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

73  Lihue, Kauai
77  Honolulu, Oahu
74  Molokai
79  Kahului, Maui
87  Kailua Kona
76  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 810pm Sunday evening:

 

Kailua Kona – 76
Lihue, Kauai
– 67


Haleakala Summit –   43
(near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea Summit – 32 (13,000+ 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.

 


Aloha Paragraphs

http://www.dougroanephotography.com/Nature/Artistic-Renderings-and-1/i-3NJbLpL/0/L/IMG_8141%20e2%20smart%20blur%20filter-L.jpg

Showers will fall mostly along the windward sides
and around the mountains…although elsewhere at
times
too – carried by the trade winds – drier along
our leeward beaches
for the most part

Small Craft Wind Advisory…all coastal and channel
waters

High Surf Advisory…for northwest swell along
the north and west shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai,
the north shores of Maui, and the west shore of
the Big Island
– the east shores will have elevated
surf…which will be rough and choppy, as will the
north facing beaches


Wind Profile Map…in real time – centered over the
Hawaiian Islands

March Full Moon…is beaming down tonight




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


28  Lihue, Kauai – NE
46  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – NNE
35  Molokai – NNE
36  Lanai – NE
27  Kahoolawe – NNE
22  Lipoa,
Maui – NE
54  Kealakomo, Big Island – NW


Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands…as of Sunday evening (845pm totals):


0.53  Kilohana, Kauai
0.19  Nui Valley, Oahu
0.43  Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
1.57  Puu Kukui, Maui
4.50  Kawainui Stream, 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 ~~~



Winds remaining much stronger than normal today…with locally gusty winds topping 40-60 mph. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the North Pacific Ocean. Here’s a real-time wind profile of the central Pacific…focused on the Hawaiian Islands. ~~~ We see a strong, near 1037 millibar high pressure system to our north…moving quickly (30 mph) eastward. At the same time we see the tail-end of a cold front to our east, with its parent low pressure system a relatively short distance to the northeast. The pressure gradient between the high pressure to the north, and low pressure to our east and northeast…is what’s bringing us this late winter high wind episode. Our winds will be from the northeast…which will remain blustery tonight into Monday. They will ease up gradually as we move towards the middle of the new week.

Satellite imagery shows clouds over and around the islands, which will bring off and on showers…especially to our windward coasts and slopes. 
We see an area of brighter white clouds to the south and southeast of the islands. The majority of the clouds in our area are stacked-up along our windward sides. We’ve begun to see the high level clouds to our south drift north over the islands from Oahu down through the Big Island.  Here’s a looping radar image, showing generally light to moderately heavy showers moving across the island chain…on the strong northeast trade wind flow. The bulk of these showers are concentrating their efforts best along the windward coasts and slopes. Looking at this larger satellite image, which is in the looping mode, we see this area of high clouds being blown over the state on the upper level winds from the south.

Our weather remains windy, and locally showery along our windward sides…which will be followed by a more normal trade wind weather pattern during the new week ahead. The wind is still up, although we have pushed through the peak of this unusually windy event. As we move forward, the winds will gradually back down in strength, becoming moderately strong by Tuesday into Wednesday. There are showers taking aim on our windward sides, particularly over Maui and the Big Island. All things considered, it appears we have better weather on the horizon, at least in terms of the winds. I’ll be back early Monday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a good Sunday night until then! Aloha for now…Glenn.

Here on Maui, at the 3,100 foot elevation, at my upper Kula, Maui weather tower, the air temperature was 54 degrees at 545am on this Sunday morning. I can see the large moon beaming down in the western horizon, so I know that it’s mostly clear overhead, although the winds are still blowing strongly. The winds in the most exposed areas this morning continue to top 50 mph, and may still peak out somewhere near 60 mph today.

~~~
It’s an hour later here in Kula, and the winds are still very bold, blowing over and around my weather tower. I’d estimate the winds speeds are gusting to 30-35 mph in this area, not nearly as strong as in those even more exposed areas this morning. Nonetheless, it’s a stormy start to our day, with drizzle falling, and an air temperature of 54.5 degrees at 645am – feeling even cooler with the wind chill factor.

~~~ The winds just went from almost calm, to gusty again, although conditions have mellowed out quite a bit from earlier this morning…at least here at my place. It’s now almost 9am, and the winds are bouncing back again, becoming rather blustery again at the moment. We finally topped 60 mph in a gust this morning, where there was a 61 mph report down on the Big Island not long ago. Today will have the strongest winds of this episode, and then begin to wind down tomorrow onwards. I just heard that there was a downed tree on Olinda Road here on Maui, which caused a power outage to 800 folks in Makawao and Olinda, There was another report about a rock slide, on the roadway around the West Maui Mountains.

~~~ It’s now 1120am, and here in Kula its almost totally calm, with sunny skies, and 68 warm degrees. It’s like night and day all the sudden, all the windy, cloudy and rainy weather has completely departed! It’s so interesting to experience this distinct difference…as if its all over now. It may be, I’m not sure, although it sure feels nice to be able to go out there and play ping pong without the ball being whipped around by all that air in a hurry. I just updated the winds section above, and found that the winds are stronger today than they were yesterday, in other parts of the state, with the most recent top gust at 63 mph down on the Big Island!

~~~ We’re now into the early afternoon hours, at 1240pm, with hardly a breeze, and a warm 68.9 degrees. I can see low clouds over the West Maui Mountains, and along the windward sides, although according to radar, they aren’t doing much in terms of continuing the recent rains. The leeward beaches here on Maui, including Wailea, Kihei, Lahaina and Kaanapali, are all generally sunny, although there are still gusty winds around Kihei and Kaanapali…which will continue for the time being.

~~~ It’s now 540pm in the early evening here on Maui, under partly cloudy skies, near calm winds, and an air temperature of 67.3 degrees. The wind direction changed just enough today, that the bulk of the Haleakala Crater has been shielding us from the still strong to very strong winds around the state. It’s been a drier day, in contrast to the last two days, which have been wet. I’m looking around, and see those high clouds that were to our south, have moved over the state. This in turn will make for a nice sunset this evening, with some colors!



World-wide tropical cyclone activity:


Atlantic Ocean:
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1st through November 30th.
Here’s the 2013 hurricane season summary


Here’s a
satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean


Caribbean Sea:


Gulf of Mexico:


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:
The Eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15th through November 30th. Here’s the 2013 hurricane season summary


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


Central Pacific Ocean:
The Central Pacific hurricane season runs from June 1st through November 30th. Here’s the 2013 hurricane season summary


Here’s a link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC)


North 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 cyclonesInteresting:

Here’s a link to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)


Interesting: Trash talk: Ocean Dumping

Remember the excitement that filled your body when your parents told you the family was going to go to the beach? Remember the excitement slowly leaving your body when you witnessed the trash that covered the beach for miles? Ocean dumping has become a major problem for marine life and the people who enjoy its many benefits. Many marine animals have suffered from the trash in the water and people have suffered from the sight of trash filling the ocean and cluttering the beaches ruining their supposed beautiful day. Industries, cities, and militaries have been dumping their waste into the ocean for years now. One solution to prevent this problem is to impose stricter restrictions on ocean dumping that range from pedestrian waste to toxic nuclear hazard.


For many years, the ocean has been filling up with trash from industry ships, cities, and even discarded military equipment. “It’s a massive global problem, made worse by the modern use of plastics that do not readily biodegrade.” Paul Gittings of CNN writes in the article Trash busters! Eco Sailors Aim to Reduce Ocean Waste. All the trash that has been dumped has formed into giant gyres, which are big garbage patches that swirl in the ocean. John D. Sutter from CNN also comments on this issue in his article Search for Drowned Plane Highlights Ocean Trash Problem, stating, “There are about five or six major trash-collecting gyres in the world’s oceans.” Some of these gyres are about the size of Texas. If we keep ocean dumping then there will be more and more of these Texas-sized gyres and eventually there will be no water left to see, just trash.


Many Americans love spending their vacation on beaches. We love to be in the hot burning sun but then have a giant cooling tub just a few feet away. The beach has been a main attraction for vacationing. Who doesn’t love going to the beach? Forty-six percent of people say they have gone to the beach in the past half year. Sixty-four percent said that they are more than likely going to go to the beach for vacation; one third of Americans prefer the beach over any other vacation area. American’s number one vacationing spot is slowly getting ruined. “Take a walk along almost any beach in any part of the world and one’s experience is often spoiled by the sight of trash, lotsam and jetsam, washed ashore from the ocean.” says Gittings.