Hawaiian Islands Weather details & Aloha paragraphs / February 5-6, 2012

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

Lihue, Kauai –                     80  
Honolulu airport, Oahu –       83  
Kaneohe, Oahu –                 82
Molokai airport –                  81
Kahului airport, Maui –         85  (Record high temperature on this date – 87F – 1953) 
Kona airport –                     81 
Hilo airport, Hawaii –           83   

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

Hilo, Hawaii – 79
Princeville, Kauai – 70

Haleakala Crater –  43 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea –         36 (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…which is working only sometimes lately.

 Aloha Paragraphs

 
    Cold front with showers…heading towards the Big Island –
  winds locally gusty…stronger atop the Big Island –
watch out for the rough surf on our north and west
shores through Wednesday…which will become very large –
another rainy cold front arrives late Tuesday…followed by cool
northerly breezes Wednesday – then better weather with
trade winds and smaller surf Thursday into next weekend
 

As this weather map shows, we have a whole host of low pressure systems to the northwest through northeast of the islands.  At the same time, we have a weak high pressure system far to the east-northeast…with its associated ridge of high pressure running west-southwest to the south of the Big Island. Our winds will be light or a bit stronger…becoming stronger Tuesday.

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

21                 Barking Sands, Kauai – NNE 
27                 Wheeler Field, Oahu – NW
22                 Molokai – NW   
21                 Kahoolawe – SW  
27                 Kahului, Maui – NNE 
12                 Lanai – NW 
31                    South Point, Big Island – SW

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 clouds associated with a cold front having passed over Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui…crossing the Alenuihaha Channel towards the Big Island at the time of this writing. We can use this looping satellite image to see this fast moving, although weakening cold front moving through the state from the northwest. Checking out this looping radar image we see light to moderately heavy showers associated with the cold front, falling over Oahu to Maui for the most part at the time of this writing.

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

1.24               Kilohana, Kauai
0.42               Schofield Barracks, Oahu
0.11               Molokai
0.00               Lanai
0.00               Kahoolawe
1.45                 Kaupo Gap, Maui
0.00               Big Island

Sunset Commentary:  The latest forecasts continue to show our local winds remaining generally on the lighter side tonight into Monday from variable directions…although locally gusty. The first of three cold front pushed down into the state Saturday evening, although for the most part it was a non-event. Kauai got the bulk of the associated showers, while the front fizzled out soon thereafter. We found a second fast moving cold front pushing through the state today. This one reached Kauai this morning, bringing another increase in showers, then on to Oahu, Molokai to Maui this afternoon…likely reaching the Big Island this evening. The third in this series of cold fronts will reach the islands late Tuesday into Wednesday, prompting gusty south to southwest kona winds ahead of it. It will be the biggest deal in terms of excitement (of the three), at least in terms of bringing the most precipitation to the state. Cooler northerly winds will fill in behind this third cold front Wednesday, bringing a taste of winter into the state for a day or two. The computer models then predict that our weather will improve Thursday into Friday, with drier and warmer trade winds returning into the weekend.

Larger than normal surf has been breaking along our north and west shores lately, with another large swell arriving later tonight in Monday. These next two northwest swells will warrant close attention, especially for those folks who live along the beaches of our north and west shores! Part of the problem, besides the great size of this much higher than normal swell activity, especially later Tuesday into Wednesday, will be the high tides that will occur during this episode. During this period between Monday and Wednesday we'll see high surf advisories and high surf warnings being in force, with extremely hazardous surf levels occurring by Wednesday. This is serious business, and beach goers and property owners should be exercising great caution. Fortunately, the south shores aren't seeing these large waves breaking, so that these beaches will be much more user friendly to the ordinary citizen wanting gentle beach conditions. The surf community, especially those big wave riders…may be able to put these winter high surf conditions to good use!

This past Friday evening, as is often the case, I drove to Kahului to see a new film. This week was the one called Tinker Tailor Soldier Boy, starring Gary Oldman, Kathy Burke, Colin Firth, John Hurt, Benedict Cumberbatch…among many others. This film is getting mixed reviews, although the fact that film rating website rotten tomatoes gave it a good strong 84% rating encourages me to see it. The synopsis: based on the classic novel of the same name, the international thriller is set at the height of the Cold War years of the mid-20th Century. George Smiley (Gary Oldman), a disgraced British spy, is rehired in secret by his government – which fears that the British Secret Intelligence Service, a.k.a. MI-6, has been compromised by a double agent working for the Soviets. It's a long two plus hour film, being called a mystery with suspense, and of course a drama. I had been wanting to see this film ever since I saw the trailer at the theater, and despite the fact that there are a whole host of great films playing, I wanted to pick this one off before it goes away. To tell you the truth, I found this film to be interesting, although I had a very difficult time following what the heck was going on. I went with two of my neighbors, both astrophysicists, and none of us had a clue of what was going on for the most part. Nonetheless, I liked the acting, and the darkness of the film, but I'd have a very hard time giving it a grade, which is unusual. I'd be curious about what anyone else thought about this film. Here's the trailer, just in case you're curious.

Here in Kula, Maui at 5pm HST, we have calm winds, with cloudy skies…after a brief period of showers brought our way by a fast moving cold front. Our weather went through changes today, as a cold front pushed down into the state, bringing showers to many parts of the state. Kauai was the first in line for these showers this morning, which reached Oahu late this morning, reaching Maui County later during the afternoon. Here's a satellite image of this frontal cloud band, so we can keep track of it moving down through the island chain this evening. Here's a looping version, so we can track it moving through the state, and likely stalling near the Big Island tonight. The latest computer forecast continue to show the next cold arriving during late in the day Tuesday, which looks to be our best chance at finally getting some more generous rainfall over our dry state, other than Kauai…which is in better shape in terms of rainfall this winter. Likely everywhere in the state will pick up some of the moisture from this third frontal passage, which will be a good thing, given our current dry to very conditions in many areas. It's interesting to note that the models continue to show a rather strong push of cool northerly winds funneling down across the state in the wake of this cold front's passage. This will likely catch our attention, as cooler air rushes into the state on those gusty northerly breezes for a day or two. Our weather will improve Thursday into Friday, into next weekend, with trade winds returning. ~~~ 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.