April 23-24 2006

Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Sunday:

Lihue, Kauai – 77F
Honolulu, Oahu – 81
Kaneohe, Oahu – 79
Kahului, Maui – 80
Hilo, Hawaii – 80
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 84

Temperatures early Monday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:

Kailua-kona – 75
Kahului, Maui airport – 61

Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals during the last 24 hours (as of Monday morning) on each of the major islands, including:

0.56 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.19 POAMOHO 2, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.58 ULUPALAKUA, MAUI
0.94 PIIHONUA, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure systems far to the NNE and NE of Hawaii. This pressure configuration will keep light to moderate trade winds blowing today through Tuesday…locally gusty during the afternoons. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those funny weather symbols mean.

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live webcam on the summit of near 14,000 foot Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. The tallest peak on the island of Maui is the Haleakala Crater, which is near 10,000 feet in elevation. These two webcams are only available during the daylight hours here in the islands…that is unless there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two!

Satellite Images – To view the cloud conditions we have here in Hawaii, please use the following satellite links, starting off with the Infrared Satellite Image of the islands to see all the clouds around the state during the day and night. This next image is one that gives close images of the islands only during the daytime hours, and is referred to as a Close-up visible image. This next image shows a larger view of the Pacific…giving perspective to the wider ranging cloud patterns in the Pacific Ocean…out from the islands. To help you keep track of where any showers may be around the islands, here’s the latest animated radar image.

Aloha Paragraphs

The Hana coast of east Maui
Photo: Douglas Peebles


There’s no end in sight for the trade winds, which are blowing across the Hawaiian Islands now. Wind speeds will vary in strength, increasing some now into Monday. All these trade wind breezes are arriving thanks to moderately strong high pressure systems located far to the NE and NNW of the Aloha state. The winds will be strongest during the days, and lightest during the nights…with the strongest gusts occurring around Maui and the Big Island as is often the case during the spring months. The NWS has issued a new small craft advisory for those windiest areas around the southern islands.

As far as showers go, the windward sides will be where most of whatever few incoming showers fall. These north and east facing windward slopes have seen lots of off and on showers lately. There has been some drying out recently, at least compared to the last couple of weeks…which is good news for those windward locations. As the trade winds slow down during the second half of the new week ahead, the bias for showers will migrate form the windward sides…to over the mountain slopes during the afternoons.

The leeward sides of all the islands will have pleasant weather, with none of those passing showers around. Those south and west facing coasts will find less wind in general too, which will keep the air temperatures 5-10 degrees warmer than the cooler and breezy windward sides. All the recent high cirrus clouds, which was dimming and filtering our sunshine, seems to be thinner now…although there is still a little bit around. This is opening up the way for mostly sunny weather, with fine conditions for all beach activities. The morning hours will be best, as the winds will be lighter as usual.

It’s early Sunday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I start this sunset commentary. It’s about 6pm, with the most beautiful array of low and high level clouds. The high cirrus clouds are catching my eye the most, as they sweep rapidly up over the islands…carried by jet stream winds from the deeper tropics. There’s almost no wind at the moment, my outside chimes are quiet and peaceful. I’m hoping that my neighbor will be coming over soon, as it’s just perfect for ping pong at the moment. The sunset is going to be wonderful, and no better place to see it than from the weather deck. I hope you have a great Sunday night! I’ll be back with the Monday morning edition of this narrative from the islands. Aloha…Glenn

p.s. this is an interesting scientific link