Hawaiian Islands Weather details & Aloha Paragraphs / May 6-7, 2014

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

83  Lihue, Kauai
84  Honolulu, Oahu
85  Molokai
88  Kahului, Maui
85  Kailua Kona
82  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 743pm Tuesday evening:

Kahului, Maui – 79
Hilo, Hawaii – 74

Haleakala Summit –   54 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea Summit – 43 (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.

Aloha Paragraphs

Windward east Maui

Light to moderate winds, continuing over the next several days…
making for rather muggy conditions near sea level

A few showers will occur during the afternoon hours over the
interior sections, with a few showers falling here and there
elsewhere…a few may be locally heavy at times

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

23  Port Allen, Kauai – SE
22  Kahuku Trng, Oahu – SE
25  Molokai – ENE
29  Lanai – NE
25  Kahoolawe – NE
27  Kahului, Maui – NE
27  South Point, Big Island – NE

Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands…as of Tuesday evening (545pm totals):

0.63  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
1.51  Poamoho RG 1, Oahu
0.03  Molokai
0.04  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.13  Kula Branch Station, Maui
0.31  Kainaliu, 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 ~~~

Generally light to moderately strong southeast to east-southeast breezes continuing. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the North Pacific Ocean, along with a real-time wind profile of the central Pacific…focused on the Hawaiian Islands. ~~~ We see a moderately strong, near 1030 millibar high pressure system to the northeast of our islands. It has a trailing ridge of high pressure located very near or over Kauai. At the same time, we see low pressure systems to our northwest and west-northwest, with associated cold fronts…northwest of the state as well. Our local winds will remain light, although with moderately strong gusts locally, from the southeast in most areas for the time being. The longer range outlook calls for the return of our normal trade winds by early next week or so.

Satellite imagery shows just a few lower level clouds, with mostly clear skies in many areas…especially the beaches. Looking at this larger satellite image, we see high cirrus clouds to our south…and with thunderstorms well offshore to the northwest. There are also stable looking lower level clouds moving over us on the southeasterly breezes, although not many. Here’s a looping radar image, showing generally light showers, most of which are falling over the ocean offshore of the islands. The most noticeable showers are reaching both Oahu and the Big Island…carried our way on these southeasterly breezes. The overlying atmosphere remains dry and stable however, which is limiting shower activity for the most part…with just a few slightly more generous showers falling locally.

Our ongoing placid weather pattern continues, with little change expected over the next several days at least. This is a modified convective weather pattern, with clear to partly cloudy mornings, giving way to afternoon clouds over the slopes…and a few showers. There’s still that chance that a few of these afternoon upcountry showers may become locally generous. Meanwhile, the latest model output continues to show a late season cold front approaching the islands Friday into the weekend. This in turn will help keep our light breezes in place…as well as bring a possible increase in showers to some parts of the state. We should find a return to more normal trade winds early next week, which fits climatology much better than what we’re seeing this week. I’ll be back early Wednesday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Tuesday night wherever you’re spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.

Here on Maui, at the 3,100 foot elevation, at my upper Kula, Maui weather tower, the air temperature was 57 degrees at 610am on this Tuesday morning. Skies were generally clear to partly cloudy, and still a bit hazy too, although quite lightly so here in my area. This weather pattern is rather unusual for so late in the spring season, as we would typically expect steady trade winds to prevail during the month of May. As you may have noted above, we also have this late season cold front to our northwest, which the models are bringing in over Kauai and perhaps Oahu this weekend. This too is on the unusual side, and may or may not happen.

It’s now 1230pm, under cloudy skies, light breezes, and an air temperature of 73.6 degrees. Turning around in my chair I see somewhat hazy conditions between here and the West Maui Mountains. The clouds overhead continue to deepen, and get darker, although I haven’t seen any drops just yet. As was the case yesterday, I’m looking for a few showers later this afternoon. Looking at this satellite image, it’s amazingly clear over the nearby ocean, although clouds are definitely beginning to collect over and around the mountains locally. The beaches will continue to be really nice for sun bathing, and for getting into our warmer ocean now. Update at 1pm, we now have a steady light shower, while I can still see mostly sunny skies down the mountain over the beaches.

It’s now early evening, at 555pm, under cloudy skies, and after a light shower just a few minutes ago. There’s the usual light haze that is common during southeast wind conditions, and the usual sunshine that continues beaming down…along our coasts. The air temperature up here in Kula is 70 degrees, along with calm winds. If you have a chance you might find the results of the latest National Climate Assessment (just below) interesting. It has the report broken down regionally, so you can see how these climates changes will manifest in your area of the United States.

Important Climate Change information for the Hawaiian Islands / Climate Change for the United States – This National Climate Assessment released today…summarizes the impacts of climate change on the United States, now and in the future.  A team of more than 300 experts guided by a 60-member Federal Advisory Committee produced the report, which was extensively reviewed by the public and experts, including federal agencies and a panel of the National Academy of Sciences.


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.