Hawaiian Islands Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs / April 16-17, 2018

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

79 – 72  Lihue, Kauai
84 – 75  Honolulu, Oahu
81 – 73  Molokai AP
82 – 73  Kahului AP, Maui
84 – 75  Kailua Kona
81 – 71  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

4.18  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
1.94  Manoa Lyon Arboretum, Oahu
0.45  Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
1.22  West Wailuaiki, Maui
4.56  Saddle Quarry, Big Island

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

23  Port Allen, Kauai
50  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
33  Molokai
35  Lanai
37  Kahoolawe
33  Maalaea Bay, Maui
38  Waikoloa, 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

A trough west…with the tail-end of a cold front northeast

Towering cumulus to the west

Partly to mostly cloudy, some clear areas…increasing high cirrus clouds

Localized showers…over the islands and offshore
Looping image

 

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

Small Craft Advisory…all coastal and channel waters

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

 

Broad Brush Overview: A ridge of high pressure to the north of the state will keep a moderate to strong trade wind flow in place through Wednesday, with clouds and showers favoring windward and mountain areas. The trades will keep blowing through the remainder of the week into the weekend, although a brief easing in the trade speeds is expected Wednesday night and Thursday…as a cold front moves by well north of the islands. Unsettled conditions may return Wednesday night through Friday, as an upper level trough and deep tropical moisture move through the area. Typical trade wind weather is then expected to follow for the upcoming weekend.

Details: High pressure will weaken slightly, while the trough of low pressure shifts westward and further away from the state. This will maintain the trades across the island chain. The upper level low west of Kauai will move slowly westward, allowing the airmass over the islands to stabilize. The deep tropical moisture will slowly shift away now, which is of course is good news for some of the wetter parts of the state. In sum, we should see improving conditions, with more of a typical trade wind pattern developing, featuring windward and mountain showers…with more sunshine for our leeward beaches.

Looking Ahead: A ridge of high pressure north of the state will maintain a moderate to breezy trade wind flow through mid-week, with the trades then becoming lighter Wednesday night and Thursday, as a weakening cold front passes by well to the north of the state. This front will stall late Thursday, as another high pressure system builds into the area well to the north of the island chain, bringing a return of moderate to breezy trade winds Thursday night heading into the weekend.

A fairly typical trade wind pattern is expected tonight through Tuesday night, with showers favoring primarily windward and mountain areas. The upper level low currently west of the state will shift back toward the state Wednesday and Wednesday night. This upper level trough is then expected to slowly pass through the island chain Thursday through Friday night. This could result in another round of heavy rainfall and possibly thunderstorms late Wednesday night through Friday…stay tuned.

High pressure north of the state will maintain moderate to breezy trade winds across the island chain during the upcoming weekend. The deep tropical moisture will exit to the south of the state Saturday, with precipitable water values falling closer to normal levels. Upper level ridging will build southeastward over the islands as well, bringing more stable conditions back to the area. As a result, we should see a return to typical trade wind weather, featuring primarily windward showers…with ample leeward sunshine during the days.

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: Rather strong trades associated with strong high pressure, will hold through the week. A combination of these winds and rough seas will continue to support small craft advisory conditions across all waters through Tuesday.

Rough surf will continue through the week along east facing shores, due to the persistent trades locally and upstream of the state. The high surf advisory currently in place for the eastern shores has been extended through tonight and may remain near these levels through a good portion of the week.

Surf along south facing shores is forecast to rise modestly through the first half of the week, as a small south-southwest swell arrives. A series of pulses out of the south and south-southwest will remain possible later in the week…into the weekend.

A small to moderate northwest swell is forecast to arrive Thursday, hold through Friday, then lower into the weekend. Surf along north and west facing shores should remain below advisory levels through its peak Thursday and Thursday night.

 

World-wide Tropical Cyclone activity

Here’s the latest Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) Weather Wall Presentation

>>> 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

>>> North and South Indian Oceans / Arabian Sea: No active tropical cyclones

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


Interesting: 200 Million Eggs Recalled: How Does Salmonella Get into Eggs, Anyway? – More than 200 million eggs are being recalled because they could be contaminated with Salmonella, but how do the bacteria get into eggs in the first place?

On Friday (April 13), egg producer Rose Acre Farms announced that it was recalling about 207 million eggs that came from its North Carolina farm. The eggs were distributed to nine states, and were sold under multiple brand names, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). So far, the outbreak has sickened 22 people.

With eggs, Salmonella contamination often happens inside the chicken itself, said Benjamin Chapman, an associate professor and food safety specialist at North Carolina State University. That’s because Salmonella bacteria can colonize the ovaries of the chicken and get inserted into the egg during egg formation, he said. That means that even eggs that appear normal could have Salmonella lurking inside.

Contamination could also occur after the eggs are laid. This happens because chickens can carry Salmonella in their intestines and shed the bacteria in their poop, which could get on the outside of the eggs during nesting, Chapman said. As such, to reduce the risk that Salmonella will be present on the outside of the egg, the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that eggs be washed before they are sold.

Even with safety steps in place, it’s estimated that about 1 in 20,000 to 1 in 10,000 eggs are contaminated with Salmonella, Chapman said. That’s why health officials recommend cooking eggs until both the yolks and whites are firm, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For egg dishes, such as casseroles, the food should be cooked until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

So, if you happen to have bought the recalled eggs, can you just cook them to prevent Salmonella infection? Chapman said he would still advise consumers to return the recalled eggs.

“Having that [contaminated] product means I have to make no mistakes” when preparing the food. In addition to undercooking, there’s a risk that consumers could cross-contaminate parts of their kitchen with Salmonella if they aren’t careful. “I would rather just not have that product … knowing it’s a risk of contamination,” Chapman said.

People who bought the recalled eggs should immediately stop using them and return them to the place they bought the eggs to get a full refund, according to Rose Acre Farms.

Symptoms of Salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps that occur between 12 and 72 hours after infection, according to the CDC. Symptoms of the infection usually last four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment. But in some cases, the diarrhea can be so severe that a person needs to be hospitalized. Severe Salmonella infections are most likely to occur in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.