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

83 – 66  Lihue, Kauai
83 – 74  Honolulu, Oahu
80 – 68  Kahului AP, Maui
81 – 70  Kailua Kona
81 – 62  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

0.44  Waiakoali, Kauai
2.16  Poamoho, Oahu
 0.03  Molokai
 0.11  Lanai
 0.02  Kahoolawe
0.03  Waikapu Country Club, Maui
0.39  Keaumo, Big Island

The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph) Wednesday evening:

22  Port Allen, Kauai
23  Makua Range, Oahu
21  Molokai
18  Lanai
15  Kahoolawe
32  Kula 1, Maui
25  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. Here’s the webcam for the Haleakala Crater on Maui. These webcams are 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

http://weather.unisys.com/satellite/sat_ir_enh_west_loop-12.gif
A high pressure ridge south of the islands, will allow moist kona winds to affect our area

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/cpac/ir4.jpg
The most recent cold front is dissipating over Maui County

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/hi/ir4.jpg
Partly to mostly cloudy…with clear areas locally

https://radar.weather.gov/Conus/RadarImg/hawaii.gif
Showers are mostly over the central islands…some are heavy
Looping image

 

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~



Wind Advisory…Big Island summits / 35-45 mph…gusts to 55

High Surf Advisory…north and west shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and north shore of Maui

Small Craft Advisory…due to a large northwest swell around the waters of Kauai, Oahu, Maui County and the Big Island

 

 

Broad Brush Overview: An unusually active period of winter cold fronts will continue to approach the islands through early next week. The most recent frontal cloud band has stalled around Maui County. Meanwhile, a high pressure ridge is now positioned to the south of the state, keeping a moist south to southwesterly kona air flow in place across the island chain. This in turn will bring unsettled weather at times…particularly over Kauai and Oahu. An upper level disturbance is expected to increase rain chances over the smaller islands Thursday night and Friday. A stronger upper level disturbance will approach the islands later this weekend, increasing rain chances statewide as a cold front pushes down the chain.

Details: The lingering moisture from the dissipated front will remain nearly stationary across the central islands. The best chance for rainfall will continue to be located across the areas from Kauai down through Molokai.  Otherwise, the rest of Maui County and the Big Island should find shower coverage to be more limited, with only scattered showers moving onshore in the moist south and southwesterly flow. In addition, the conditions remain ripe for strong thunderstorms…with the main hazards being strong and gusty winds and possible small hail. 

Looking Further Ahead:  This winter pattern will continue through the weekend, with the high pressure ridge remaining to the south of the island chain, while a series of fronts approach from the northwest, stalling over or just to the west of Kauai. This will keep a moist southerly and southwesterly flow in place across the state through the weekend. The deepest moisture will remain over the western islands of Kauai and Oahu, and this is where the most unsettled off and on wet weather is expected.

Across the eastern islands of Maui County and the Big Island, shower activity is not expected to be as great, although with the moist southerly flow continuing, showers will likely occur at times as well. A stronger cold front will likely push into the islands late Sunday into the night, then progress southeastward down the island chain into early next week. The models are in generally agreement, showing the front making steady progress through the islands, with a decent chance that we’ll finally dig ourselves out of this unsettled pattern beginning next Tuesday or so.

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: The current northwest swell declined…so the High Surf Advisory has been canceled for north facing shores.

Additional northwest and north swells are expected through the end of the week. The next northwest swell will arrive tonight into Thursday, and will likely bring advisory level surf to north and west facing shores during its peak, and could approach low end warning levels. An even larger northwest swell is expected to arrive Friday, peak Saturday, then lower Sunday and Monday. Surf heights with this swell are expected to reach warning levels late Friday through Saturday. Both of these swells will bring combined seas in excess of the SCA criteria.

A small east swell produced from trade winds upwind of the state, will continue to produce some elevated surf along east facing shores through Thursday…although will remain below advisory levels.


https://mediaassets.wptv.com//photo/2014/01/21/WPTV-Wave_20140121115309_640_480.JPG
Periods of high surf coming up…along north and west shores for the most part



World-wide Tropical Cyclone activity

>>> Here’s the latest PDC Weather Wall Presentation, covering Tropical Cyclone 07S (Cebile) in the South Indian Ocean…and a tropical disturbance being referred to as Invest 96P in the South Pacific Ocean


https://icons.wxug.com/data/images/sst_basin/gl_sst_mm.gif


>>> Atlantic Ocean:

>>> Caribbean Sea:

>>> Gulf of Mexico:

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:

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:

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:

Tropical Cyclone 07S (Cebile)

JTWC textual forecast warning
JTWC graphical track map
NOAA satellite image

Here’s a link to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)


Interesting: Pineapple facts –

    • The word “pineapple,” derived from the Spanish word piña, was first used in 1398 to refer to a pinecone. This changed about 300 years later, with the word “pinecone” being introduced so pineapple could be used exclusively for the fruit.
    • Pineapples were discovered by Europeans in 1493 on the Caribbean island of Guadalupe.
    • Early attempts by Europeans to cultivate the fruit failed until they realized that the fruit needs a tropical climate to flourish. By the end of the 16th century, Portuguese and Spanish explorers introduced pineapples into their Asian, African and South Pacific colonies.
    • Because pineapples are very perishable, fresh pineapples were a rarity for early American colonists. Glazed, sugar-coated pineapples were a luxurious treat, and fresh pineapple itself became a symbol of prestige and social class.
    • Pineapples were first cultivated in Hawaii in the 18th century. Hawaii is the only U.S. state in which they are still grown.
    • Other countries that commercially grow pineapples include Thailand, the Philippines, China, Brazil and Mexico.
  • Pineapple canneries use every bit of the pineapple. The skins, core and end portions are used to make a variety of products, including vinegar, alcohol and animal food.