October 17-18, 2010
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Sunday afternoon:
Lihue airport, Kauai – 84
Honolulu airport, Oahu – 87
Kaneohe MCAS, Oahu – 83
Molokai airport – 85
Kahului airport, Maui – 87
Ke-ahole airport (Kona) – 86
Hilo airport, Hawaii – 80
Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops…as of 4pm Sunday afternoon:
Port Allen, Kauai – 86F
Hilo, Hawaii – 78
Haleakala Crater – 52 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea summit – 39 (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:
0.23 Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.20 Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
0.01 Molokai
0.00 Lanai
0.00 Kahoolawe
0.18 Puu Kukui, Maui
0.53 Waiakea Uka, Big Island
Marine Winds – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing high pressure systems to the northeast of our islands. Our local winds will remain light to moderately strong from the trade wind direction Sunday…then get lighter Monday.
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 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 end until November 31st here in the central Pacific.
Aloha Paragraphs
Continued good weather conditions into Monday
The trade winds will become lighter Monday and Tuesday. Our trade winds will take a fall for a couple of days, although it won't be a big deal. This weather map shows two trade wind producing high pressure systems to our northeast Sunday night. As we move into later Wednesday or Thursday…our trade winds will start to fill back into our area through the rest of the week.
What few showers that are around now will end up falling in the upcountry leeward slopes…during the afternoon hours generally. There may be a few heavy localized showers popping up here and there…perhaps most likely in the Kona area on the Big Island. As we can see from glancing at this satellite image, there are very few patches of lower level clouds in our vicinity Sunday evening. At the same time we see lots of high cirrus clouds, some departing to our east…and others arriving from the west. As the trade winds drop down in strength Monday, we’ll see a modest increase in upcountry showers during the afternoon hours.
It's Sunday evening as I begin writing this last section of today's narrative update. This weekend turned out to be fine. Moving forward, during the first couple of days of the new week ahead, our trade winds will falter, moving us into a convective weather pattern. At that point, we'll start our days with clear cool mornings, and cloudy periods during the afternoons, especially in those upcountry leeward slopes. There won't be many showers however, although we might get lucky enough to see some rain falling at times. The main thing will be the lighter winds for those short two or three days. Meanwhile, we'll find a strong cold front trying to push down into the tropics, although it won't likely have much luck in reaching as far as Kauai. It will provide some clouds though, and as the trade winds return by later Wednesday or Thursday onwards, we'll see some remnant showers from the frontal boundary…arriving along our windward sides.
~~~ Sunday was a great day, with lots of sunshine, even on the normally cloudier windward sides. There were some clouds that developed over and around the mountains, as already the winds are trying to slack off some. The high cirrus clouds that were around Saturday evening at sunset, are now mostly gone. There are more high clouds taking aim on our islands to the west at the moment, which will give us some good color again this evening. I'll be back early Monday morning with your new weather narrative. I hope you have a great Sunday night until then! Aloha for now…Glenn.
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