Hawaiian Islands Weather details & Aloha paragraphs / February 18-19, 2012

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

Lihue, Kauai –                     79  
Honolulu airport, Oahu –      81   (record high for the date – 86 – 1978)
Kaneohe, Oahu –                 78
Molokai airport –                  78
Kahului airport, Maui –            79
Kona airport –                       81
Hilo airport, Hawaii –           74 

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops…as of 4pm Saturday afternoon:

Honolulu, Hawaii – 78
Princeville, Kauai – 73

Haleakala Crater –  37 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea –         28 (near 13,800 feet on the Big Island)

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live web cam on the summit of near 13,800 foot Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. This web cam is available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon shining down during the night at times. Plus, during the nights you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise and sunset too…depending upon weather conditions. Here's the Haleakala Crater webcam on Maui.

 Aloha Paragraphs

Strong and gusty trade winds, with blustery
winds atop the Haleakala Crater on Maui –
   frequent showers on the windward sides…
on the leeward sides locally at times too –
wintery weather atop the Big Island summits –
high cirrus clouds rounding out our weather story

As this weather map shows, we have gale and storm low pressure systems far to the north and northwest of the islands.  At the same time, we have a strong high pressure system to the northeast of the islands. Our winds will be strong and gusty from the trade wind direction through Monday.

The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph), along with directions Saturday afternoon:

28                 Lihue, Kauai – NE 
30                 Honolulu, Oahu – NE
29                 Molokai – NE    
44                    Kahoolawe – ENE  
52                    Kapalua, Maui – NE  
21                 Lanai – NE  
44                    South Point, Big Island – NE  

We can use the following links to see what’s going on in our area of the north central Pacific Ocean Saturday afternoon.  Looking at this NOAA satellite picture we see high and middle level clouds over the ocean in many directions, which are stretching over the islands. We can use this looping satellite image to see those whiter clouds, which are masking the lower level clouds being carried into the windward sides on the locally strong and gusty trade wind flow. In addition, there is a large area of what looks like thunderstorms over the sea to the south of the state as well. Checking out this looping radar image we see light to moderate showers being carried into the islands…along the windward sides for the most part.

Here are the 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands as of Saturday afternoon:

0.37               Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.60               Manoa Lyon Arboretum, Oahu
0.10               Molokai
0.01               Kahoolawe
2.13                 Puu Kukui, Maui
1.19               Saddle Quarry, Big Island  

Sunset Commentary:  Our winds will will remain rather strong and gusty through the next several days. The forecast continues to suggest that these trade winds will ease up some, and may even veer back to the east-southeast to southeast during the first couple of days of the upcoming week…in response to an approaching cold front. This frontal cloud band is expected to stall before arriving into the state however.

Meanwhile, these strong and gusty trades are bringing an increase in windward biased showers, with a likely peak slated for this weekend into Monday. During the next couple days, we'll find a cold pool of air near the state as well, which will act to enhance whatever showers that are moving under it. The strength of these winter trades will help to carry some of these showers into the leeward sides of the smaller islands at times too. 

This past Thursday evening a couple of friends and I went to see a new film in Kahului. I don't ordinarily see films during the work week, although this film is leaving Maui's theaters now, and I didn't want to miss it. Oh yeah, the name of the film is called Underworld Awakening, starring Kate Beckinsale and Stephen Rea among many others. The synopsis: the vampire Selene escapes imprisonment to find herself in an all-out war between the species. Once again, this is not a film that many of you will need to rush out and see, as are many that I take in as it turns out. The rotten tomatoes film rating website is giving this film a 27 out of 100, not exactly a high score, and as a matter, the lowest of all their current film ratings. As it turned out we all liked the film, although no one was jumping up and down over it. It was one of those very dark films, where there wasn't a smile on the screen anywhere within a million miles. It had all the necessary action and violence that were required of such a film, no doubt about that. There were some monsters in this film too, excuse me for saying so, but they were certainly some bad-ass creatures! As far as a grade, it certainly wasn't as good as Haywire, the film I saw last week, but it deserved a good solid B rating. Here's the trailer, and if you dare to click on this short clip of the film, you'll soon see that it's not a musical, or a comedy…or anything like that!

Friday evening I went to see another film, this one called The Descendants, starring George Clooney and Shailene Woodley among many others. I had been somehow resisting this film for some reason, but I kept hearing such good things about it, that I finally broke down. The synopsis: an indifferent husband and father of two girls is forced to re-examine his past and future when his wife suffers a boating accident. The film rating website rotten tomatoes is giving this film a very high 89 out of a 100 grade. As it turns out I was very happy that I saw this film that was shot here in the islands. It was very good in fact, and reminded me why I'm still here after 37 years! George Clooney was great in his role, and the scenery was beautiful to see, and I'm sure especially for all those folks who live elsewhere. It was touching, and at the same time had a distinct edge to it. It showed a great slice of real life here in Hawaii, although with an unexpectedly large amount of cussing coming out of everyone's mouth, which was sort of cute. I feel very comfortable giving this film a solid B+ grade.  Here's a trailer for this film, in case you haven't seen it. 

Here in Kula, Maui at 420pm HST, we had breezy weather, with partly cloudy skies…and an air temperature of 71.8F degrees. As noted above, the trade winds will be strong now, continuing in this way for several more days. We'll also see frequent windward showers arriving, keeping things rather wet at times. Augmenting these showers, will be an upper level low pressure system near the state now too, enhancing these showery conditions. The bulk of this moisture will occur over the windward sides, although some of these showers will be carried into the leeward sides on the smaller islands. In sum, strong trade winds with more showers for the windward sides, and elsewhere in places too. There are lots of high cirrus clouds coming into the state from the south, in association with the upper level low to our south. These high clouds will provide colorful sunset and sunrise colors while they are around. ~~~  A good friend of mine who lives in Haiku just had her birthday, but had to work that day. So, she and I are going to have dinner out at Mama's Fish House in Kuau this evening. It has been showering over that way at times today, so it will be nice to dip into that windward moisture this evening. I'll be back in the morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Saturday night until then! Aloha for now…Glenn.