damaged by hurricane Katrina. This was a two and a half hour ride, with a full bus load of people from the weather conference. The trip took us right to the heart of the worst hit areas, providing a first hand experience of the aftermath of the storms fury. As you know, the worst part of the storm turned out to be the flooding, although the wind was exceedingly strong too.

I was actually surprised at how much devastation remains, and how little has been done to put it back together in many areas. There were whole tracts of land where almost every house, as far as the eye could see, had been washed or blown away! All you could see were the footing stones, where the houses used to be. We got off the bus in this area, and people just wandered around taking pictures…which left me feeling a bit stunned. We stopped at a large cemetary too, and again wandered around, which was very interesting.

This is my last night in New Orleans, as I fly to Denver, and on to Los Angeles Thursday, before catching a flight back to Maui…arriving in the early evening. It has been  a great experience coming to the Gulf coast, and to this famous city, best known, or at least partially known for the Mardi Gras celebration…which starts soon as a matter of fact. I’ll catch up with you more than likely Friday morning, when I publish the first weather narrative since I left for this mainland trip. I hope everyone has been well in my absence. Aloha for now…Glenn.

January 13-14 2008  

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

Lihue, Kauai – 73
Honolulu, Oahu – 78 
Kaneohe, Oahu – 76
Kahului, Maui – 73
Hilo, Hawaii – 79  
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 84

Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 4 a.m. Monday morning:

Kailual-kona – 71F
Kahului, Maui – 67

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 morning:

0.04 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.07 WAIHEE PUMP, OAHU
0.01 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.73 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
1.00 KAMUELA, 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. 

Weather Chart – A 1034 millibar high pressure system far to the north of Hawaii, will keep north to NE winds blowing today into Tuesday…remaining cool. Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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


Cool and breezy in Hawaii for the time being
photo credit: flickr.com 

 

Stiff north winds, bringing cooler air into the Aloha state, will continue for the next couple of days. An approaching high pressure system to the NW of the islands, pushed a frontal cloud band down through the island chain Sunday. The chilly winds associated with the cold front, will gradually turn more NE Monday, and then around to the classic trade wind direction by Wednesday, remaining in place through the rest of the week…getting much lighter by next weekend.  

Mostly light rainfall accompanied the front, with those showers for the most part falling on the north and east coasts and slopes. A weak cold front has pushed through our area Sunday, bringing a modest increase in showers along the windward sides. The leeward sides remained quite nice, other than a few mists or drizzle carried over there on the breezy north winds. As we get into the new week, the wind flow across the Hawaiian Islands will carry clouds to the windward coasts and slopes…keeping some passing shower activity in the forecast. All areas in the state however experienced a tropical cool snap. 

The surf was large along the north and west facing beaches Sunday. This latest swell started arriving late Saturday, and will keep the surf way up there along the north shores Sunday into Monday…giving us a second high surf event in the last week. We’ll see yet another NW swell arrive this coming Wednesday. There may be another incident of larger than normal waves breaking along the south and west shores now too, as some of the current swell may wrap around into those areas locally. 

It’s Sunday evening here in the islands, as I begin updating this last paragraph of today’s narrative.  As noted in the paragraphs above, we experienced a big change in our local weather conditions Sunday. The aforementioned cold front wasn’t a big shower producer, although there were light showers falling, with a windward focus for the most part. The most dynamic part of this break in the fine weather we’ve been having lately, was the nature of the chilly winds that blew in earnest Sunday, and will last for a couple of days into the new week. It should be pointed out, that if one lives in an area sheltered from these breeze, there will be considerably lighter winds than elsewhere…the Kona coast is a good example of this.  ~~~ I was fortunate enough to be at home all day, which allowed me to keep a close watch on the approach of the cold front, which passed through Maui around mid-day. It brought misty and drizzly weather to Kula, Maui. That wasn’t the only thing however, as a flood of chilly air followed closely in the wake of this frontal passage. It was definitely cool in the upcountry areas, with high temperatures not making it out of the 60F’s, and it’s in the high 50F’s as I write these words, well before sunset! The north winds have kept my wind chimes busy all day, which actually started ringing out the alarm Saturday night.  ~~~  By the way, Monday will be my last day to do the TV weather show, and the last narrative commentary, that is until I get back from a nine day visit to California and New Orleans on January 24th. This trip will entail a quick visit to see my parents in Long Beach, and to attend a meteorological conference on the Gulf coast. I’ll catch up with you very early Monday morning, and as usual will have more to say about what’s going on weatherwise here in Hawaii then. I hope you have a great Sunday night wherever you happen to be spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.

 

January 12-13 2008  

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

Lihue, Kauai – 77
Honolulu, Oahu – 78 
Kaneohe, Oahu – 78
Kahului, Maui – 78
Hilo, Hawaii – 82  
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 80

Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 6 a.m. Sunday morning:

Kaneohe, Oahu – 72F
Hilo, Hawaii – 64

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 morning:

0.27 MOLOAA DAIRY, KAUAI
0.22 WAIHEE PUMP, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.02 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.38 OHEO GULCH, MAUI
0.73 MOUNTAIN VIEW, 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. 

Weather Chart – As a new high pressure system gets into range now, pushing a frontal cloud band down through the state, our winds will surge from the north…eventually becoming NE Monday. Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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


Another round of extra large surf will be breaking along the north
facing beaches here in the Hawaiian Islands again through Monday
photo credit: flickr.com 

 

Our local winds will be increasing in strength, turning cooler through the next couple of days. An approaching high pressure system to the NW of the islands, will push a frontal cloud band down through the island chain Sunday. The light winds ahead of the front will give way to a surge of cooler north winds just ahead of, along, and behind its passage. These chilly, and locally gusty north winds will gradually turn more NE Monday, and then around to the classic trade wind direction by Wednesday…remaining in place through the rest of the week.  

An active frontal boundary will work its way down through the islands chain Sunday, although won’t be very impressive in terms of rainfall.  The tail-end of a cold front, noted in the first paragraph, will push into our area Sunday, bringing a fairly modest increase in showers along the windward sides. The leeward sides will remain quite nice, other than those cooler air temperatures that will flood into our area. As we get into the new week, the wind flow across the Hawaiian Islands will carry some wet clouds to the windward coasts and slopes…keeping some passing shower activity in the forecast.

The surf will be on the rise now along the north and west facing beaches. Weather maps show another larger than normal swell having been generated, which will arrive late Saturday into Sunday, giving us a second high surf event now into the new week ahead. We’ll see yet another NW swell arrive next Wednesday. There may be another incident of larger than normal waves breaking along the south shores too, as some of this latest swell wraps around into those areas locally. 

It’s Saturday evening here in the islands, as I begin updating this last paragraph of today’s narrative. We saw pretty nice weather conditions in most places Saturday, with afternoon cloud buildups around the mountains. Light north winds began to filter into our area ahead of the frontal boundary that is now on our doorstep. Whatever few showers that around will focus along the windward sides, although there won’t be many of those…and they won’t be heavy. The leeward sides had fine weather, with plenty of warm sunshine beaming down. ~~~ As noted in the paragraphs above, we’ll have a rather abrupt weather change looming on the horizon. This won’t have a lot to do with showers, although there will be some arriving with a front, as it moves down through the island chain Sunday. Here’s a looping satellite image, showing the approaching front to our NW. The more dynamic part of this break in the fine weather, will be the nature of the chilly winds that will blow in earnest Sunday, and last for a couple of days thereafter. This will all happen in a tropical context however, so no one has to worry about it getting too cold! ~~~  As I write these last words Saturday evening, and looking out of my weather tower windows, it’s still pretty peaceful out there. The daytime clouds, which stacked-up over the mountains, are now evaporating, and skies are clearing nicely. This will mean that we have another cool night ahead of us. Sunday will be another story, although it will unfold first on Kauai, and then work its way down through the island chaing during the day. ~~~ I’ll catch up with you Sunday morning, and as usual will have something to say about what’s going on weatherwise then. I hope you have a great Saturday night wherever you happen to be spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.

 

January 11-12 2008  

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

Lihue, Kauai – 77
Honolulu, Oahu – 80 
Kaneohe, Oahu – 78
Kahului, Maui – 79
Hilo, Hawaii – 79  
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 82

Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 6 a.m. Saturday morning:

Honolulu, Oahu – 69F
Kahului, Maui – 58

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 morning:

0.01 OMAO, KAUAI
0.50 OAHU FOREST NWR, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.02 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.37 PUU KUKUI, MAUI
0.24 GLENWOOD, 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. 

Weather Chart – Our local winds will remain light, blowing from SE through east Saturday. As a new high pressure system gets into range late Saturday into Sunday, pushing a frontal cloud band down through the state, our winds will surge from the north…eventually becoming NE. Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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 end of another great day in Hawaii!
photo credit: flickr.com 

 

We’ll find light trade winds blowing gently through Saturday. The latest weather map shows a 1024 millibar high pressure system located far to the east-northeast of the Hawaiian Islands Friday evening. Its associated ridge of high pressure has now migrated further north than it has been all this week. This is the reason the southeast winds, which have been around lately, have turned back towards the trade wind direction. A surge of north to northeast winds will arrive later this weekend, associated with a frontal cloud band…bringing cooler weather to the islands into early in the new work week ahead. 

Our relatively dry weather conditions will continue through Saturday…with only a few light showers around the edges. Now that we’re back into a trade wind weather pattern, at least temporarily, we’ll begin to see a few windward biased showers falling. The tail-end of a cold front will push into our area Sunday, bringing a modest increase in showers along the windward sides…with those chilly north to NE winds following in the wake of the frontal passage into Monday. The leeward sides will remain quite nice, other than those cooler air temperatures.

The north and west facing beaches, which saw large breaking recently…will find smaller waves Saturday. The NWS forecast office in Honolulu has cancelled the high surf advisory for that surf Friday evening. Weather maps show another larger than normal swell being generated now, which will arrive later this weekend, giving us a second high surf event Sunday into the new week ahead. We’ll see yet another NW swell arrive next Wednesday. We are in the heart of our winter high surf season now. 

It’s Friday evening here in the islands, as I begin updating this last paragraph of today’s narrative. We’ll continue to have rather benign weather circumstances Saturday. We’ll see light trade winds blowing for a change too, which will help to ventilate away whatever light haze that’s still around. Whatever few showers that around will focus their efforts along the windward sides, although there won’t be many of those…and they won’t be heavy. The leeward sides will be just fine, with plenty of warm sunshine beaming down. ~~~ As noted in the paragraphs above, we have a rather distinct weather change about to take place. This won’t have a lot to do with showers, although there will be some arriving with a front, as it moves down through the island chain Sunday. The more exhilerating part of this break in the fine weather, will be the nature of the chilly winds that will begin blowing Sunday, and last for a couple of days thereafter. Island residents, and visitors alike, will notice the change, and be grabbing a sweater, and perhaps an extra blanket at night. This will all happen in a tropical context however, so no one has to worry about it getting inordinately cold! Warmer weather will follow closely on the heels of this nippy weather however. ~~~ There aren’t any new films that I felt like seeing this evening, so I’m having dinner with a friend. We’re going to throw something on the bbq, pop a nice bottle of red wine, and chat. I’ll be back Saturday morning with your next new weather narrative. I hope you have a great Friday night until then! Aloha for now…Glenn.

 

January 10-11 2008  

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

Lihue, Kauai – 77
Honolulu, Oahu – 80 
Kaneohe, Oahu – 77
Kahului, Maui – 80
Hilo, Hawaii – 82  
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 81

Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 4 a.m. Friday morning:

Liihue, Kauai – 71F
Kahului, Maui – 59

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 morning:

0.03 MOLOAA DAIRY, KAUAI
0.76 HAKIPUU MAUKA, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.02 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.10 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.13 HILO AIRPORT, 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. 

Weather Chart – A 1026 millibar high pressure system far to the ENE of Hawaii…has its associated ridge located a bit further north of Kauai Friday. Our local winds will remain light, although now that the ridge has migrated further north…we’ll see trade wind breezes into Saturday. Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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


Bodysurfing in Hawaii 
photo credit: flickr.com 

 

Wind speeds will remain light from the east and southeast through Saturday morning. The latest weather map shows a 1027 millibar high pressure system located far to the east-northeast of the Hawaiian Islands Thursday evening. Its trailing ridge of high pressure will remain in the vicinity of Kauai through Friday. A surge of north to northeast winds will arrive this weekend, ushering in cooler weather for several days thereafter…at which point our local winds will become lighter again.

There will be a few light showers here and there, although none of them will be of significance. Skies will be sunny to partly cloudy in most areas during the morning hours. Daytime heating of the islands will cause upcountry afternoon clouds to develop. These clouds may spread down towards the coasts locally. The tail-end of a cold front will push into our area this weekend, bringing a modest increase in showers along the windward sides…with those chilly north to NE winds following in the wake of the frontal passage into Monday.

An extra large NW swell has brought impressively large waves to our north and west facing beaches. The NWS forecast office in Honolulu had a high surf warning for this dangerously large surf episode…which was downgraded to a high surf advisory Thursday afternoon. Weather maps show yet another larger than normal swell being generated now, which will arrive later this weekend, giving us a second pounding into early next week. Please be careful if you find yourself at one of those beaches where the waves are rough.

It’s Thursday evening here in the islands, as I begin updating this last paragraph of today’s narrative.  At lunch today I was able to get down to the beach at lunch, and found large waves breaking in Kihei, which surprised me. I took a quick walk, just to stretch my legs, and then got into the ocean enthusiastically. There was a super strong current running along the shore, which made it rather dangerous. It was as if a strong river of water was paralleling the beach…making it tough to even stand up! I was able to catch a couple of waves, which certainly helped make my day! ~~~ An area of high and middle level clouds swept in from the SW today, which helped to dim and filter our famous Hawaiian sunshine. Here’s a looping satellite image showing this stuff coming up from the deeper tropics to our southwest. These same clouds provided a spectacular sunrise Thursday, and then another Thursday evening…with a good chance of another beauty Friday morning!  ~~~ I’ll be back very early Friday morning with your next new weather narrative from paradise, I hope you have a great Thursday night until then! Aloha for now…Glenn.

 

January 9-10 2008  

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

Lihue, Kauai – 78
Honolulu, Oahu – 82 
Kaneohe, Oahu – 78
Kahului, Maui – 80
Hilo, Hawaii – 81  
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 82

Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 4 a.m. Thursday morning:

Kaneohe, Oahu – 74F
Kahului, Maui – 64

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 morning:

0.05 MOLOAA DAIRY, KAUAI
0.14 POAMOHO 2, OAHU
0.01 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.11 HANA AIRPORT, MAUI
0.10 PIIHONUA, 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. 

Weather Chart – A 1028 millibar high pressure system far to the ENE of Hawaii…has its associated ridge located north of Kauai. Our local winds will remain light, as a deep low pressure system NW of the islands, keeps the ridge down close to the islands. Our winds will be light east to southeast Thursday and Friday. Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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


Extra large surf pounding the Hawaiian Islands…
photo credit: Konaboy 

 

The winds remain light from the southeast direction, except from the trade wind direction on the Big Island. The latest weather map shows a 1027 millibar high pressure system located far to the east-northeast of the Hawaiian Islands Wednesday evening. Its trailing ridge of high pressure will remain in the vicinity of Kauai through Friday. This will cause locally hazy conditions…with volcanic haze remaining in place over the islands of Maui County. A blast of north to northeast winds will arrive later this weekend…ushering in a tropical cool snap for a few days then.

There will be a few light showers falling here and there, although they will be no big deal for the most part. Skies will be sunny in most areas during the morning hours. Daytime heating of the islands, leading to onshore sea breezes, will cause upcountry afternoon convective clouds to develop. These clouds may spread down towards the coasts locally. The tail-end of a cold front will push into our area by the weekend, bringing a rather modest increase in showers to the windward sides…with those chilly north winds following in the wake of the frontal passage.

It’s Wednesday evening here in the islands, as I begin writing this last paragraph of today’s narrative.  Our gorgeous winter weather conditions will hang on through the rest of the work week. We’re beginning to see a bit more moisture filtering into the Hawaiian Island weather picture though. At the same time, we’re starting to see a somewhat cooler air mass moving over the Aloha state at high altitudes of the atmosphere as well. The combination of these two influences will prompt whatever clouds that are around…to be slightly more shower prone than they have been lately. Although, with that said, our local weather will continue to be generally on the dry side. ~~~ The big news here in the islands, is now taking place in the marine environment. This front page weather story has to do with a large swell train of waves rolling now breaking along our north and northwest facing beaches and reefs. The NWS forecast office in Honolulu has issued a high surf warning for this dangerously large surf event. Please be careful when you go near the ocean in those areas exposed to this extra large swell…we don’t want to lose anyone. The reason I say this, is because high surf is our #1 natural hazard in Hawaii. ~~~ Meanwhile, on the leeward beaches, where the largest number of visitor resorts are located, that surf won’t be a problem, with the only danger for the most part, being the chance of a sun burn! ~~~ I’ll be back with your next new weather narrative very early Thursday morning, have a great Wednesday night! Aloha for now…Glenn.

 

January 8-9 2008  

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

Lihue, Kauai – 78
Honolulu, Oahu – 78 
Kaneohe, Oahu – 78
Kahului, Maui – 79
Hilo, Hawaii – 81  
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 81

Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 4 a.m. Wednesday morning:

Kailua-kona – 70F
Kahului, Maui – 60

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 morning:

0.03 MOLOAA DAIRY, KAUAI
0.01 KAHUKU, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.01 WAILUKU, MAUI
0.02 KAHUA RANCH, 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. 

Weather Chart – A 1027 millibar high pressure system far to the ENE of Hawaii…has its associated ridge located just to the north of Kauai. Our local winds will remain light, as a deep low pressure system NW of the islands, keeps the ridge down close to the islands. Our winds will be light southeast Wednesday and Thursday…with an easterly direction over the Big Island. Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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 end of another perfect day in the islands
photo credit: flickr.com

 

The trade winds are "on vacation" in the latitudes south of the Hawaiian Islands at the moment…leaving us in a light wind condition. The latest weather map shows a 1027 millibar high pressure system located far to the east-northeast of the Hawaiian Islands Tuesday. Its trailing ridge of high pressure has dropped down into the vicinity of Kauai. Our winds will be light and variable over Kauai, and from the southeast direction over the Big Island end of the state. This will cause locally hazy conditions…with volcanic haze over the Kona coast, on up the island chain to Maui County. The trade winds will return this weekend into early next week, becoming rather strong then.

Remarkably dry weather will prevail across the entire Hawaiian Island chain now…with no major change expected in the immediate future. Skies will be sunny in most areas during the morning hours. Daytime heating of the islands will cause upcountry afternoon convective clouds to develop…which may spread down towards the coasts locally. Despite the presence of these clouds however, there won’t be many showers, as a strong inversion layer remains in place…keeping our atmosphere stable. A cold front may finally be able to push into our area by the weekend, bringing some increase in showers to the windward sides from Kauai down to Maui then into early next week.

It’s Tuesday evening here in the islands, as I begin updating this last paragraph of today’s narrative.  I suppose the best way to capture just how good the weather in the islands is now, would be to let you know that the largest rainfall total anywhere in Hawaii during the last 24 hours…was a very meager .01".  It just doesn’t get much better during the winter season, than what we’re seeing now!  I don’t anticipate any interruption in this fine winter weather through the next few days, with the next chance of an increase in showers along the windward sides waiting until the weekend to arrive. It’s periods like this that remind us that despite the fact that Hawaii’s rainy season occurs during the winter months, it can be just lovely even with that rainy label during January! ~~~ Speaking of good weather at the beaches, I had to have some of that myself, despite the fact that it was a work day. I took the short drive from work down to one of the lovely beaches in Kihei, Maui, during my lunch break today. Wow, it was so nice to get my bare feet into that warm sand, take a long walk, and then jump in the ocean for a quick swim. Actually, there were some nice little waves breaking too, so that I was able to do a little bodysurfing as well! I love being able to break away from the office, and end up at the beach just a few minutes later…how’s 85F degrees sound to you!? ~~~ I’ll be back very early Wednesday morning with your next new weather narrative from paradise, I hope you have a great Tuesday night wherever you happen to be spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.