Hawaiian Islands Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs / March 11-12, 2016

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

78 – 67  Lihue, Kauai
81 – 69  Honolulu, Oahu
77 – 67  Molokai AP
81 – 66  Kahului AP, Maui
76 – 69  Kailua Kona
78 – 67  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

0.65  kilohana, Kauai
0.23  Moanalua RG, Oahu
0.12  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.49  West Wailuaiki, Maui
0.96  Kawainui Stream, Big Island

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

39  Port Allen, Kauai – NE
45  Kuaokala, Oahu – NE
35  Molokai – NNE
36  Lanai – NE
42  Kahaloowe – ENE
33  Kahului AP, Maui – NNE
42  Puu Mali, Big Island – ENE

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

Late winter storms far north of the islands

Scattered low clouds to the north, northeast and west of
the islands, high cirrus north, with thunderstorms
far southwest in the deep tropics

Partly to mostly cloudy skies over the windward sides, with
mostly clear skies on the leeward sides – new low clouds
approaching from the east…likely providing showers to
the windward sides of the Big Island and Maui County
into the weekend

Showers mostly windward sides – looping radar image

Small Craft Wind Advisory…all coasts and channel waters

High Surf Advisory…east facing shores of Kauai, Oahu
Molokai, Maui, Kahoolawe and the Big Island

Gale Warning..windiest coasts and channels around the
Big Island

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

Winds remain strong and gusty, and still rather cool into Saturday…easing up into the moderate levels through the weekend. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the North Pacific Ocean. We find a high pressure system north-northwest, with its associated ridge of high pressure located well to the north of the islands. This area of high pressure will keep strong and gusty winds in force for a while longer. The outlook calls for somewhat lighter trade winds blowing through the weekend. The trades will taper off Monday, veering southeast into Tuesday…which could bring a brief period of volcanic haze over the state locally then. The models suggest that we’ll see the next cold front arriving later Tuesday into Wednesday. As this front moves through, it will be followed by another blast of chilly north to northeasterly winds for several days.

The recent cold front remains stalled offshore to the south of the Big Island…with windward showers falling locally. There continues to be somewhat chilly and windy weather conditions in the wake of the last cold front…which moved through the state this past Tuesday. This tropical chill is due to a pronounced wind chill factor, and the still relatively dry and stable atmospherics over the state now. The leeward sides will continue to see generally fine sunny weather, although locally windy and cool. An area of moisture may move over the eastern islands, bringing an increase in passing windward showers. The models continue pointing towards yet another cold front arriving over the state early next week…with an increase in associated showers later Tuesday into Wednesday. The models go on to show the chance of another cold front arriving around next Saturday.

Marine environment details: Trade winds are sufficiently strong to produce gale force winds in areas where the winds are most strongly accelerated by the terrain of the Big Island, with a small craft advisory in effect for all other marine zones. Little significant change in wind speed is expected through Saturday, so the gale warning/small craft advisory has been extended through Saturday. Wind speeds on Sunday will likely drop below advisory thresholds in most zones, but lingering wind waves and an increasing north-northwest swell will drive seas above the 10 foot threshold for an advisory in many marine zones from Saturday night through Sunday.

Near shore buoys in windward waters, and surf observations show a spike in combined seas and surf over the past 12 to 24 hours. This is due to a combination of wind swell from the east, and a recent increase in a north-northwest swell. The wind waves are large enough to warrant a high surf advisory for east facing shores of most islands…which is in effect through tonight, and may need to be extended.

The current winds and swell are making for relatively rough conditions along many north facing shores. This swell will gradually diminish into Saturday, but an increasing north-northwest swell building Saturday and peaking Sunday, will produce advisory level surf along north facing shores, and may have enough of a northerly component to produce light to moderate surges in Kahului and Hilo harbors. Long range models indicate the chance for warning level surf along nort facing shores, and would pose a more significant surge threat in the harbors around Thursday.

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

Here’s the Hawaiian Islands Sulfate Aerosol…animated graphic – showing vog forecast

Here in Maui County...It was clear to mostly cloudy early this Friday morning, depending upon location…with showers or drizzle falling along the windward sides locally. Here in upcountry Kula, at my place, it was clear with the air temperature a very cool 41.5F degrees well before sunrise. The temperature at near the same time was 70 degrees down in Kahului under cloudy skies, 66 out in Hana with light rain, 70 at Maalaea Bay, and 39 atop the Haleakala summit. Meanwhile, Kahoolawe was 64 degrees, 61 at Lanai City, with 70 at the Molokai airport…with cloudy skies.

– Mid-afternoon, there’s still the big contrast between the windy and cloudy windward sides, with some passing showers…and the warm and sunny leeward sides. I was over in Kihei this morning, having a dermatological appointment with Dr. Amy Reisenauer, who is very good at what she does! While in Kihei, I met with the folks at Aloha Skateboards in Kihei as well, and got a tune-up for my board…great shop by the way! At any rate, the weather was like summer, although several folks I talked to on that side of the island, were mentioning that it was chilly. For me, coming down from upper Kula, I didn’t feel anything chilly in the least.

– Early evening, with still the windward clouds and off and on showers, with the dry and sunny weather along our leeward sides. / Now at 1115pm, here in upcountry Kula, the air temperature was a chilly 48.7 degrees, with calm winds and clear skies.

Friday Evening Film: The film that I just saw, is one that I told myself that I wasn’t going to see…because it was too scary! However, my friend Jeff asked me to join he and another friend of ours, who were going to see this. I looked up what the critics were saying about the film, and they seemed to be raving…with scores in the lower 90’s. Thus, I reluctantly changed my mind, and decided to go get scared after all. This film is called 10 Cloverfield Lane, starring Mary Elizabeth Winston, John Goodman, John Gallagher Jr., Maya Erskine, Mat Vairo…among many others. The synopsis: a young woman wakes up after a terrible accident to find that she’s locked in a cellar with a doomsday prepper, who insists that he saved her life and that the world outside is uninhabitable following an apocalyptic catastrophe. Uncertain what to believe, the woman soon determines that she must escape at any cost.

You know, this film reminded me, in no uncertain terms, that I don’t like horror films…they’re just a bit too much for me. Although, with that said, it wasn’t too bad, although there were some pretty freaky parts. I went with Jeff and another professor from Brazil, and we all liked it enough. The grades ranged from a B, to a strong B, to a B+ grade. It turned out to be quite original, although some of the first words out of my mouth, as the three of us walked back to the car, where “that was so far-fetched”…which it certainly was. However, I guess that’s what it takes to make a film like this. In the end, it was a clever, thrilling film, that for the most part was fun to watch. It would drag on for a little while, and then bang, some loud and scary thing would happen, and it brought you right back to the edge of your seat again! If you feel like taking a short peek…here’s the trailer.

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)