Hawaiian Islands Weather details & Aloha paragarphs / March 8-9, 2012

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

Lihue, Kauai –                     76  
Honolulu airport, Oahu –      75   
Kaneohe, Oahu –                 73
Molokai airport –                 71
Kahului airport, Maui –          67 
Kona airport –                  81
Hilo airport, Hawaii –           80

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops…as of 8pm Thursday evening:

Kailua-kona – 76
Kahului, Maui – 68

Haleakala Crater –  36 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea –         27 (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…although this webcam is often not working correctly.

 Aloha Paragraphs

 
  Localized showers/heavy rain Friday 

High Surf Advisory for the east shores through 4pm Friday

As this weather map shows, we have strong high pressure systems far to the northeast and north-northwest of the islands. At the same time we have a low pressure system far to the north, with the tail-end of its associated cold front located just to the northeast of Maui at the time of this writing. Our winds will become stronger trades through Friday…into the weekend. 

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

31                 Lihue, Kauai – NE 
47                 Kuaokala, Oahu – NE 
38                 Molokai – NE     
33                 Kahoolawe – NNE   
36                 Lipoa, Maui – E     
45                 Lanai – NE
35                 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 Thursday evening.  Looking at this NOAA satellite picture we see lots of clouds surrounding the islands, with heavy rain producing clouds very close to parts of Maui County…and further to the northeast from there. At the same time, we're starting to see heavy clouds just to the west of the Big Island as well. We can use this looping satellite image to see showery low clouds being carried into the windward sides on the strengthening trade winds…along with those active heavy showers or thunderstorms forming along the tail-end of the old cold front. Checking out this looping radar image we see showers, some locally heavy, especially along the windward sides of Maui County, and to the west of the Kona coast on the Big Island at the time of this writing.

Here are the 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands as of Thursday evening:
 
1.41               Kilohana, Kauai
8.12              Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
4.10               Molokai
0.00               Kahoolawe
8.54              Puu Kukui, Maui
1.53               Kamuela, Big Island  

Sunset Commentary:  The tail-end of the cold front, which helped to bring heavy rainfall to the state a few days ago, is still located just to the northeast of Maui County Thursday night. The close proximity of this frontal boundary has sparked heavy rains over the ocean…which were extending over parts of Molokai and Maui this evening…and just to the west of the Kona coast on the Big Island at the time of this writing too. The NWS office in Honolulu has a flash flood watch now active over the entire state into Friday. Early today, actually through much of the afternoon at least, heavy rains were pounding west Maui, with the flood watch being upgraded to a flash flood warning for several hours. We'll see more heavy showers tonight, leading to localized flooding in places…along with strengthening trade winds into Friday.

As we move into Friday, yet another unsettled weather pattern is edging over the state. An upper level trough of low pressure will be crossing our islands, with its unusually cold air aloft, causing instability in our overlying atmosphere. An unstable air mass like this, is known to prompt locally generous rainfall, along with thunderstorms at times too. The primary rainfall period will likely be from tonight into early Saturday, including more localized flooding around the state. This will be the case especially as thunderstorms break out across the island chain…which is already happening. As we get into later Saturday and Sunday, there will be a transition period, with a lessening threat of heavy showers. As we push into early next week, our weather conditions will improve once again, lasting through the middle of the week…at least.

Here in Kula, Maui at 9pm HST, we had near calm wind conditions, with no rain falling…and an air temperature of 59.2F degrees. Speaking of temperatures, the maximum temperature down at the Kahului airport here on Maui, was only 67 degrees Thursday. It's very unusual to have it be that cool, while up here at the 3,100' foot level in Kula, we saw the temperature rise up into the lower 70's this afternoon in contrast! Looking down the mountain from here, over towards the Central Valley, and the West Maui Mountains behind (which I couldn't see most of the day, due to the clouds), there were big rains going on over there! One of my weather reporters here on Maui, who lives in Wailuku Heights, recorded 4.38" of rain in a relatively short amount of time. A flash flood warning was in force over those West Maui Mountains, although has been downgraded back to a watch now.

Satellite imagery shows a large area of heavy clouds and showers just offshore to the north and northeast of Molokai, Maui and to some degree Oahu too, which have moved in over parts of the state at times. This looping radar image shows this associated area of rainfall, which is part of the tail-end of an old cold front, with the yellow and red colors indicating the heaviest rainfall. I expect this locally heavy rainfall to remain active in an off an on manner, and with the stronger trade winds, there will continue to be passing shower activity.

~~~ It was very interesting to see, as I was sitting outside just now watching the sunset, a very tall towering cumulus cloud hanging right over the West Maui Mountains, which could perhaps qualify as a bona fide thunderstorm. Once it gets dark, I'm quite sure that I'll be seeing lightning in some direction, as others here in the islands will as well. I'm very sure that Friday will be a humdinger in terms of weather watching, which I definitely plan on doing, and will be right here at my computer at times, sharing it all with you.

~~~ Here it is 820pm, and I'm out on my weather deck watching the most amazing thunderstorm, not far in the distance. The lightning is incredible, and the thunder claps are getting louder and louder. At the same time, the growing moon was rising up over the Haleakala Crater. I've got to get back out there, as I don't want to miss a second of this good stuff! I hope you have a great Thursday night, and can join me here again for my regularly scheduled next new weather narrative, at around 530am Friday, when I'll have your next sunrise commentary ready for the reading. Aloha for now…Glenn.

Extra: Youtube video…Miss Aloha Hula Contestant – 2011 Halau I Ka Wekiu / Miss Aloha Hula 2001

Interesting:  NASA scientists are warning that Earth will be bombarded today by the first wave of a massive solar storm that erupted from the surface of the Sun on Wednesday. A huge wave of solar radiation will strike Earth this morning after travelling through Space at speeds of 1,300 mph.

The flare could result in a severe geomagnetic storm, causing aurora, or the Northern Lights at low latitudes, with possible disruption to high frequency radio communication, global positioning systems (GPS), and power grids.

NASA models using data from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) and the Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) have now provided more information about the two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) associated with the two March 6 flares.

The first is traveling faster than 1300 miles per second; the second more than 1100 miles per second. NASA's models predict that the CMEs will impact both Earth and Mars. The models also predict that the leading edge of the first CME will reach Earth at about 1:25 AM EST today.

The sun erupted with one of the largest solar flares of this solar cycle at 7PM EST on Wednesday. This flare was categorized as an X5.4, making it the second largest flare – after an X6.9 on August 9, 2011 – since the sun's activity segued into a period of relatively low activity called solar minimum in early 2007.

The current increase in the number of X-class flares is part of the sun's normal 11-year solar cycle, during which activity on the sun ramps up to solar maximum, which is expected to peak in late 2013.