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

Lihue, Kauai –                     79  
Honolulu airport, Oahu –      82   (record high for the date – 87 – 2004)
Kaneohe, Oahu –                 78
Molokai airport –                  80

Kahului airport, Maui –            80
Kona airport –                     81
Hilo airport, Hawaii –           76 

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops…as of 5pm Sunday evening:

Honolulu, Oahu
– 78
Princeville, Kauai – 73

Haleakala Crater –  37 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea –         25
(near 13,800 feet on the Big Island)

Hawaii’s MountainsHere’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

http://img.ibtimes.com/www/data/images/full/2010/10/08/47726-hawaii.jpg
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…
some will be locally heavy, especially on the Big
Island – wintery weather atop that Island's summits –
high cirrus clouds at times…eastern islands

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

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

14                 Lihue, Kauai – NE 
28                 Wheeler AFB, Oahu – NE
35                 Molokai – NE    
45                    Kahoolawe – ENE  
35                 Kahului, Maui – NE  
20                 Lanai – NE 

37                 Upolu 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
Sunday evening.  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
Sunday evening:

3.41               Mount Waialeale, Kauai
1.66               Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
0.26               Molokai
0.00               Kahoolawe

2.27               Puu Kukui, Maui
5.14                 Mountain View, Big Island
  

Sunset Commentary:
  Our winds will will remain blustery, at least locally into Monday. The forecast continues to suggest that these trade winds will ease up some Tuesday into Wednesday, and may even veer back to the east-southeast to southeast during the first half of the upcoming work week…in response to an approaching cold front. This frontal cloud band is expected to stall before arriving into the state however. The trade winds should rebound a touch Wednesday and Thursday into Friday.

Meanwhile, these gusty trades are bringing windward biased showers our way. During the next several days, we'll find a cold pool of air near the state as well, which will keep our atmosphere destabilized. The strength of these trades will help to carry some of these showers into the leeward sides of the smaller islands at times too. The chance for more than the normal amount of windward biased showers will stretch into mid-week, and then dry out Thursday and Friday. The latest computer models are now suggesting that Hawaii could turn wetter again next weekend.

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!

This past 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 605pm HST, we had light breezes, with partly cloudy skies, a few light showers…and an air temperature of 66F degrees. As noted above, the trade winds will remain active…although ease up a bit by Tuesday for a day or two. We'll also see frequent windward showers, 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, gusty trade winds with off and on passing showers for the windward sides, and elsewhere in places too. This satellite image shows that there are more clouds over the eastern islands, than elsewhere. Meanwhile, this radar image shows where our showery weather is occurring. The air aloft over the state is unusually cold, with snow falling atop the summits on the Big Island at times, here's the webcam for the Mauna Kea summit, although it will remain foggy or cloudy much of the rest of the day, hiding the picture at times. ~~~  I'll be back again with your next new narrative early Monday morning.  I hope you have a great Sunday night wherever you're spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.