Weather Details and Aloha Paragraphs
Posted by GlennJune 25-26 2006
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Sunday:
Lihue, Kauai – 83F
Honolulu, Oahu – 84
Kaneohe, Oahu – 83
Kahului, Maui – 88
Hilo, Hawaii – 82
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 86
Temperatures early Monday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Honolulu, Oahu – 77
Kahului, Maui – 69
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours (as of Monday morning) on each of the major islands:
1.15 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
1.92 WAIHEE PUMP, OAHU
0.15 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.25 HAIKU, MAUI
0.44 PIIHONUA, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure systems located far to the NE, north and NW of our islands. An upper level low has dug southward over the islands, with it’s associated trough over the islands. This trough is moving west and filling, so that the trade winds will return later today into Tuesday. 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.
Tropical Cyclone Activity – The eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15 through November 30…while the central Pacific runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map can be found by clicking here. For the central Pacific, the latest information can be found by clicking here.
Photo credit: flikr.com
We’ve been having what could be considered fairly normal weather for this time of year here in the Hawaiian Islands for the last couple of weeks.The month of June is known for its breezy trade winds, very warm temperatures near sea level, and relatively dry conditions. 2006 has not been a normal year in terms of weather though, with fairly lwide swings away from what we would consider our climatological averages. The computer forecast models, for the last week, have been hinting that we would be entering into another of those shifts back towards unusual now…which has manifested as predicted.
Those weather models have forecast a low pressure system developing to the north of the state, which we now see on the current weather charts and satellite imagery. This area of low pressure has broken through our trade wind generating ridge of high pressure, which has been the connecting point between two high pressure cells to our NW and NE all week. This in turn has caused a softening of our local trade wind speeds. The forecast keeps our trade winds lighter than normal through Monday and Tuesday, which will cause our local atmosphere to feel rather muggy, especially down near the beaches. The point here is that it’s unusual to have the trade winds fade away like this during the early summer period.
All of this will have some influence in terms of precipitation as well. Recently we’ve seen just the usual few passing showers falling along our windward sides, which is common. As this low pressure system to our north has developed, the trade wind inversion has weakened and lifted in height. This simply means that whatever clouds that around, will be able to grow vertically in a more pronounced manner. Some of the models are suggesting, with unseasonably cold air aloft now, that we could see a few thunderstorms forming. This would be very unusual, in fact what I would call rare for late June! This may or may not happen, although it looks like we could see at least some briefly heavy showers around here and there, mostly over and around the mountains during the afternoon hours.
It’s early Sunday morning here in Kula, Maui, as I begin this last paragraph of today’s narrative. The day has begun quite clearly, which is typical for the modified convective weather pattern we have going on now. The daytime heating of the islands will more than likely cause towering cumulus to develop during the afternoons. It wouldn’t surprise me to see at least a few briefly heavy showers fall from the bases of those heavy duty clouds here and there. The focus for these showers will probably be over the interior sections of the islands, although not everywhere even there, will get wet. The sunset Saturday evening was spectacular, and with still some shreads of those middle level clouds around, there are some bright pink and orange tidbits up there lighting up now just before sunrise. I have to pick up a friend from the airport at 530pm this evening, so depending upon when I get back, after dropping him off in Haiku, I might be back with a few more words, that, or else early Monday morning. Aloha for now…Glenn.
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