Hawaiian Islands Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs / December 25-26, 2015

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

81 – 72  Lihue, Kauai
83 – 71  Honolulu, Oahu
81 – 71  Molokai
82 – 71  Kahului AP, Maui
83 – 72  Kailua Kona AP
80 – 67  Hilo, Hawaii

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

2.07  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
1.52  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
0.33  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.60  Puu Kukui, Maui
1.36  Saddle Quarry, Big Island

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

30  Lihue, Kauai – NE
47  Kuaokala, Oahu – NE
35  Molokai – E
42  Lanai – NE
35  Kahoolawe – NE
31  Maalaea Bay, Maui – N 
50  Kohala Ranch, 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 offshore 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 about 275 miles northwest

Partly cloudy…clear in many areas too



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

Small Craft Wind Advisory…all coastal and channel waters

Gale Warning…Alenuihaha Channel between Maui and
the Big Island of Hawaii

High surf Advisory…east shores of the islands

Wind Advisory…parts of Maui County and the Kohala area
on the Big Island – very strong and gusty trade winds

Winter Weather Advisory…at or below freezing temperatures,
with ice on summit roads

High Wind Warning…island of Lanai – 20 to 50 mph

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

Trade winds continuing…blustery 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 far to our northeast, with a new high pressure cell to our northwest…moving eastward quickly. At the same time, we find numerous storm low pressure systems far to our north. One of these storms has an associated cold front draping south and southwest. The tail-end of this front will move by just to our north, pushed by the approaching high pressure cell to our northwest. The trade winds will flex their muscles now, remaining strong and gusty through the weekend. We have small craft wind advisories over all of the coasts and channels around the state, along with numerous other wind and high surf advisories and warnings. Thereafter, another approaching cold front will cause our trade wind speeds to relax rather dramatically towards the middle of next week for several days.

Showers will fall generally along our windward sides…increasing into the weekend. We see a cold front moving by north of the state, however it won’t reach the islands…although will come pretty close. Now into the holiday weekend, we’ll see an increase in shower activity. As the strong and gusty trade winds continue, they will carry increased moisture our way. The windward sides will see considerable passing shower activity through this period, with some 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 or ice over the Big Island summits. In sum, a wet trade wind weather pattern will develop over the next few days. Drier than normal conditions should prevail later next week, which of course is good news for visitors and locals alike! There’s a chance we may see a cold front approaching the state towards New Years Eve.

Here on Maui…It’s mostly clear to partly cloudy across the island early this Christmas morning well before sunrise. Here in upcountry Kula, it’s calm and clear…with an air temperature of 50.7F degrees at my place. The temperature in contrast was a warmer 71 degrees down near sea level in Kahului, with 73 out in Hana…and 39 atop the Haleakala Crater at the same time. The many Christmas light displays around the island are having a difficult time matching the brilliant white light…beaming down from the near full Christmas moon, sinking into the western horizon before dawn!

– We’re into Christmas afternoon now, with warm sunny skies along the leeward sides. In contrast, a showery batch of clouds has blown in over the windward coasts and slopes, on the increasingly blustery trade wind flow. Here at my place in Kula, it was a nice sunny morning, although those clouds noted above are trying to stretch over this way now. It feels like we might get some showers riding in at some point soon. I got together with my neighbors David and Varsha this morning and had a Christmas breakfast. We ended up talking for several hours, which was very enjoyable for me. We all opened presents that we got from various folks, which was fun too. My Mom and Brother both sent me really nice things…especially my Mom!

– It’s early evening here on Christmas, as the trade winds really start to blow with force now. We have all manner of wind and surf related products having been issued by the NWS forecast office in Honolulu. Here in Kula, the winds are at times gusty, although nothing like what’s happening in more exposed areas around the state. This windy reality, along with lots of windward showers primarily, will continue over the next few days.

I’ll be back with many more updates on all of the above and below, I hope you have a great Christmas night 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)