Air Temperatures — The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Thursday:

Lihue, Kauai – 76F degrees
Honolulu, Oahu – 75
Kaneohe, Oahu – 75
Kahului, Maui – 77
Hilo, Hawaii – 78
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 82
Temperatures early Friday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:

Lihue, Kauai – 71
Kalaeloa, Oahu – 62
Precipitation Totals — The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals during the last 24 hours (as of Friday morning) on each of the major islands, including:

0.24" MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.04" MANOA LYON ARBORETUM, OAHU
0.01" MOLOKAI
0.00" LANAI
0.00" KAHOOLAWE
0.46" WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.18" KAMUELA, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart — Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…a cold front is now to the easat and SE of the Big Island. A new 1027 millibar high pressure system is following closely behind the front. This will keep locally strong and gusty cool north to NE winds around today, becoming more typical trade winds Friday. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page.

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. This next satellite image is one that gives close images of the islands only during the daytime hours, and is referred to as a Close-up visible satellite image. The next satellite 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

 

Aloha Paragraphs

The windward side of Oahu

Photo: Douglas Peebles

 

The cool blustery NNE winds of late are gradually shifting around to the ENE. This turning in the wind direction will help to warm things up here in Hawaii, which has been locked in a tropical cold snap for the last several days. High temperatures have been restricted to the 70F’s for the most part, even at sea level locations. The upcountry areas, those higher elevation sections on Maui and the Big Island, haven’t even made it into the 70F’s during the days, since the most recent cold front swept through the island chain earlier this week.

Low temperatures have slid down into the upper 50F’s to the 60F’s in those coolest places near sea level, or within a couple hundred feet of sea level. There’s been an added coolness brought by the wind chill factor, presented to us by the blustery north to NNE breezes too. Thus, February, the coolest month of the year in Hawaii, is holding to its climatological norm. The overlying air mass has remained dry and stable, with low dew point temperatures…further adding to the chill. The mountain tops have been freezing, below freezing on some of the summits, with lots of snow on the Big Island mountain tops.

Most folks will be happy to learn that we are definitely turning the corner on this cool reality. As the winds get back to our normal trade wind direction, the atmosphere will start to feel warmer. We’ll begin this transition Friday, with Saturday and Sunday feeling noticably warmer. There will be more moisture in the air too, which will help to take the edge off the crispy conditions that have prevailed the last several days. Days will be warm and sunny to partly cloudy along the leeward coasts, with partly cloudy conditions on the windward sides with a few showers.

I hestitate to draw this to your attention in some way, although as a weatherman, I must point out what’s what. The latest computer forecast models continue to show the next cold front advancing in our direction. It won’t arrive until later Sunday, leaving most of the upcoming weekend in fine shape. The frontal cloud band will arrive on Kauai later Sunday, and then pass down through the rest of the state that night into Monday. The cold front will bring an increase in clouds, and some showers too. It’s still not clear about how much rain it will bring, which will have to be clarified over the next day or so…I will get back to you on that shortly.

Looking further ahead, the computer models are trying to spin up a low pressure system to the east of the islands. They show it moving northward, and then westward, and then southward. This would take it on a loop around the state. Again, it’s unclear exactly what this Kona low will do. We could see another cool snap on Monday, as our winds come in from the north after the cold front goes through. There’s a chance we may have more wet weather next week, although it all depends on where this low pressure system forms, and then where it moves from there. We’ll have to monitor this situation, as it could bring lots of rain, or not much at all…depending on where it “sets up shop”.

It’s early Friday morning here in Kula, Maui. Glancing over at my thermometer, the outdoor sensor is reading 41.5F degrees. This is the coldest temperature that I’ve had this winter, and actually in more than a year! As you can imagine, I’ve got on every bit of winter clothing that I have available. The only things sticking out into the cold air are my finger tips, and my face…fortunately I’m warm enough. Just for contrast, the Kahului airport, about 22 minutes drive down the mountain, at the same time, was reporting a warmer 64F degrees. Even warmer than that was the balmy 70F degrees at Lihue, Kauai. Wow, it’s incredible how cold it is at the time of this writing! I know most of you can’t relate to this, however weather extremes are exciting to me. I’ll be back later with more weather updates, and between now and then, I hope you have a great Friday! Aloha for now…Glenn.