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

Lihue, Kauai –                          78  
Honolulu airport, Oahu –           83  
Molokai airport –                      83

Kahului airport, Maui –             79 
Kona airport     –                   84  

Hilo airport, Hawaii –                78

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops around the state…as of 710pm Sunday evening:

Kailua Kona – 77
Hana airport, Maui – 72


Haleakala Summit    45       (near 10,000 feet on Maui)

Mauna Kea Summit – 43      (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…if it's available.

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. A satellite image, which shows the entire ocean area between Hawaii and the Mexican coast…can be found here.  The 2012 hurricane season is over in the eastern and central Pacific…resuming on May 15th and June 1st 2013.

 

Aloha Paragraphs

http://farm9.static.flickr.com/8478/8188018402_b0114a037f.jpg

Large surf on our north and west shores into Tuesday

Partly cloudy, with cloudy period, a few showers…
especially around parts of Maui and the Big Island 

Our winds will be light, generally from the southeast
  Monday, becoming cool and stronger by Tuesday…
from the trade wind direction

High surf warning for north and west shores of Niihau, Kauai,
 Oahu and Molokai, and along the north shores of Maui

High surf advisory for the west shores of the Big Island

Small craft advisory for the northwest swell…
producing hazardous seas

Air temperature at 802pm HST Sunday evening, with partly cloudy
skies at my upcountry Kula, Maui weather tower: 61.7F degrees 

The following numbers represent the most recent top wind gusts (mph), along with directions as of Sunday evening:

13       Manae, Kauai – NW
21       Kahuku trng, Oahu – SE

21       Molokai – ESE
   
25       Kahoolawe – E
16       Hana, Maui – SE 
M        Lanai 

21       Kaupulehu, Big Island – W

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

 

0.02          Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.67          Waihee Pump, Oahu

0.30          Molokai

0.00          Kahoolawe

0.67          Kaupo Gap, Maui
0.43          Pahoa, Big Island  


We can use the following links to see what’s going on in our area of the north central Pacific Ocean
.  Here's the latest NOAA satellite picture – the latest looping satellite imageand finally the latest looping radar image for the Hawaiian Islands.


                   ~~~ Hawaii Weather Commentary ~~~
 


Our winds will be generally light and variable in direction, although locally stronger into Monday…strengthening from the trade wind direction early Tuesday onwards.  Here's a weather chart showing a high pressure center far to our northeast. At the same time, we find low pressure systems over the ocean far to our north, with a weak cold front extending southward…over the ocean just to the northwest and west of Kauai. Meanwhile, there's a high pressure ridge near Kauai, keeping our winds on the light side, with some stronger gusts around locally.

Periods of clouds, with best chance of showers on the Big Island, and parts of Maui tonight into Monday morning.  Here's a satellite image, showing clear to partly cloudy skies in most areas of the state this evening. In addition, we see a cold frontal cloud band over the ocean to the northwest and west of Kauai. Here's a larger satellite view of this weakening cold front, stalled to the northwest of Kauai. We also see clouds bringing some showers to parts of the Big Island, Maui too. Winds will remain quite light in most areas, although they were gusting in a stronger manner here and there. There were afternoon cumulus clouds developing over and around the mountains, with a few showers falling here and there. This weather pattern will persist through Monday.

As for that weak cold front, it will remain stalled to our northwest for the time being, although it should bring showers our way Monday night into Tuesday. In sum: our weather will be quite placid through most of Monday. The overlying atmosphere will be quite stable, although there will continue to be some shower activity around. The windward sides, and especially Maui County and the Big Island will likely have the best chance for showers tonight. We'll continue to see relatively cool mornings, which will give way to clouds locally during the afternoons…especially in the upcountry areas. The large waves breaking on our north and west shores will continue, gradually lowering by mid-week.

As later New Year's Eve, into Tuesday morning arrives, the cold front will have brought its showers to Kauai and Oahu. It will migrate southeast through the state, finally reaching Maui County at some point later Tuesday…perhaps stalling there. A surge of relatively cool trade winds will fill in behind the front, bringing windward showers to the islands for several days. This solid trade wind flow will remain in place, through the better part of the new week ahead. These trade winds will keep the remnant cold front's moisture over the state, as off and on passing showers remain active along our windward sides through the second half of the week. The trade winds may accelerate further after mid-week. ~~~ I'll be back early Monday morning with your next weather narrative from paradise, I hope you have a great Sunday night wherever you're spending it!  Aloha for now…Glenn.

Extra: birds-of-paradise video…very cool

World-wide tropical cyclone activity:

Atlantic Ocean/Caribbean Sea:
  There are no active tropical cyclones

Gulf of Mexico: There are no active tropical cyclones

Eastern Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

Central Pacific Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Western Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones 

South Pacific Ocean:  Tropical cyclone 05P (Freda) remains active in the southwest Pacific…located approximately 390 northwest of Noumea, New Caledonia. Sustained winds were 90 knots, with gusts to near 110 knots. This tropical cyclone will decrease in strength through the remainder of its life cycle. Here's the JTWC graphical track map, along with a satellite image.

North and South Indian Oceans:  There are no active tropical cyclones 

Interesting facts:   The average person laughs 13 times a day / Large Kangaroos cover more than 30 feet with each jump / Women blink nearly twice as much as men / Every day 200 million couples make love, 400,000 babies are born, and 140,000 people die