Air Temperatures – The following high temperatures (F) were recorded across the state of Hawaii Saturday…along with the low temperatures Saturday
80 – 73 Lihue, Kauai
86 – 69 Honolulu, Oahu
86 – 67 Molokai
86 – 60 Kahului AP, Maui
85 – 74 Kona Int’l AP
83 – 64 Hilo AP, Hawaii
Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands as of Saturday evening:
0.50 N Wailua Ditch, Kauai
0.18 Tunnel RG, Oahu
0.00 Molokai
0.00 Lanai
0.00 Kahoolawe
0.01 Puu Kukui, Maui
0.12 Kawainui Stream, Big Island
The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph) as of Saturday evening:
30 Port Allen, Kauai
35 Kuaokala, Oahu
37 Molokai
28 Lanai
36 Kahoolawe
42 Maalaea Bay, Maui
40 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
Pacific storm track far north…high cirrus clouds south of Hawaii
Weak cold front well north
Clear to partly cloudy…a few cloudy areas
Showers locally – Looping radar image
Small Craft Advisory…coasts and channels statewide
High Surf Advisory…north and west shores of Oahu, Molokai, and north shore of Maui
High Surf Warning…north and west shores of Kauai, and west shores of the Big Island
~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~
Broad brush overview: A ridge of high pressure north of the islands will keep trade winds blowing through late next week. A dry and stable atmosphere will keep showers limited, and confined to the windward slopes through early in the new week ahead. An increase in trade wind showers is then expected Tuesday night through later next week…as an upper level trough of low pressure edges over the island chain.
Details: A moderately strong high pressure system is located north of Hawaii, with another similar high located northeast. Between these two highs is a weakening, and nearly stationary cold front north of Kauai. Moderate to breezy trade winds have become established across the state, with a few observation sites edging up towards the wind advisory levels. Satellite and radar imagery show a relatively dry atmosphere over the islands, with clear to partly cloudy skies…in addition to a few windward showers here and there.
The high pressure areas north of the islands will consolidate into a single high well northeast of the state, keeping gusty trade winds in place across the islands. The locally strong trade winds are expected to continue through Sunday night, with the trade wind speeds then dropping off a notch early in the new week…as high pressure migrates away from Hawaii. A dry and stable airmass is expected to limit shower activity through the period. Showers will favor windward areas, primarily during the overnight and early morning hours.
Looking ahead: Models are in agreement showing high pressure remaining in place well northeast of the state, with a weakening cold front approaching from the northwest late in the week. Light to moderate trades are expected to prevail through this period, with some decrease in trade wind speeds possible by the end of the week. Aloft, a weaker upper level ridge is expected to move overhead beginning Thursday, and this should destabilize the atmosphere some. This, in combination with moisture carried in on the trades, should lead to an increase in trade wind showers across the islands.
Here’s a wind profile of the Pacific Ocean – Closer view of the islands / Here’s the vog forecast animation / Here’s the latest weather map
Marine environment details: Forerunners of the large west-northwest swell have been arriving at the buoy northwest of Kauai. Surf on Kauai is expected to build to warning levels during the day, then peak tonight into Sunday morning. Warning level surf should continue through the day Sunday, before gradually lowering Monday. The more westerly direction of the swell will likely cause Kauai to shadow the other smaller islands. The current forecast continues to hold surf for exposed north and west facing shores of Oahu and Maui County just under warning levels. Surf along west facing shores of the Big Island is also forecast to reach low end warning level tonight through Sunday night.
Otherwise, small south swells will continue this weekend into the new week, with a slightly larger south swell for Wednesday night through Friday. Another large west-northwest swell will be possible next Friday into the weekend.
The Small Craft Advisory (SCA) remains posted for the typically windier waters around the Big Island and Maui County through Sunday night. High pressure strengthening northeast of the state will provide locally breezy conditions through the weekend. The SCA has been expanded to cover the most of the other coastal waters late this morning, and the remaining waters early this evening…as seas build due to the large incoming west-northwest swell.
Large surf along the north and west shores this weekend
Southern California Weather Summary: There will be a few lingering showers mostly across the mountains today, with below normal temperatures. It will be mostly sunny Sunday with a few degrees of warming. On Monday a weak trough of low pressure will result in clouds a few light showers over San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. Gusty northerly winds will set up Monday night and persist into Tuesday. Weak ridging aloft and northerly winds at the surface…will bring warm and dry conditions for the middle of next week.
Variable high and low level clouds
Clear to partly cloudy in general – Looping radar
World-wide tropical cyclone activity
>>> Atlantic Ocean: The 2017 hurricane season begins June 1st
Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean
>>> Caribbean: The 2017 hurricane season begins June 1st
>>> Gulf of Mexico: The 2017 hurricane season begins June 1st
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 2017 hurricane season begins May 15th
Here’s the NOAA 2016 Hurricane Season Summary for the Eastern Pacific Basin
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 2017 hurricane season begins June 1st
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: No active tropical cyclones
>>> North and South Indian Oceans / Arabian Sea:
Tropical Cyclone 12S (Caleb)
JTWC textual forecast
JTWC graphical track map
NOAA satellite Image
Here’s a link to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)
Interesting: First Bumble Bee Finally Gets the Endangered Species Protection it Desperately Needs – A bumble bee that is quickly disappearing will finally get the protection it needs under the Endangered Species Act.
The rusty patched bumble bee, which can be identified by a rust-colored patch on its abdomen, was once a commonly seen pollinator from the mid-west to the east coast. Unfortunately, scientists believe that it has disappeared from 87 percent of its historic range since the 1990s and that its population has declined by a startling 95 percent.
They are protected as Endangered under the Species at Risk Act in Canada and are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, but despite their dwindling numbers little was done to ensure their survival in the U.S.
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to get them listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2013 over concerns they would go extinct without intervention, but the agency didn’t respond. A year later, the Xerces Society, which was joined by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), sued the Department of the Interior and the FWS in an effort to get them protected.
They finally celebrated a victory last year when the FWS announced it was proposing protection for them. Unfortunately, once Trump was elected, the White House instructed agencies to freeze rules issued by the Obama administration, which put the brakes on protection for the bumblebees just a day before it was supposed to go into effect.
The NRDC took legal action again in February, but now the listing is finally official and these bumble bees are going to get the protection they need as an endangered species. The listing also marks the first time in history a bumble bee species has been listed, and the first time any bee has received federal protection in the continental U.S.
“The Trump administration reversed course and listed the rusty patched bumble bee as an endangered species just in the nick of time. Federal protections may be the only thing standing between the bumble bee and extinction,” said Rebecca Riley, senior attorney with the NRDC.
Hopefully federal protection will help them survive in the face of threats they now face, which range from habitat loss and degradation to climate change, disease, the spread of pathogens from bees who are raised and sold commercially, and the widespread use of herbicides and pesticides.
Their disappearance wouldn’t just be a tragic loss for the ecosystem, it would also be really bad news for us. Not only do bumble bees provide an incredibly valuable service as pollinators of wildflowers, but also of many of the foods we love, including blueberries, tomatoes, apples and cranberries.
Jay Says:
Glenn…I haven’t been following the posts very regularly the last few weeks. how is your Mom doing? Will you be coming to Maui soon? What do you miss? Maybe a care package is in order? Best wishes to both of you…
~~~ Hi Jay, yes I’m still in California with my Mom. She is improving nicely, which makes me very happy.
How nice of you to offer a care package, very sweet!
I’ll be back on Maui before too long, thanks so much for your well wishes!
Aloha, Glenn