Weather Details and Aloha Paragraphs

September 7-8 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 84F
Honolulu, Oahu – 86
Kaneohe, Oahu – 85
Kahului, Maui – 89
Hilo, Hawaii – 84
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 87

LIHUE, KAUAI – 79
MOLOKAI AIRPORT – 68

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

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a moderately strong 1029 millibar high pressure center located far to the NNE of our islands…which will be moving to a position north of Hawaii later today into the weekend. This pressure configuration will provide moderately strong trade winds across our area…locally gusty during the afternoon hours through Saturday. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those weather symbols mean on the map.

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 (where Hawaii is) runs from June 1 through November 30. The latest storm information for the eastern Pacific can be found by clicking here. A storm tracking map for both the central and eastern areas can be found by clicking here . For the central Pacific, the latest storm information can be found by clicking here.

 

Tropical full moon
Photo Credit: flikr.com

The trade winds remained lighter than expected yesterday, although everything about the weather was unexpected on Wednesday!  We find a strengthening high pressure system parked to the NE of Hawaii, which will be able to boost our local wind speeds today into Friday. These trade winds will remain active through the rest of this week. The latest computer forecast models indicate that they may begin to soften again after the weekend.

We saw way more than the normal amount of shower activity yesterday, although forecast charts show drier weather on tap now.  As the trade winds gain some strength today into Friday, we’ll see just the normal amount of showers again. This means that most leeward beaches will be quite sunny and dry by Thursday into Friday, with seasonal temperatures prevailing. There are no organized rain makers on the weather horizon, so a fairly routine trade wind weather pattern will prevail for the time being.

We have one tropical cyclone active in the Pacific Ocean Thursday. This system is classified as a tropical depression, named Kristy.  Kristy continues to move westward, and is very quickly losing strength…posing no threat to the Hawaiian Islands. Here’s a storm tracking map for your convenience.

It’s early Thursday evening here in Kula, Maui, as I start writing this post sunset commentary.  The old adage "what a difference a day makes", sure holds true this time around! Yesterday at this time it was super cloudy, and raining here on Maui, at least locallly…some of which was briefly heavy. Today was a great day, with drier air, and tons more late summer sunshine beaming down from above. Speaking of beaming, the September full moon will be doing just that tonight, I hope you have a chance to spot it from wherever you happen to be. Here in the islands it will be keeping lots of light around, with that famous, and fabulous, streak of moonlight that carries across the ocean during the morning hours. It looks like a walking path right down to Tahiti from here in the islands! I’m listening to classical piano music via internet radio now, which seems to go so well with this last part of the day, just as darkness looms on the eastern horizon. The skyscape in that direction doesn’t show the full moon rising yet, as there are still gray clouds floating around up there. The clouds should part way soon though, exposing that bright moon. I hope you enjoy your Thursday night! I’ll be here very early Friday morning, as is my habit, or accurately my practice in life. I’ll have the latest weather narrative available then, and here’s a hint about what it will say: Very nice weather indeed! Aloha for now…Glenn.

I want to highlight another of the great advertisers on my website today, this time it’s Activities on Maui.  "Free service, Many tours sell out, Be smart and plan ahead."