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

78 70  Lihue, Kauai
84 – 72  Honolulu, Oahu
7766  Molokai
88 – 71  Kahului AP, Maui
84 71  Kona Int’l AP
8365  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

1.54  Lihue, Kauai
3.35  Waihee Pump, Oahu
1.27  Molokai
0.06  L
anai
0.02  Kahoolawe
3.83  West Wailuaiki, Maui
0.44  Kiholo RG, Big Island

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

27  Port Allen, Kauai
31  Kuaokala, Oahu
21  Molokai
23  Lanai
29  Kahoolawe
2Maalaea Bay, Maui 

30  Puu Mali, Big Island

Hawaii’s MountainsHere’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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Low pressure systems far northeast and north…and just west of Hawaii

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A late season cold front is over the state…with an upper level low west

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Showers will fall locally from Kauai down through Maui County…high clouds moving over the state from the west

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Showers locally…especially along the old frontal cloud band over the central islands
Looping radar image

Small Craft Advisory…Maalaea Bay, Alenuihaha Channel, and South Point

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

Broad brush overview: A weakening nearly stationary cold front is located over the smaller islands. High pressure strengthening north of the islands will bring a boost to trade winds, with moderate trades persisting into next week. The trades will push lingering frontal moisture over the smaller islands for the next few days, with clouds and showers focusing over windward slopes. Humid conditions will continue through the weekend…while drier trade wind weather is expected early next week.

Details: This front is producing mostly cloudy skies and light to moderate showers over the central portion of the island chain. Meanwhile, the Big Island remains quite dry, out from under the stalled cloud band. Satellite imagery shows high clouds, associated with an upper trough of low pressure west of the state. These clouds are moving eastward, and will move over the rest of the island chain through the night into Saturday.

Over the next 12 hours, high pressure to our north will strengthen slightly, while moving northeast away from Hawaii. The result will be a modest boost to trade wind speeds tonight, before backing down this weekend…as the high moves away. The orientation of the trade wind flow, and the line of moisture from the front, will continue to funnel clouds and showers over the central and western portions of the islands through the weekend. The trades will focus most of the rain over windward slopes, although some showers will carry over into leeward sides.

Looking ahead: High pressure will remain parked north of the islands through next week, maintaining moderate trade winds. Drier trade weather is in the forecast, as the lingering frontal moisture is pushed west of the state Monday…and lower humidity levels arrive from the east. Limited showers will fall mainly over the mountains and windward slopes. The leeward sides will have generally pleasant springtime weather conditions, with pleasantly warm temperatures.

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: A large late-season north-northwest swell continues to spread down the island chain. This north-northwest swell is expected to gradually decline into the weekend, so a High Surf Advisory will likely continue through the night.

The large north-northwest swell is also producing elevated seas near the Small Craft Advisory (SCA) criteria over coastal waters, exposed to this swell. Strengthening trade winds may briefly reach the SCA threshold over the typically windy waters adjacent to the islands of Maui County and the Big Island this weekend.

As the north-northwest swell continues to lower this weekend, a small north swell is expected to arrive Saturday. In addition, the first of a series of small west-northwest swells arriving Sunday night is expected to continue through first half of next week. Elsewhere, a south swell will continue to boost surf heights along most south facing shores…across the state this weekend. Model guidance also continues to indicate a series of small south swells will spread across the area early next week. Finally, strengthening trade winds will likely cause a slight increase in choppy surf along most east facing shores through next week.

 

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A late season cold front is bringing showers locally


Southern California weather summary: High pressure will begin to breakdown Saturday allowing for widespread coastal cooling, although continued warmer than normal conditions will persist across valleys and interior areas Saturday. Another passing trough to the north will bring cooler conditions and gusty northerly winds into next week, as a persistent trough of low pressure hangs on through mid-week. Some modest warming expected later next week…as high pressure approaches the region.

 

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Fair weather prevails

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Mostly clear



World-wide tropical cyclone activity


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>>> Atlantic Ocean: The 2017 hurricane season begins June 1st

>>> 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

>>> 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:
Drones Armed with Sensors Fly Through Erupting Volcano’s Ash Clouds
– Drones can do more than capture high-flying footage, and researchers recently put the unmanned vehicles to work studying a volcano as it erupted.

During a research trip to Guatemala, a team of volcanologists and engineers used customized drones (also known as unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs) to investigate Volcán de Fuego.

Fuego is known for its near constant low-level activity, with smoke escaping from its top daily. However, the summit vent is difficult to access — the volcano has an elevation of 12,346 feet (3,763 meters) — and scientists have not been able to collect accurate gas measurements.

Using drones outfitted with a range of sensors, researchers were able to collect data directly from the volcano’s ash clouds.

“These sensors not only help to understand emissions from volcanoes, they could also be used in the future to help alert local communities of impending eruptions – particularly if the flights can be automated,” Emma Liu, a volcanologist from the University of Cambridge, said in a statement.

The researchers flew the drones beyond their visual line-of-sight, up to an altitude of 10,000 feet (3,048 m) and nearly 5 miles (8 kilometers) away, into the volcano’s ash clouds. A so-called multiGAS sensor gathered data on carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, and another sensor collected samples of the ash. The drones also had thermal and visual cameras attached to observe the volcanic activity.

While these initial flights served as a proof-of-concept, the drones have already provided the researchers with new information about the volcano. For instance, the drones captured Fuego’s changing summit topography. This showed the scientists that the volcano is erupting from two vents and not one, as was previously thought.

“Initial analysis of the sensor and flight data tell us that we will be able to automatically identify when we are in volcanic emissions,” said Ben Schellenberg, a first-year doctoral student in aerospace engineering at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom.

“I can’t wait to return to test out this hypothesis,” he said.