Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs
Posted by GlennMay 8 – 9 2006
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Monday:
Lihue, Kauai – 81F
Honolulu, Oahu – 83
Kaneohe, Oahu – 80
Kahului, Maui – 83
Hilo, Hawaii – 79
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 83
Temperatures early Tuesday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Kailua-kona – 74
Hilo, Hawaii – 67
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours (as of Tuesday morning) on each of the major islands, including:
0.68 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.27 WILSON TUNNEL, OAHU
0.00 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
1.58 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
3.56 WAIAKEA UKA, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure centers far to the NE and NW of the islands. The location and strength of these anticyclones will keep moderately strong trade winds alive through Wednesday…strong and gusty at times. 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 available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two! Plus, during the nights and early mornings you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise too…depending upon cloud conditions.
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.
Another gorgeous Hawaii sunset
An upper level area of low pressure, which kept the islands shower prone this past weekend, is departing to the east. In the wake of this low and trough, we’ll see the trade winds once again become the dominant weather feature in Hawaii. It will likely take one more day for this to happen fully, so that the Big Island of Hawaii should still have the risk of locally heavy showers. As a matter of fact, the 4am Monday morning report from the windward side of the Big Island, still showed locally heavy rain falling.
A lobe of low pressure, associated with the eastward moving low pressure, will keep the easternmost island of Hawaii showery. The greatest chance of showers will focus on those windward coasts and slopes. Although the Kona slopes may see some locally heavy afternoon showers too, with the chance of a thunderstorm still in the forecast for the time being. The rest of the islands, from Maui through Kauai, will see a return to a fairly normal trade wind weather pattern through the rest of this week…with the Big Island getting in line by Tuesday.
Speaking of the trade winds, they will be moderately strong through the rest of this week. Monday finds a NWS issued small craft advisory in force over those areas that typically find the strongest trade wind speeds. We can generally look for 10-25 mph winds, although those windiest areas, especially between the major islands, in the channels…will have winds in gusts topping the 30 mph mark. As usual, the nights will have the softest winds, with the later morning through late afternoon hours having the strongest.
Other than the locally heavier showers around the Big Island Monday, the rest of the state will find a stabilizing atmosphere, with fewer showers in general. This week will slip back into what we could call a climatological norm. This suggests that most areas will be dry, especially the south and west facing leeward coasts. The north and east oriented windward coasts and slopes will continue to find some passing showers, although not as many as we’ve seen recently…under the influence of the upper low pressure system.
It’s early Monday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I begin today’s sunset commentary. I’m listening to classical music on the internet, with the soft wind chimes vying for my attention in the background. It was a nice spring day here on Maui, with what I’d describe as partly cloudy conditions in general. I could see that there were some showers watering the tropical vegetation along the windward slopes. As I drove into my driveway, there were a few light sprinkles here in Kula too. The cloudy periods kept the afternoon temperatures from attaining their full potential at the beaches, although nonetheless, the high temperatures easily rose into the 80F’s at most sea level locations. It’s just now sunset, and the temperature just outside my weather tower is a warm 68F degrees, with an even warmer 72F inside with all the windows open. At the same time, down at the Kahului airport, it was a warmer 75F…with the Kona airport even warmer at 78F. Life is good here in the islands, feeling almost like summer now. I hope you have a great Monday night, and that you will join me here again early Tuesday morning, with an avid interest in what’s happening in the world of weather in the tropics. Aloha for now…Glenn.
p.s. Here’s a link to one of the advertisers on the left hand margin: Maui Car Rentals…”Maui Car Rentals offers clean, reliable and low priced rental cars. They will pick you up curbside at the Maui Kahului airport. Please call them to rent a car today.” Rental Car Special 2001 Corolla picked up between May 1, to June 5, 2006 – $99 a week + taxes
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