Hawaiian Islands weather details & Aloha paragraphs / June 6-7, 2010

June 6-7, 2010

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

Lihue, Kauai – 82
Honolulu, Oahu – 87
Kaneohe, Oahu – 82
Kaunakakai, Molokai – 83
Kahului, Maui – 86
Hilo, Hawaii – 83
Kailua-kona – 82

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level around the state – and on the highest mountains…at 4pm Sunday afternoon:

Kahului, Maui – 85F
Molokai airport – 79

Haleakala Crater –    55 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea summit – 50 (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 Sunday afternoon:

0.15 Mount Waialaele, Kauai  
0.42 Moanalua RG, Oahu
0.01 Molokai 
0.00 Lanai
0.05 Kahoolawe
0.45 West Wailuaiki, Maui
1.33 Kawainui Stream, Big Island

Marine Winds – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map howing a long ridge of high pressure to the north of our islands. The trade wind flow will remain light to moderately strong Monday…gradually strengthening Tuesday.

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. Of course, as we know, our hurricane season won’t begin again until June 1st here in the central Pacific.

 Aloha Paragraphs

Kahului, Maui…the West Maui Mountains behind

The trade winds will continue, blowing in the light to moderately strong range…gradually increasing later Monday into Tuesday for several days.  As the winds are on the lighter side now, there are no small craft advisories active anywhere in the coastal or channel waters Sunday night. As this weather map shows, we have a ridge of high pressure running more or less east to west, north of our islands. The relatively close proximity will keep our trade winds a bit lighter than normal Sunday night, then accelerate some as we push into the new work week. The trade winds will slow down again Friday into next weekend.

The relatively dry and stable conditions will give way to more active shower activity along our windward sides over the next several days.  If we take a look at this satellite image, we can see quite a few low clouds to our east. There are also some fairly thin high cirrus clouds to our southeast as well. There will finally be an increase in windward showers, although not all that much rainfall, as we move into the new week…associated with upper level troughs in our area. As the trade winds pick up, some of these showers may get carried over into the leeward sides.





It’s Sunday evening as I begin writing the last section of today’s narrative. The trade winds remain active, and will become more notable soon. As the ridge of high pressure to our north migrates further in that direction during the new week, our trade winds will increase some. As noted above, we should see some increase in showers over the next few days, although certainly not enough to push back the severe drought conditions, which prevail in most areas of the state now. ~~~ As we move into the new week, I will be taking off for a week long visit to see my family in Long Beach, California. I’ll leave on Wednesday, and fly back to Maui the following Wednesday. I look forward to seeing my Mom and Dad, and my sisters and brother too. ~~~ Here in Kula, Maui early this evening, we actually had a light shower falling…the first in a long time. An area of low pressure moving towards the state will make our overlying atmosphere more shower prone going forward, which is a good thing. Just about every place in the state could use some moisture about now. At 515pm the air temperature here at my place was 68.5F degrees, while at the same time, it was 81 degrees down in Kahului, at sea level. I’ll be back early Monday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Sunday night until then! Aloha for now…Glenn.