Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Thursday:
80 Lihue, Kauai
81 Honolulu, Oahu
83 Molokai
89 Kahului, Maui
84 Kona, Hawaii
80 Hilo, Hawaii
Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops around the state… as of 810pm Thursday evening:
Kahului, Maui – 76
Hilo, Hawaii – 70
Haleakala Summit – 46 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea Summit – 39 (13,000+ 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 working.
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
Trade winds fading Friday…becoming sultry into the weekend
The following numbers represent the most recent top wind gusts (mph), along with directions as of Thursday evening:
09 Mana, Kauai – NE
22 Kahuku Trng, Oahu – SE
07 Molokai – NE
32 Kahoolawe – NE
20 Lipoa, Maui – ESE
21 South Point, Big Island – NE
Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands as of Thursday evening:
1.16 Mount Waialeale, Kauai
1.72 Poamoho RG 1, Oahu
0.18 Molokai
0.00 Kahoolawe
0.12 Hana airport, Maui
0.79 Glenwood, 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 Narrative ~~~
Light to moderately strong trade winds will blow into Friday morning, then slowing down again later Friday into the weekend. Here’s a weather chart showing a near 1035 millibar high pressure system, located far to the northeast of the islands. This high pressure cell has an elongated ridge of high pressure extending southwest from its center, over the ocean to the north through northwest of Kauai…getting closer now. At the same time, we find the next approaching cold front over the ocean to the northwest of the islands. The trade winds will remain active through tonight, although ease up again Friday, as this next cold front approaches the state this weekend.
Satellite imagery shows clear to partly cloudy skies over the island chain…along with the ragged, leading edge of a cold front to our northwest. As these trade winds continue blowing across our area, they will carry some of these clouds to the windward sides of the islands this evening. We’ll find the typical afternoon clouds over and around the mountains again Friday and Saturday, prompted by the daytime heating of the islands. Here’s the looping radar image, showing the trades carrying a few scattered showers along in this pleasant trade wind flow. We’ll see increased afternoon clouds developing around the leeward slopes Friday, then on into the weekend and beyond, with showers falling locally at times…especially by Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
A weak cold front’s approach will bring lighter winds to us from the southeast direction, along with more vog this weekend through next Tuesday or so. These lighter winds will take us into a convective weather pattern, with showers falling from clouds that develop over the interior sections of the islands during the afternoon hours. This upcoming period of lighter than normal winds, will keep our atmosphere rather hot and muggy during the days, with this convective weather pattern stuck in place through the middle of next week. Looking even further ahead, the models continue showing yet another weak cold front riding down toward the island chain around next Wednesday. If this front gets close enough, it would provide precipitation along our windward sides…as the trade winds will be blowing again by then.
Here on Maui [535pm Thursday, HST]: It was another summer-like day, despite the fact that we’re still in our spring season. Case in point, the Kahului airport reached 89F degrees this afternoon. These close to 90 degree days will continue at our airport, and may reach up towards 91 or 92 degrees during the next 3-4 days…especially as the southeast breezes begin soon. Early this evening the temperature in Kahului had cooled down to 84, while up here in Kula, it was running near 70 at the same time. Speaking of up here, we just had a light little shower, which has already ended. As noted above, we’ll soon be losing our refreshing trade winds, as they fade and turn light and variable in direction…along with rather hot and sultry conditions for many days. I don’t see any vog in the central valley yet, although I’m afraid it won’t be long before it starts to get hazy again. I’ll be back with your next new weather narrative early Friday morning. I hope you have a great Thursday night wherever you’re spending it! Aloha, Glenn
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: There are no active tropical cyclones
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