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

78 – 71  Lihue, Kauai
81 – 69  Honolulu, Oahu
79 – 68  Molokai
80 – 66  Kahului AP, Maui
81 – 68  Hilo, Hawaii

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

0.02  Mohihi Crossing, Kauai
0.54  Poamoho RG 1, Oahu
1.62  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.34  Pukalani, Maui
0.83  Kawainui Stream, Big Island

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

21  Port Allen, Kauai – SE
27  Kuaokala, Oahu – NE
18  Molokai – E
20  Lanai – NE
30  Kahoolawe – NE
21  Maalaea Bay, Maui – NNE
31  Kealakomo, 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

http://weather.unisys.com/satellite/sat_ir_enh_west_loop-12.gif
We see the next cold front approaching to the northwest

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

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/cpac/vis.jpg
Well defined cold front northwest of Hawaii

 

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/hi/vis.jpg
Clear to partly cloudy…cloudy areas locally


http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/RadarImg/hawaii.gif
Just a few showers…generally dry – looping radar image


High Surf Advisory…north and west shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai
and north shore of Maui

Small Craft Advisory…most windward coasts, and all of the major
channels between the islands


~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~



Our local winds are from the northeast to east…becoming light to moderate trade winds Monday. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the North Pacific Ocean. We find high pressure systems far to our east-northeast, with another high pressure cell just to our north…moving southeast. At the same time, we find storm and gale low pressure systems to our northwest through northeast. There’s the tail-lend of the most recent cold front just south of the Big Island…and the next front to our northwest. We’ll see light northeast to easterly trade winds blowing through Sunday. Generally light to moderately strong trades will prevail during the first half of the new week ahead. Our winds will turn southeast to south, and may become locally gusty later Wednesday into early Friday…bringing a period of volcanic haze ahead of yet another cold front.

Generally dry conditions…with nice weather prevailing. The cold front quickly moved through the island chain, and is now located to the south of the Big Island of Hawaii. This front brought a noticeable change in our local weather conditions, although most of its rainfall was quite light…and it was a very brief affair. It looks like dry weather will prevail for the time being. Looking ahead, another cold front will approach Monday, although stall before arriving. Fair weather conditions will continue through mid-week, with just a few passing showers along our windward coasts and slopes. This will be followed by a stronger cold front…which may bring more significant precipitation to our islands later in the new week ahead.

~~~ The Maui News recently asked me to research something for them, and since I’d done the work, I figured that I’d share it with you folks too. They asked how many times there were tied or broken record high temperatures…that occurred this summer at the Kahului Airport. I found the following:

June 28 – 92 degrees / tied the record high for the date
June 30 – 90 degrees/ broke the record high for the date
July 1 – 91 degrees / tied the record
July 2 – 93 degrees/ broke the record
July 3 – 93 degrees / broke the record
July 26 – 94 degrees / broke the record
July 28 – 95 degrees / tied the record
July 29 – 93 degrees / broke the record
July 31 – 92 degrees / tied the record
Aug 12 – 93 degrees / tied the record
Aug 15 – 92 degrees / tied the record
Aug 20 – 94 degrees / broke the record
Aug 21 – 94 degrees / tied the record
Aug 22 – 97 degrees / broke the record
Aug 26 – 93 degrees / tied the record
Aug 27 – 93 degrees / broke the record
Aug 28 – 92 degrees / broke the record
Sept 12 – 94 degrees / broke the record

2015 Summary for the hurricane season here in the Central Pacific Basin

 

Friday Evening Film – Since Jeff, Svetlana and I are back from Europe, we seem to be getting right back into the habit of seeing films together again. We’ve picked The Big Short this time, starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Karen Gillan, and Marisa Tomei…among many others. The synopsis: the Big Short approaches a serious, complicated subject with an impressive attention to detail — and manages to deliver a well-acted, scathingly funny indictment of its real-life villains in the bargain. Inside the Doomsday Machine, which centers on the housing and credit bubble of the 2000’s. The critics are giving this film pretty high marks, so I was excited to see it, and have been since I first saw the trailer.

This was a very good film…at least for the most part. It was a little funny around the edges, although masked to a large degree by anger and resentment for the system. The cast was outstanding, and in my impression delivered a very entertaining piece of work. The subject matter was disturbing however, especially because all the major financial players were guilty…and no one was held accountable. The winners in this high stakes game of finance felt like losers, amid the devastation and loss. The film was fun to watch, in a sort of convoluted way…although the fun stopped immediately, when one considers the havoc that this stock market free fall caused the world! This was a sophisticated indictment of government ignorance and corporate greed. In sum: the film was funny because it was true, and tragic and frightening for the same reason.

Here in Maui County…It’s mostly clear to partly cloudy across the island this morning before sunrise. Here in upcountry Kula it’s calm and clear…with an air temperature of 45 F degrees at 645am. The temperature in contrast was 68 degrees down near sea level in Kahului, with 70 at Maalaea Bay, 68 over in Kapalua…and 45 atop the Haleakala Crater at the same time. Meanwhile, Kahoolawe’s highest elevation was 64 degrees, as well as Lanai City.

– We’re now into the very early evening hours, under uncharacteristically clear skies. The clouds that were around this morning, have just about completely evaporated, which paved the way for a lovely early winter day! Some friends in Makawao have invited me for dinner this evening, so my relatively hot streak of social engagements continues…at least for the time being.

I’ll be back with many more updates on all of the above and below, I hope you have a great Saturday 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 2015 Atlantic hurricane season…has occurred. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2016. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued if conditions warrant. Here’s the 2015 hurricane season summary

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

>>> Caribbean Sea: The last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season…has occurred. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2016. 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 2015 Atlantic hurricane season…has occurred. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2016. 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 2015 North Pacific hurricane season…has occurred. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on May 15, 2016. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued if conditions warrant. Here’s the 2015 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.

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, 2016. During the off-season, special tropical weather outlooks will be issued if conditions warrant. Here’s the 2015 hurricane season summary

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

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

>>> South Pacific Ocean:

Tropical Cyclone 06P (Ula) remains active near Fiji…in the southwest Pacific. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map, along with a satellite image of this system…and finally what the computer models are showing.


>>> North and South Indian Oceans / Arabian Sea: There are no active tropical cyclones

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


Interesting:  Good news about restoring river ecosystems – It is a commonly held belief that most ecosystems take about a lifetime to recover after damage is introduced by humans. However, researchers at Ohio State University are finding that initial recovery can be dramatic if the right conditions are present. The discovery was made while monitoring how dam removal impacted local species.

The studies focus on the reintroduction of birds and salmon to the habitat. What they found was that if just birds were introduced, they tended to have low weight and poor numbers of offspring. However, when dams came down and salmon and fish were put together, both species flourished and impacted the surrounding ecosystem positively.

The author of the initial study, Christopher Tonra said that, “It’s exciting to be able to show a real positive outcome in conservation. We don’t always get that…That these rivers can come back within our own generation is a really exciting thing.”

Although for many environmentally minded folks, it is likely not news that species work in tandem to create a healthier environment, what’s important about this study is that it’s showing just how quickly these different species can reinvigorate the natural ecosystem and environmental health in areas that were previously barren. 

That’s partly because the returning salmon populations, which carry nutrients from the open ocean, bring these birds exactly what they need to thrive. “They’re truly fertilizing the river and so that makes its way all the way up through the food chain,” Torna said.

This study could have a huge impact on how to fertilize or reinvigorate previously damaged ecosystems, especially those previously impacted by dam systems. Returning the basics of the wildlife population -such as fish- could mean we see change within years rather than decades.

And this comes at a time when restoring ecologically decimated systems is more important than ever. With evolving technology and infrastructure, older dams and building sites are being disbanded. This means those in the business of restoring ecological sites (and really that’s a pretty great business to be in) can get a proper boost from this study. And this doesn’t just pay dividends for the environment, it also helps stimulate our economy.

According to one report, the booming restoration industry could actually field a number of jobs. Which means the usual conservative song and dance, that environmental regulations will destroy American jobs, could become a thing of the past.

“Environmental regulation is driving a $25-billion-per year ‘restoration industry’ that directly employs more people than coal mining, logging or steel production – but fewer than oil and gas or auto manufacturing,” writes Kelli Barrett. She points out that, “The range of industries is wide and includes project planning, engineering, consulting, legal services, forestry, landscape and earthmoving.”

Further studies on restoration, to look at how other habitats are impacted by returning species, are planned. However, results show that not only do we have the ability to start fixing the incredible amount of environmental damage we have caused right now – but we can protect the economy while doing so.