Hawaiian Islands Weather details & Aloha paragraphs / January 10-11, 2013

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

Lihue, Kauai –                         77  
Honolulu airport, Oahu –          82  
Molokai airport –                      80
Kahului airport, Maui –         83 
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 around the state…as of 730pm Thursday evening:

Kailua Kona – 76
Hilo, Hawaii – 68

Haleakala Summit –   36       (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Loa Summit –  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…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

Artist Credit…Pierre Bouret

High Surf Advisory…large waves on the east shores

Small Craft Advisory…for coastal waters
 
Our winds will be from the trade wind direction, gradually
easing up in strength today into the weekend…veering to
the southeast with areas of volcanic haze (vog) 

Localized heavy afternoon upcountry showers later today through
Monday, followed by a weak cold front Tuesday – although it
won't bring much rain our way…generally on the windward sides

~~~Air temperature at 555am HST Friday morning, with clear skies,
and calm winds…at my  upcountry Kula, Maui
weather tower: 49.8F degrees~~~

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

18       Port Allen, Kauai – SE
30       Kuaokala, Oahu – ENE
29       Molokai – ENE     
42       Kahoolawe – ESE
32       Kahului, Maui – NE  
29       Upolu airport, Big Island – NE

Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands as of Thursday evening:
 
2.16          Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.49          Poamoho RG 1, Oahu
0.01          Molokai
0.00          Kahoolawe
0.00          Lanai
0.64          Puu Kukui, Maui
1.42          Saddle Quarry, 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 image…and finally the latest looping radar image for the Hawaiian Islands.

                   ~~~ Hawaii Weather Commentary ~~~ 

Our winds will remain active from the trade wind direction…then fading away later Friday into the weekend.  Here's a weather chart showing a very strong, and extra large 1042 millibar high pressure center, far to the northeast of Hawaii.  This high pressure cell has a ridge extending southwest from its center, which is being slowly pushed closer to Hawaii. At the same time, we find a low pressure system to the northwest, with its quickly weakening cold front to the west-northwest of Kauai. The trade winds will remain active tonight, although easing up some locally…becoming much lighter from the southeast late Friday into the weekend. Look for vog to be carried up over some parts of the smaller islands with time.

There will continue to be periods of clouds with passing showers…although with clear periods here and there too. Here's a satellite image, showing clear skies in many areas this evening, although with partly to mostly cloudy conditions locally as well. The main thing we see is a large area of high clouds, the brighter white ones, to our northwest and west…which are extending over parts of the state…especially Kauai at the time of this writing. It appears that there are a few towering cumulus clouds offshore to the west and northwest of Kauai. Here's a larger satellite view showing large areas of cloudiness to the west, north and east…out over the ocean. The still gusty trade winds will carry a few showery clouds our way at times.

On the not too distant horizon, we'll find the current trade wind weather pattern fading away. This will happen as a cold front to our northwest edges in closer to the state, and sends a high pressure ridge down over our islands. At this time, likely by Friday afternoon into the weekend, we'll grade into a convective weather pattern…with much lighter southeasterly breezes. This type of weather pattern typically exhibits cool mornings, with increasing clouds over and around the mountains during the afternoons. The latest outlook suggests that some of those convective showers will be locally heavy, especially around Maui and the Big Island. Our atmosphere will become volcanically hazy during this upcoming light wind episode, during the weekend.

This first cold front is expected to stall before arriving Friday into the weekend. Speaking of the weekend time frame, a pool of cold air, associated with an upper level trough of low pressure, will settle in over our area. This will destabilize our overlying atmosphere quite drastically. This cold air aloft will enhance any showers that fall, and could lead to a thunderstorm or two, primarily over the leeward slopes during the afternoons on both Maui and the Big Island. There's a good chance that we'll see some ice or snow atop the tallest summits on the Big Island during this period. As a light wind regime will be in force during this time, the bulk of whatever showers that are around, will be falling over the interior sections of the islands.

As we push past the upcoming weekend, a second weak cold front will push down through the state Tuesday. This frontal cloud band isn't expected to have all that much rainfall, although will be associated with a return of trade winds. These trade winds may feel a bit cool, at least compared to the lighter southeasterly breezes preceding it. Given the season, it might not be too long before we're looking down the barrel of the next cold front, with its associated showers. As you can see, we have some changes in our local weather conditions, bringing a mix of interesting weather our way. There's nothing to worry about, although we will be seeing some rather fast paced changes.  I'll be back again early Friday morning with more news on the upcoming meteorological conditions coming our way, I hope you have a great Thursday night wherever you're spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.

Extra: youtube music video…Paradise – Cold Play – full screen please

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:  There are no active tropical cyclones 

North and South Indian Oceans:  Tropical cyclone 08S (Narelle) remains active in the South Indian Ocean…located approximately 255 NM north-northwest of Learmonth, Australia. Sustained winds were 115 knots, with gusts to near 140 knots. This tropical cyclone will be steadily decreasing in strength…as it remains offshore from western Australia. Here's the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) graphical track map, along with a satellite image.

Interesting facts:  The longest officially recognized place name is Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu, which has 85 letters. It's the name for a hill, 1,000 feet high, close to Porangahau, New Zealand / There are as many chickens on earth as there are humans / Over 4 million cars in Brazil are now running on gasohol instead of petrol. Gasohol is a fuel made from sugar cane