January 1-2, 2011
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Saturday afternoon:
Lihue airport, Kauai – 79
Honolulu airport, Oahu – 82
Kaneohe, Oahu – 79
Molokai airport – 82
Kahului airport, Maui – 83
Kona airport – 83
Hilo airport, Hawaii – 80
Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops…as of 5pm Saturday evening:
Kailua-kona – 80F
Hilo, Hawaii – 74
Haleakala Crater – 48 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea summit – 28 (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 Saturday afternoon:
0.09 Wainiha, Kauai
0.99 Hakipuu Mauka, Oahu
0.02 Molokai
0.00 Lanai
0.02 Kahoolawe
0.39 Kepuni, Maui
0.17 Glenwood, Big Island
Marine Winds – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a surface trough of low pressure over the central islands…in the process of dissipating. Our winds will be light trade winds Sunday…increasing in strength into 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 web cam 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 web cams 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
Rising surf on our north and west shores
Happy New Year everyone…2011!
We'll find gradually strengthening trade winds blowing this weekend…before trade winds strengthen more significantly during the first half of the new work week ahead. This weather map shows a surface trough of low pressure over the central islands Saturday evening…although dissipating. As a result, our winds will be light from the trade wind direction…then gradually strengthening through Sunday. The computer models are now showing that our trade winds will become cooler from the northeast during the second half of the new week, gradually becoming warmer from the southeast by the weekend…prompted by an approaching cold front then. This suggests that we could be looking at the next round of voggy weather again next weekend.
Winds are generally light trades, although locally stronger…the following numbers represent the strongest breezes Saturday evening, along with the directions:
09 mph Port Allen, Kauai – W
17 Kahuku, Oahu – E
06 Molokai – N
28 Kahoolawe – SE
23 Lipoa, Maui – E
05 Lanai Airport
27 South Point, Big Island – NE
Our weather will remain generally nice through the rest of this holiday weekend, although locally cloudy…much of which will consist of high cirrus clouds. This satellite image shows an thunderstorms and towering cumulus clouds over the ocean, in an area from southwest to south of our islands. Looking at this next satellite picture, we see the large area of thunderstorms to the southwest of Hawaii, sending high cirrus clouds streaming northeast towards the islands Saturday night…the largest part of which is over Kauai at the moment. Checking out this looping radar image we see just a few showers falling over the ocean, the most of which is south of the Big Island.
This last Thursday evening after work I went to see a new film called True Grit, starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld, Josh Brolin…among many others. The storyline: following the murder of her father by hired hand Tom Chaney, 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross sets out to capture the killer. To aid her, she hires the toughest U.S. marshal she can find, a man with "true grit," Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn. Mattie insists on accompanying Cogburn, whose drinking, sloth, and generally reprobate character do not augment her faith in him. Against his wishes, she joins him in his trek into the Indian Nations in search of Chaney. They are joined by Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, who wants Chaney for his own purposes. The unlikely trio find danger and surprises on the journey, and each has his or her "grit" tested. The critics are giving it a B+ grade, while the viewers are giving it this same rating. I've been looking forward to seeing this film ever since I saw the trailer way back when. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and agree completely that it warranted a B+ grade. The acting was great, and I enjoyed all the outdoor scenery in the old west too. The manner of speaking between the main characters was unusual, and added to the story in a positive way. This film was directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, and produced by Steven Spielberg…men known for their top notch films. Here's the trailer for this film.
As noted in the paragraphs above, the inclement weather outlook has changed, with generally fine weather prevailing through the remainder of this holiday weekend…on into the first half of the new week. The trade winds have been around today, although mostly light…some areas are having stronger gusts. These are the types of changes that we don't mind having take place, given the fact that we are in a holiday weekend! ~~~ As part of the changes, we now see a showery cloud band moving through the state from the north around mid-week coming up. This will be followed by a tropical cool snap, brought about by a flow of cool north winds for a few days. Then, things warm up again towards next weekend, as warmer southeast to south winds blow through, perhaps carrying some volcanic haze with it. We may see the next cold front arriving later next weekend, or by the beginning of the following week. ~~~ I'll be back Sunday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you enjoy the rest of your first day of the new year, 2011! Aloha for now…Glenn.
Extra: I want to thank everyone this last time for using my Hawaiian weather website during the year 2010! I was just checking the numbers of visitors, and the number of google clicks on this website in December, and found them to be impressive…at least for me. During the last month there were 491,352 page impressions ~ that's pretty close to a 1/2 million.
As far as google clicks on my site, you folks did that 3,492 times during December. Those clicks are one way that I receive some money from google, allowing me to keep Hawaii Weather Today updated on a daily basis. The other way, is that I have advertisers linked on the left hand margin of each page of this website, who get lots of traffic to their websites…by being linked here.
So, it was my pleasure to keep these narrative updates going out to you during the last year…and I look forward to doing just that again during this new year ahead! Aloha, Glenn
Email Glenn James: 
Janet Says:
Happy New Year to you too!~~~Thanks Janet…Glenn