Hawaiian Islands weather details & Aloha paragraphs / December 25-26, 2009

December 25-26, 2009

Merry Christmas!

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

Lihue, Kauai – 75
Honolulu, Oahu – 78
Kaneohe, Oahu – 77
Kaunakakai, Molokai – 78
Kahului, Maui – 83
Hilo, Hawaii – 80
Kailua-kona – 81

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level around the state – and on the highest mountains…at 6am Friday morning:

Poipu, Kauai – 72F
Kahului, Maui – 61

Haleakala Crater – 46 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea summit – 36 (near 14,000 feet on the Big Island)

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:

2.25 Wainiha, Kauai  
4.96 Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
0.20 Molokai 
0.00 Lanai
0.00 Kahoolawe
0.01 Kahakuloa, Maui
0.00 Big Island

Marine Winds – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a weak 1020 millibar high pressure system to the northeast of the islands Saturday. Our winds will be light trade winds Saturday…becoming lighter from the southeast Sunday.
  
Satellite and Radar Images: To view the cloud conditions we have here in Hawaii, please use the following satellite links, starting off with this 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. Finally, here’s a Looping IR satellite image, making viewable the clouds around the islands 24 hours a day. To help you keep track of where any showers may be around the islands, here’s the latest animated radar image.

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live webcam on the summit of near 14,000 foot Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. The tallest peak on the island of Maui is the Haleakala Crater, which is near 10,000 feet in elevation. These two webcams are available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two! Plus, during the nights and early mornings you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise too…depending upon weather conditions.

Tropical Cyclone activity in the eastern and central Pacific – Here’s the latest weather information coming out of the National Hurricane Center, covering the eastern north Pacific. You can find the latest tropical cyclone information for the central north Pacific (where Hawaii is located) by clicking on this link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Here’s a tracking map covering both the eastern and central Pacific Ocean. A satellite image, which shows the entire ocean area between Hawaii and the Mexican coast…can be found here.

Aloha Paragraphs

  Merry Christmas!

An early winter, shower producing cold front…has stalled between Oahu and Maui County Christmas Day. This cold front pushed over Kauai yesterday…bringing some light to moderately heavy isolated precipitation with it. As it traveled over Oahu during the afternoon into the evening, it brought locally generous rainfall in the Koolau Mountains. The only place that saw rainfall early Christmas morning was near Kapalua, here on Maui…although Molokai picked up a few showers too. The Big Island looks like it will remain south of the dissipating cloud band. Whatever showers that have been able to fall, have been generally along the windward sides, and in the mountains. 

The winds were light ahead of the cold front, which have now turned slightly cooler from the northeast direction Christmas Day. Brief NE trade winds will give way already to light southeast breezes later on Saturday. If these southeast breezes manifest as the models suggest, we would see volcanic haze being carried up over some parts of the island chain…from the volcanic vents on the Big Island. Southeast breezes also put the smaller islands, from Maui to Kauai, in the wind shadow of the Big Island. As this light wind convective pattern develops, we often become, as noted, hazy…along with clear mornings giving way to some afternoon clouds over and around the mountains, with just a few minor showers.

Meanwhile, our big news is occurring in the marine environment, as a very large northwest swell has arrived. This swell has triggered high surf warnings along our north and west facing beaches from Kauai to Maui. These swells were generated by deep storm low pressure systems in the northwest Pacific, which had hurricane force winds blowing at times. Everyone should use caution when getting near the shorelines along our north and west facing beaches during this high surf episode! At the same time, an out of season south swell will be breaking from the southern hemisphere, keeping generally small surf breaking along our south facing beaches…although not comparable to the big stuff on our north and west shores.

As noted in the paragraphs above, we have a dissipated cold front draped across the area across the central Islands.  We’ve seen generally light to moderate showers, with a few more generous amounts….with most of that taking aim on our windward sides, and over the mountains on the smaller islands. Speaking of the cold front, here’s a large view of the Pacific, showing the long cloud band, in relation to the Hawaiian Islands…outlined in blue. Here’s a closer look at this frontal cloud band, which has pushed down into the state, although will be pushed back north and northwest, by the southeast winds this weekend. 

It’s Friday morning here on Maui, as I begin writing this last section of this morning’s narrative.  I was impressed with the 4.96" of rain that fell in the mountains on Oahu…with 2.25" in the mountains on Kauai! Molokai got just short of a quarter an inch overnight, while at 545am Christmas morning, Maui that picked up only .01" at Kahakuloa. The Big Island had registered no rain at all. As the trade winds pick up later today into Saturday, the remnant moisture from the dissipated cold front, will get pushed onto the windward sides, where some showers will fall. This will likely end on Sunday, as the lighter southeast winds return, perhaps bringing more volcanic haze than showers into early next week. ~~~ It’s Christmas morning, and I want to send everyone the warmest and most spirited wishes possible. Speaking of warm, it isn’t very warm here in upcountry Maui. As a matter of fact, it’s down right chilly up here in Kula, as my outdoor thermometer is reading 48.9F degrees at 715am.



I hope that you are spending the day with family and friends, and will find the comfort of this holiday near at hand. If you are alone, I hope you are feeling connected to this joyous holiday in your own way. My friend Linda is downstairs, and I’m going to see if I can rouse her for a nice walk, before having coffee, breakfast, and visiting with my neighbors. Later today I head over to Haiku, to join some other friends for an afternoon of socializing, and sharing a meal together. I’m not exactly sure when I’ll be home, so that the next time I may be back, would be either this evening, or early Saturday morning. I hope you enjoy the rest of your Christmas until then! Aloha for now…Glenn.