Hawaiian Islands Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs / March 6-7, 2016

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

83 – 62  Lihue, Kauai
82 – 67  Honolulu, Oahu
84 – 63  Molokai AP
86 – 65  Kahului AP, Maui
84 – 72  Kailua Kona
88 – 68  Hilo AP, Hawaii – broke the high temperature record of 87…set back in 1978

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

0.00  Kauai
0.01  Kahuku, Oahu
0.00  Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.08  Kahakuloa, Maui
0.16  Kawainui Stream, Big Island

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

14  Mana, Kauai – SE
16  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – NW
15  Molokai – ESE
13  Lanai – SW
17  Kahaloowe – SE
13  Kaupo Gap, Maui – SE
22  Hilo AP, 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

A cold front approaching to the northwest…with streaks of high
cirrus clouds moving up out of the tropics

Thunderstorms and cirrus high clouds to Hawaii’s southwest…
with frontal cloud bands northwest

Clear to partly cloudy for the most part…with a
streak of high cirrus offshore to the southwest

A few showers…mostly over the offshore waters
looping radar image

National Weather Service (NWS) Special Weather Statement:

Gusty north and northeasterly winds are expected Tuesday
and Wednesday – If you have loose outdoor objects, you may
want to consider securing them before the winds increase

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

Light winds becoming southeast to southerly breezes Monday into Tuesday. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the North Pacific Ocean. We find a high pressure system northeast of the state. At the same time, there’s a ridge of high pressure north of the state, which will be pushed southward over the Hawaiian Islands. In addition, there’s a developing storm low pressure system to the north-northwest of Hawaii…with a cold front still well offshore to the northwest. Our winds will gradually veer to the southeast and south tonight into Monday, which will usher in more thick volcanic haze. In the wake of a cold front, arriving Tuesday into Wednesday morning, we’ll see strong and gusty north to northeast winds arriving for many days thereafter. This wind direction will bring cooler weather into the state for a few days. The long range outlook calls for fairly typical trade winds as we move into next weekend.

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

A couple of showers will fall locally into Tuesday morning…although not many. The atmosphere over and around the islands remains dry and stable. This in turn will limit the extent of any shower activity. Looking ahead, the forecast continues to suggest we’ll see a cold front moving into our area Tuesday. This Tuesday-Wednesday front will bring an increase of showers statewide. The models go on to point out a notable period of chilly and windy weather in the wake of this cold front…keeping some passing shower activity along our north and northeast coasts and slopes for a few days at least. The leeward sides should be quite pleasant, although locally windy and tropically cool, with an occasional shower being carried into those areas on the gusty winds. Fairly typical, late winter trade wind conditions will return later in the new week…with the usual passing windward showers.

Marine environment details:  The current high surf advisory runs through tonight. If the current northwest swell lingers longer than expected…then the advisory may need to be extended into Monday.

The current small craft advisory is tied to the northwest swell for now, which also runs through tonight. Strong winds that follow the cold front Tuesday into the night, will lead to small craft conditions for all waters…and potentially for gale force winds over some of the windier waters, such as the Alenuihaha channel between Maui and the Big Island.

Here in Maui County...It was mostly clear early this Sunday morning, with windward clouds…and still smoke and haze in the air. Here in upcountry Kula, at my place, the air temperature was 49.1F degrees well before sunrise. The temperature at near the same time was 68 degrees down in Kahului under cloudy skies, 73 out in Hana also under cloudy skies, 64 at Maalaea Bay, and 43 atop the Haleakala summit. Meanwhile, Kahoolawe was 68 degrees, 66 at Lanai City under cloudy skies, with 68 at the Molokai airport…which was also cloudy.

– Sunday afternoon, and clouds have increased quite a bit from this morning, now covering most areas. The haze and smoke has done nothing but increased as well…and is thick. / 455pm under cloudy skies…with a light shower falling

– Early evening, cloudy over much of the island, especially over and around the mountains. Here at my Kula weather tower, it’s cloudy with light rain falling, with a temperature of 65 degrees. Looking down into the central valley, I can still see rather thick volcanic haze or smoke, not sure which…if not both.

Friday Evening Film: There are lots of new films playing now, although for some reason, not that many are calling out to me personally. One however, called Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, looks good, and it’s getting reasonably good reviews.This film stars Tina Fei, Margot Robbie, Christopher Abbott, Billy Bob Thorton, Alfred Molina, and Martin Freeman, and Sheila Vand…among many others. The synopsis: Saturday Night Live alumni Tina Fey steps into the well worn shoes of journalist Kim Barker in Paramount Pictures’ adaptation of Barker’s memoir The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which details her years as a reporter in Pakistan and Afghanistan beginning in 2002.

This was a good film, and as one critic put it, “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is a funny and illuminating story of female empowerment…in the most male of environments.” This film switched between comedy and drama rather seamlessly, giving an unusual look into a war zone. Speaking of the ranges in this film, there were some places that I almost laughed out loud, although not quite, and some pretty serious battle sequences too. Tina Fey, who played the starring role, really got down…especially during several big party moments…which was fun to watch. The language demanded an R rating, along with some minor sexual content, drug use, and violent war images too. I enjoyed the film, and as far as a rating goes, I’ll give it a strong B grade. In case you’re interested…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)