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

81 – 71  Lihue, Kauai
83 – 74  Honolulu, Oahu
82 – 72  Kahului AP, Maui
82 – 69  Kailua Kona AP
79 – 66  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

1.87  Kalaheo, Kauai
0.24  Kawailoa, Oahu
 0.12  Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.77  West Wailuaiki, Maui
2.48  Saddle Quarry, Big Island

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

26  Port Allen, Kauai
44  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
31  Molokai
32  Lanai
37  Kahoolawe
33  Maalaea Bay, Maui
36  Pali 2, Big Island

Here’s a wind profile of the Pacific Ocean – Closer view of the islands

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

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Winter storms remain well north and northeast of Hawaii

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Thunderstorms well south and southwest…with high cirrus clouds now over us

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Partly to mostly cloudy, with those Cirrus lighting up for sunset…a colorful Christmas present from weather

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Showers locally – Looping radar image


Small Craft Advisory…coasts and channels statewide

Gale Warning…Pailolo and Alenuihaha Channels, Big Island leeward and southeast waters

High Surf Advisory…North and west shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and north shores of Maui and the
Big Island, and east shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and the Big Island

Wind Advisory…Maui County and the Big Island / 25-35 with gusts over 50 mph


~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

Trade winds remain active over the state…which will continue through this work week. Here’s the latest weather map, showing a moderately strong high pressure system northeast of Hawaii, with an associated ridge of high pressure running westward from its center…crossing the International Dateline. As a result, the trade winds will be our primary weather influence this week, which are expected to remain blustery into Tuesday. This windy episode will finally ease around the middle of the week, although the trade winds are expected to continue unabated through the remainder of 2016. Looking ahead, this would help to ventilate the New Year’s Eve fireworks smoke away. 

Our Hawaii weather will remain rather placid…except for the locally gusty winds. The outlook calls for the current trade wind weather pattern to continue, along with the normal windward showers through Tuesday. This prolonged trade wind weather pattern will likely last through the end of the year, with a cold frontal cloud band or two…knocking on our front door along the way. As far as any organized cloud bands on the horizon, the best bet seems to be showers increasing from a weak band around Wednesday, and then increased windward showers again during the New Years holiday weekend.

Marine environment details:  The large northwest swell is expected to slowly decline tonight and Monday. A High Surf Warning remains active for north facing shores of most of the smaller islands, along with some west facing shores. A High Surf Advisory is in effect for a couple more west shores and north facing shores of the Big Island. Finally, a High Surf Advisory is in effect for exposed east facing shores due to the strong trade winds across the state. Shores under the warning tonight will likely fall to advisory levels by Monday morning.

As mentioned, strong trade winds persist across the state, due to a strong high pressure system passing north of the area. These winds will likely maintain through Tuesday, with a possible slight decline Tuesday night. However, the trades are likely to strengthen again during the second half of the work week. For now, a Gale Warning is in effect for the Pailolo and Alenuihaha Channels and waters south of the Big Island. A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) is in effect for the remaining waters.

Looking ahead, a moderate northwest swell will arrive Monday night, and continue into Wednesday morning. Another large north swell may impact the state around Thursday night.

 

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Headline weather issue…blustery trade winds

 

World-wide tropical cyclone activity…with storms showing up when active


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>>> 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 the NOAA 2016 Hurricane Season Summary for the Central Pacific Basin

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

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean:

Typhoon 30W (Nock-ten) is in the South China Sea. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map, with a satellite image…and what the computer models are showing.

>>> 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 Researchers Found Local Experiences and Temperatures Drive Belief or Non-Belief in Climate Change – A new study finds local weather may play an important role in Americans’ belief in climate change. The study, published on Monday, found that Americans’ belief that the earth is warming is related to the frequency of weather-related events they experience, suggesting that local changes in their climate influence their acceptance of this worldwide phenomenon.

“One of the greatest challenges to communicating scientific findings about climate change is the cognitive disconnect between local and global events,” said Michael Mann, associate professor of geography at George Washington University and co-author of the paper. “It is easy to assume that what you experience at home must be happening elsewhere.”

The researchers found that Americans who experience more record highs than lows in temperature are more likely to believe the earth is warming. Conversely, Americans who live in areas that have experienced record low temperatures, such as southern portions of Ohio and the Mississippi River basins, are more skeptical that the earth is warming.

The study notes that part of this dichotomy may be because of the early terminology used to describe climate change that suggested the earth was simply warming – not changing in innumerable but measurable ways. This might have led residents living in areas that experienced an unusually cold winter to doubt that climate change is occurring.

“Who do Americans trust about climate change; scientists or themselves?” said Robert Kaufmann, professor in the department of geography and the Center for Energy & Environmental Studies at Boston University and lead author of the paper. “For many Americans, the answer seems to be themselves.”

The researchers also found that a recent period of lower-than-average temperatures offset the effect of a long warming period, further supporting their findings that people’s belief in climate change is local and experiential.

The scientists note the importance of differentiating between weather, the temperatures of a relatively short period of time such as a season, and climate, the average temperatures over a period of 25 or 30 years. Emphasizing the difference between weather and climate may help scientists more effectively communicate about climate change.

The paper, “The Spatial Heterogeneity of Climate Change: An Experiential Basis for Skepticism,” was published in Proceedings National Academy of Sciences.