Hawaiian Islands Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs / December 24-25, 2015

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

82 – 71  Lihue, Kauai
82 – 69  Honolulu, Oahu
80 – 67  Molokai
83 – 60  Kahului AP, Maui
83 – 72  Kailua Kona AP
77 – 63  Hilo, Hawaii

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

0.62  Kilohana, Kauai
0.49  Manoa Lyon Arboretum, Oahu
0.12  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.44  Kahoolawe
0.58  Puu Kukui, Maui
0.85  Saddle Quarry, Big Island

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

21  Mana, Kauai – NNW
25  Kuaokala, Oahu – NNE
28  Molokai – E
31  Lanai – NE
28  Kahoolawe – NE
33  Maalaea Bay, Maui – NNW
33  Pali 2, Big Island – NE

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

We see a cold front well to our northwest, and an upper
level low pressure system well to our east…moving away

Here’s a wind profile…of the offshore waters
around the islands – with a closer view

Active thunderstorms well offshore south and east
of Hawaii…with that cold front northwest

Partly cloudy…clear in many areas too



Showers falling locally…mostly along the
windward sides, although not exclusively
looping radar image

Merry Christmas!

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

Trade winds continuing…picking up a notch or two Christmas Day through the weekend. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the North Pacific Ocean. We find a moderately strong high pressure system to our northeast…with a new high pressure cell far to our northwest. At the same time, we find numerous storm and gale low pressure systems far to our north. The gale lows have an associated cold front draping south and southwest. This front will move by to our north, as a result of the protecting high pressure ridge to our northwest and north. The forecast has the trade winds picking up again soon, lasting through the upcoming weekend. We now have small craft wind advisories over most of the coasts and channels around Maui County and the Big Island, which may be extended across the rest of the state Friday through Monday. Thereafter, an approaching cold front will tamp down our trade wind speeds through most of next week.

A few showers will fall locally, generally along our windward sides…increasing this weekend. We’ll see a cold front moving by north of the state, although it won’t reach the islands…thus nothing notable is expected in terms of rainfall through most of Friday. As we get into later Christmas night, and especially over the upcoming holiday weekend, we should see an increase in shower activity. As the stronger trade winds arrive into the weekend, they will carry increased moisture our way. The windward sides will see off and on passing showers through this period, with a few being carried over into the leeward sides…on the smaller islands. An upper level low pressure system will slide over the state this weekend as well, which will destabilize our overlying atmosphere, although not enough to prompt thunderstorms. This cold air aloft, associated with the low, will likely cause snow to fall over the Big Island summits…although likely not the summit of the Haleakala Crater on Maui. Next week looks relatively dry, in fact, drier than normal conditions should prevail, which of course is good news for visitors and locals alike! There’s a chance we may see a cold front approaching the state later next week towards New Years Eve.

Here on Maui…It’s mostly clear to partly cloudy across the island early this Thursday morning. Here in upcountry Kula, it’s calm and clear…with an air temperature of 49.2F degrees at my place. The temperature in contrast was a warmer 62 degrees down near sea level in Kahului, with 57 in Kaupo Gap…and 39 atop the Haleakala Crater at the same time.

– It’s early Christmas Eve afternoon now, and a clear morning has given way to partly cloudy skies. The trades are beginning to pick up here in upcountry Kula, although around the rest of the state, they aren’t doing much yet. The air temperature here at my weather tower is 74.6 degrees at 1245pm, while at the same time down near sea level in Kahului it was a warmer 81 degrees…with a cooler 45 degrees up at the Haleakala summit. Radar shows a few showers falling along the windward sides of Maui, along with the windward sides of the other islands now too.

– It’s just past 5pm, which qualifies this posting as an official Christmas Eve entry. So, Merry Christmas, or almost Christmas that is. I don’t see it yet, although the Christmas 2015 full moon should be rising very soon. Glancing around the island, I see clear to partly cloudy conditions in general, and the trade winds are in the process of increasing now…with more strengthening on tap.

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

World-wide tropical cyclone activity:

>>> Atlantic Ocean: The last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season…has occurred. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2015. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued if conditions warrant.

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

>>> Caribbean Sea: The last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season…has occurred. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2015. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued if conditions warrant.

>>> Gulf of Mexico: The last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season…has occurred. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2015. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued if conditions warrant.

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 last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2014 North Pacific hurricane season…has occurred. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on May 15, 2015. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued if conditions warrant.

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: The central north Pacific hurricane season has officially ended. Routine issuance of the tropical weather outlook will resume on June 1, 2015. During the off-season, special tropical weather outlooks will be issued if conditions warrant.

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