Hawaiian Islands Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs / September 28-29, 2015

Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures (F) were recorded across the state of Hawaii Monday…along with the minimums Monday:

83 – 76  Lihue, Kauai
87 – 78  Honolulu, Oahu
84 – 71  Molokai
89 – 73  Kahului AP, Maui
89 – 80  Kailua Kona AP
82 – 71  Hilo, Hawaii

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

2.96  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
4.99  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
1.61  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.05  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
3.60  Puu Kukui, Maui
4.98  Piihonua, Big Island

The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph)…as of Monday evening:

31  Lihue, Kauai – NNE
39  Kuaokala, Oahu – NE
32  Molokai – NE
32  Lanai – NE
35  Kahoolawe – NE
32  Kahului AP, Maui – NNE
31  Pali 2, Big Island – NNE

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

Post-tropical cyclone Niala south of the islands…is
now dissipating – Final Advisory has been issued

Here’s a wind profile…of the area around the islands –
with a closer view of Hawaii

Lots of clouds over and surrounding the islands

Lots of thunderstorms and clouds south and southwest

There are showers locally – looping radar image

Small Craft Wind Advisory…all coasts and channels –
through 6am Wednesday

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

Strong and gusty trade winds will remain over the islands…through the next several days. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the North Pacific Ocean, along with a wind profiler of the central Pacific. We find a moderately strong high pressure system well to the northeast of the state. At the same time we find the low pressure system associated with former tropical cyclone Niala to our south, and another low pressure system well to our northeast…with the tail-end of its frontal boundary well east of the Big Island. Our winds are arriving from the trade wind direction, and will continue to do so this week. As former tropical depression Niala moves by a safe distance to the south of Hawaii, our trade winds will remain stronger than normal. There’s a chance that blustery winds could arrive this weekend into early next week…stay tuned.

We’ll find off and on showers along our windward sides…blowing over into the leeward sides on the trade winds locally. Island skies will be partly to mostly cloudy, depending on location. The windward sides will receive the bulk of the incoming showers…although the leeward areas will receive some at times too. The models go on to show the return to a more normal trade wind weather pattern by Tuesday or Wednesday for several days. There’s a chance that a couple of tropical weather systems could develop to our southwest this weekend into early next week…and move up towards the islands. One of these areas could be redeveloped Niala, which will reside well to the southwest of the islands later this week…this situation bears monitoring.

Post-tropical cyclone Niala is now dissipating to the south of the islands. Here’s a satellite image of this former tropical depression. This satellite image gives a larger context of this now retiring depression and the Hawaiian Islands. Here’s a near real-time wind profiler showing this counter-clockwise rotating area south of the state. It should be pointed out that Niala will get into an area of very warm sea surface temperatures, and a less hostile environment to our southwest later this week. There’s a chance that it could redevelop, in which case we would have to keep our eye on it again. Some of the models are showing several tropical systems moving up near the islands from the southwest this coming weekend into early next week…stay tuned.

Here on Maui…It’s 535am Monday morning, with clear to cloudy skies, depending upon location…with showers falling along our windward sides. A portion of the cloudiness this morning is high cirrus clouds, which may light up nicely at sunrise. / It’s 1125am, and looking like a pretty normal early autumn day out there.

– We’re into the middle of the afternoon now, with lots of high cirrus clouds, which are dimming our sunshine greatly. They will however likely bring us some colors at sunset!

– The thick high cirrus clouds are the dominant weather feature here on Maui early this evening, that is in addition to the gusty trade winds in those exposed areas. I’m still expecting to have a colorful sunset this evening…that is if these icy clouds aren’t too thick.

I’ll be back with many more updates on all of the above and below, I hope you have a great Monday night wherever you’re spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.

World-wide tropical cyclone activity:

>>> Atlantic Ocean:

Tropical Storm 11L (Joaquin) remains active, located 425 miles east-northeast of the northwestern Bahamas, with sustained winds of 45 mph. Here’s the NHC graphical track map, along with a satellite image of this system

1.)  A large area of disturbed weather over the central Atlantic several hundred miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands is associated with a frontal trough and the remnants of Ida. Some slow development of this system is possible later this week while it moves slowly west-northwestward.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…10 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…medium…40 percent

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 cyclones

1.)   A trough of low pressure located over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico between Tampa, Florida and Apalachicola, Florida, continues to produce disorganized showers and thunderstorms over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico and portions of the southeastern United States. Strong upper-level winds will likely prevent any significant development of this system before it moves inland over the northern Gulf coast later today, and the Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft scheduled for today has been canceled. Regardless of tropical cyclone development, locally heavy rains are likely over portions of the southeastern United States during the next couple of days.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…10 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…low…10 percent

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:

Tropical Storm 17E (Marty) remains active, located 120 miles west-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico, with sustained winds of 60 mph. Here’s the NHC graphical track map, along with a satellite image of this system…and what the computer models are showing

1.)   An area of low pressure is expected to form within an elongated surface trough several hundred miles south-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula during the next couple of days. Environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for development, and a tropical depression is likely to form later this week while the low remains nearly stationary.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…medium 40 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…high 90 percent

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

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

>>> Central Pacific:  There are no active tropical cyclones

1.)  An area of thunderstorms persists around post-tropical/remnant low Niala, but a hostile shear environment is expected to prevent re-development in this area for the next few days.

*formation chance through 48 hours, low, 0 percent

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