Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures (F) were recorded across the state of Hawaii Friday along with the low temperatures Friday:
82 – 67 Lihue, Kauai
81 – 70 Honolulu, Oahu
83 – 70 Molokai AP
82 – 64 Kahului AP, Maui
79 – 69 Kailua Kona
73 – 66 Hilo AP, Hawaii
Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (in inches) for each of the islands as of Friday evening:
4.70 Mount Waialeale, Kauai
5.46 Poamoho RG 1, Oahu
0.46 Molokai
0.00 Lanai
0.00 Kahoolawe
1.32 Kaupo Gap, Maui
7.04 Saddle Quarry, Big Island
The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph) as of Friday evening:
15 Puu Lua, Kauai
18 Kuaokala, Oahu
18 Molokai
12 Lanai
33 Kahoolawe
14 Hana, Maui
24 PTA Range 17, Big Island
Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live webcam on the summit of our tallest mountain Mauna Kea (nearly 13,800 feet high) on the Big Island of Hawaii. This webcam is available during the daylight hours here in the islands, and at night whenever there’s a big moon shining down. Also, at night you will be able to see the stars — and the sunrise and sunset too — depending upon weather conditions.
Aloha Paragraphs
Unsettled weather conditions temporarily easing…with a cold front northwest
Rainy clouds mostly offshore of the Big Island
Clear to cloudy skies…with locally heavy rains nearby
Rain over parts of the island chain…and over the offshore waters – Looping radar image
Small Craft Advisory…most coasts and channels (25-30 knots)
High Surf Advisory…east facing shores of all the major islands
Flash Flood Watch…all islands through Sunday
Winter Storm Warning…Big Island Summits (webcam Mauna Kea)
Winter Storm Watch…Sunday and Sunday night
~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~
Our winds have taken their expected turn to the southeast, and in the process are lighter and carrying volcanic emissions (vog) to the smaller islands…from the Big Island vents. Here’s the latest weather map, showing our primary high pressure system far northeast of Hawaii. We still have Small Craft Advisories posted over most of our coastal and channel waters across the state. The recent strong and gusty trades have given way to lighter winds now, which are slated to continue on into early next week. Thus, winds won’t be much of an issue, except in the case of stronger winds associated with random thunderstorms.
Here’s a wind profile of the offshore waters around the islands – and a closer look
Periods of unsettled weather will continue across the islands…through the upcoming weekend at least. Showers will be heavy in some areas, with thunderstorms at times…thanks to an upper level trough of low pressure over and near the state. We’ll find abundant moisture being drawn up from the deeper tropics, along with the potential for excessive rains and flooding at times. Trying to find a few bright spots in this rather gloomy outlook, we may see a few breaks in all this inclement action along the way. The way it looks from here, Monday may be our least rainy day during the next week.
Weather models are keeping low pressure across the state…through much of next week. They also show another upper level trough of low pressure developing west of the islands during the first half of the week. In sum, we may see a brief break in the unsettled weather Monday and Monday night. Although, before we start jumping for joy, it will likely be short lived at best, as the models show deep southerly and southeasterly winds drawing tropical moisture back into the area Tuesday through Friday, keeping conditions unsettled and rain chances above normal…along with more vog then too.
Marine environment details: Surf observations on the northwest shores were at the lower end of advisory levels. The swell for the east facing shores continues, thus the advisory remains in effect.
The satellite pass still showed winds over 25 knots in the coastal waters around Maui County and the Big Island (with even a few 30 knots), though the low level flow had already veered to southeast. The lingering winds and high seas will keep the Small Craft Advisory up for most of the coastal waters areas, except those well shadowed from the winds and seas.
Mariners will have to contend with lower visibilities, and locally higher winds and waves near thunderstorms the next couple of days. As the upper low pressure system lifts out, the best focus for convection should shift from near the Big Island…more toward the western main islands later Saturday into the night. Then, as a surface trough shifts east over the islands this weekend, the highest chances for thunderstorms move back to Maui County and the Big Island Sunday and Sunday night
Off and on wet weather through the weekend
World-wide tropical cyclone activity…with storms showing up when active
>>> Atlantic Ocean: The 2016 hurricane season has ended
Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean
>>> Caribbean: The 2016 hurricane season has ended
>>> Gulf of Mexico: The 2016 hurricane season has ended
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 2016 hurricane season has ended
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 2016 hurricane season has ended
Here’s a link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC)
>>> South Pacific Ocean: No active tropical cyclones
>>> North and South Indian Oceans / Arabian Sea: No active tropical cyclones
Here’s a link to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)
Interesting: Corals much older than previously thought, study finds – Coral genotypes can survive for thousands of years, possibly making them the longest-lived animals in the world, according to researchers at Penn State, the National Marine Fisheries Service and Dial Cordy & Associates.
The team recently determined the ages of elkhorn corals — Acropora palmata — in Florida and the Caribbean and estimated the oldest genotypes to be over 5,000 years old. The results are useful for understanding how corals will respond to current and future environmental change.
“Our study shows, on the one hand, that some Acropora palmata genotypes have been around for a long time and have survived many environmental changes, including sea-level changes, storms, sedimentation events and so on,” said Iliana Baums, associate professor of biology, Penn State. “This is good news because it indicates that they can be very resilient. On the other hand, the species we studied is now listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act because it has suffered such sharp population declines, indicating that there are limits to how much change even these very resilient corals can handle.”
According to Baums, many people mistake corals for plants or even non-living rocks, but corals actually consist of colonies of individual invertebrate animals living symbiotically with photosynthetic algae.
“Previously, corals have been aged by investigating the skeletons of the colonies or the sizes of the colonies,” she said. “For example, bigger colonies were thought to be older. However many coral species reproduce via fragmentation, in which small pieces break off from large colonies. These pieces look like young corals because they are small, but their genomes are just as old as the big colony from which they broke. Similarly, the big colonies appear younger than their true age because they became smaller during the process of fragmentation.”
Now, for the first time, Baums and her colleagues have used a genetic approach to estimate the ages of corals. The method determines when the egg and the sperm originally met to form the genome of the coral colonies. The researchers then tracked the number of mutations that accumulated in the genome since that time. Because mutations tend to arise at a relatively constant rate, the researchers were able to estimate an approximate age in calendar years of the coral genomes in their study.
The results, which appear in print in the November 2016 issue of the journal Molecular Ecology, suggest that some Acropora palmata genomes have been around for over 5,000 years.
“This was surprising, as previously, only cold-water corals were found to be older than 1,000 years,” said Baums. “Knowing the age of individuals in a population is important for understanding their population history and whether the population is increasing or decreasing. It is especially important when the population under study is threatened.
“If Acropora palmata genomes have persisted over hundreds to thousands of years, it implies persistence through substantial environmental changes, and possibly gives hope that they can survive additional anticipated climate change. What is different now is that human-induced climate change is happening at a rate that far exceeds past environmental changes. Therefore, the coral’s past ability to survive environmental change does not necessarily predict their future success.”
woody adamz Says:
SCARY Da Wedda Mauka Puna (Upper Ainoloa /Lower Hawaiian Acres)…Some of the blasts are scarin my dogs who, are not easily spooked….It’s mostly just rain but, the “gale action” with the thunder& lightning is something unusual even for Puna and, the Looping Chart (first on page)is not what I’d like to be sailing thru….My prayers for anyone out there…..and….More on Way…time to lengthen my snorkel I guess…Hope ur stayin’ dry
~~~ Hi Woody, as you point out, you folks on the Big Island, and particularly Puna and Kau, have had big big weather!
Here on Maui, we’ve had a reprieve from the downpours and windy weather today. Although, as I write those words, the skies are getting much darker this afternoon. It feels like it’s building up to some more rain…maybe it will be heavy in some areas.
Hang in there Woody, and of course your doggy too!
Aloha, Glenn
Eleanor Schofield Says:
Hello Glenn —
Great to see the snowy scene on the Mauna Kea webcam — quite a change from the usual serene, above-the-clouds sunshine!
Just happy we don’t have to go out in the stuff to scrape ice off the windshield and shovel the driveway, as we did in Maine winters, in an earlier life…
Eleanor in very soggy Hilo
~~~ Hi Eleanor down there in soggy Hilo! Indeed, quite a bit of snow up topside, with another foot expected! (http://cfht.hawaii.edu/webcams/gemdome/gemdome.jpg)
I know very little about scraping ice off windshields, although it sounds like freezing fingers to me.
Hang in there, I see that Puna and Kau are really flooding, in addition to the heavy rains you’re getting there in Hilo town too. Everyone please drive very carefully going to work, on both the Big Island and now Oahu too.
Aloha, Glenn
Dennis Says:
Carol and I left cool but dry Sonoma County to visit your home island for some warm sunshine. It has been pleasant temperature wise since we arrived, but the only sun we have had was yesterday driving from Kahului to Ka’anapali. And even then it was showering so we had saw some great rainbows. Have you picked a movie to watch Friday night yet?
~~~ Hello Dennis and Carol, good to hear from you again. Glad to hear you are here on Maui again. It was so nice to visit your Sonoma County recently on my vacation!
As for a film this week, I’m not sure just yet. Depending upon what the weather is doing tonight, I might have to skip the film downtown, and stay home close to my computer for updating any heavy weather situations around the state.
Here’s wishing you a great vacation, and some sunshine along the way too!
Aloha, Glenn
Michael Says:
Glen,
Just curious. I’m coming with family on the week of the 12th, staying in Wailea. Is there any foreseeable forecast that far out? I’m in L.A. and keeping hearing about a massive cold front moving in from Alaska next week. Curious if there’s any impact on Maui/Hawaii (can’t imagine it will, being that far east from you, but I’m not expert). Thanks!
~~~ Hi Michael, good to hear from you there in Southern California. I can understand your concern, as you prepare for a cherished vacation on Maui beginning on the 12th.
As you mention, that’s too far out into the future for anything other than a wild guess…in terms of what will be happening with the weather then.
I don’t know anything about a massive cold moving in next week, although it looks like rain will return during the middle part of the week then.
About all I can say is to stay tuned, and hope for the best. We are certainly into our rainy season here in the islands.
This forecast page on my website (http://www.hawaiiweathertoday.com/maui.php?zone=HIZ021) will be the best guide as we get closer to your arrival at the Kahului AP.
Aloha, Glenn
Peter Says:
Aloha dear Glenn,
Greetings from a very moist Puna.
Buckets are full, the downpours continue, and almost drown out the frogs song. Computer unplugged cause of lightning strikes.
Kaboom…poor kitty, come here let me cover your eyes.
Buckets of rain, buckets of tears…and lots of gratefulness in these early days of the anthropocene.
Okay, so here is another question from my daughters sphere;
(Do?) People have a responsibility to reproduce only when they can be good parents, and when there are sufficient resources to sustain the overall population.
Sorry, the rain prohibits sleep.
~~~ Hi Peter, from the rain soaked Puna District!
Wow, big rains and big thunderstorms, and a scared kitty!
Sounds like you have your hands full of weather related issues. I trust you finally were able to fall off to sleep, despite the thunder and lightning commotion, and the rain pounding on your roof.
As for your question about reproduction, well, that’s not exactly my area of expertise. Although, I suppose under ideal conditions, I would always hope that children have a supportive world to grow up in. Best of luck to your Daughter in her decisions in this regard.
Stay dry and safe everyone down there on the Big Island…in those very wet conditions!
Aloha, Glenn