Hawaiian Islands Weather details & Aloha Paragraphs / November 28-29, 2013

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

80  Lihue, Kauai
84  Honolulu, Oahu
83  Molokai
86  Kahului, Maui
83  Kona, Hawaii
M   Hilo, Hawaii

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops on Maui and the Big Island…as of 510pm Thursday evening:

Poipu, Kauai – 84
Hilo, Hawaii – 79

Haleakala Summit –   48 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea Summit – 41 (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.

Aloha Paragraphs

Lighter south winds, carrying volcanic haze locally, a few
showers…although generally weather for the time being

There are changes on the horizon however, with unsettled weather
arriving later Friday into the weekend…most notably on the Kauai and
Oahu end of our chain of islands.

High Surf Advisory, starting this evening…on the
north and west shores of Kauai, Oahu and Maui

Small Craft Wind Advisory…around Kauai waters

Flash Flood Watch…Kauai

Happy Thanksgiving!

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

14  Puu Opae, Kauai – SE
22  Waianae Harbor, Oahu – SE
15  Molokai – ESE
12  Lanai – SSW
27  Kahoolawe – E
15  Lipoa, Maui – ENE
25  Upolu, Big Island – NE

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

0.03  Anahola, Kauai
0.12  Poamoho 1 RG, Oahu
0.08  Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.01  Kaupo Gap, Maui
0.02  Mountain View, 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 ~~~

Our winds are shifting to the south now, becoming stronger and gusty from the south to southwest later Friday into the weekend…followed by east to southeast breezes early next week. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the Pacific Ocean. We see a gale low pressure system well northwest of the state, with its associated comma-shaped cold front, draping down into the tropics to our west. The trades have been disrupted, and are now veering around to the south and southeast as the front moves in our direction. These winds will carry volcanic haze (vog) from the Big Island vents over the smaller islands…and make our air mass sultry near the beaches. As we get into late Friday and the weekend, our winds will increase in strength from the south and southwest, as the cold front mentioned above approaches from the northwest, moving into the Hawaiian Islands first on Kauai Friday night into Saturday.

Generally fine weather conditions have held firm on this Thanksgiving holiday, as the overlying atmosphere remains quite dry and stable. Satellite imagery shows patches of stable clouds over and around the islands, and over the offshore water…along with high cirrus clouds to our southwest, west and northwest. The leeward and windward beaches will continue to be in pretty good shape going into Friday morning. We can see the leading edge of the cold front over the ocean to our northwest. Here’s the looping radar image, showing hardly any showers falling…and the vast majority of this is remaining offshore. There will continue to be just a few showers falling here and there through this holiday into Friday. As the winds have become lighter now, we’ll see afternoon clouds developing over the leeward slopes and interior sections locally…leading to a few showers again on Friday.

As we get into the weekend, we’ll begin to see unsettled weather conditions arrive, with increasing showers…as a cold front moves into the state. This surface cold front will arrive at about the same time as an upper level low pressure system moves overhead. This one-two punch will prompt locally strong and gusty Kona winds, potential locally heavy rainfall with time, and a chance of a few thunderstorms. Kauai will have the front arriving early Saturday, then pushing down over Oahu eventually. As is often the case, Kauai and Oahu will have the most dynamic aspects of this inclement weather, while Maui and the Big Island may be just outside the most active precipitation zone…once again. This is the current forecast challenge, knowing just how far the front will work its way into the state…stay tuned. I’ll be closely following this upcoming wet weather situation, fine tuning the particulars as we go forward. ~~~ I flew to Oahu this afternoon, for a Thanksgiving dinner with friends here, and will fly back to Maui Saturday morning. I’ll have a computer to use while I’m on Oahu, so I’ll be able to keep these weather narratives current. I hope you have a great Thursday night, wherever you’re spending this special holiday! Aloha for now…Glenn.

World-wide tropical cyclone activity:

Atlantic Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

Caribbean Sea: There are no active tropical cyclones

Gulf of Mexico: There are no active tropical cyclone

Here’s a satellite image of the Caribbean Sea…and the Gulf of Mexico.

Here’s the link to the National Hurricane Center (NHC)

Eastern Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclone

Here’s a wide satellite image that covers the entire area between Mexico, out through the central Pacific…to the International Dateline.