Weather Details and Aloha Paragraphs

September 8-9 2006

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

Lihue, Kauai – 84F
Honolulu, Oahu – 87
Kaneohe, Oahu – 86
Kahului, Maui – 91
Hilo, Hawaii – 85
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 87

KANEOHE, OAHU – 79
MOLOKAI AIRPORT – 69

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

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a moderately strong 1027 millibar high pressure center located far to the north of our islands Saturday. This pressure configuration will provide moderately strong trade winds across our area, locally gusty during the afternoon hours...becoming a little lighter Sunday. 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.

 

Big moon shining down in Hawaii
Photo Credit: flikr.com

Hawaii finds itself smack dab in the middle of a well established late summer trade wind weather pattern.  This includes all the elements that local residents, and visitors alike…love so much. The trade winds will be on the breezy side of the wind spectrum now, along with warm to very warm daytime temperatures into the weekend. High pressure to the north of the islands will keep these cooling and refreshing breezes gracing the Aloha state for the time being.

Rainfall won’t be a problem, with just the usual windward biased overnight showers falling at times.  This leaves the leeward beaches basking in sunny and dry weather conditions. There are no organized rain makers on the weather horizon, so a fairly common trade wind weather pattern will prevail for the time being. The Kona coast on the Big Island may see a few afternoon showers falling, which will help keep those Kona coffee plantations in business.

Looking a bit further ahead, we find a low pressure system developing far to the NW of the Aloha state next week. This low will have a fairly minor influence on the Hawaiian Islands. Computer forecast models also show an early season cold front approaching later next week…although it won’t reach us. We should see a gradual weakening of our trade wind speeds next week though, with generally favorable weather continuing.

It’s early Friday morning here in Kula, Maui, as I start writing this last paragraph of today’s narrative from paradise.  First of all a quick note about former tropical storm Kristy, which has been active far to the ESE of Hawaii…in the eastern Pacific. The National Hurricane Center in Miami has issued its last advisory on this system, so that whatever little bit of concern we might have had, is now completely gone. As you may have noted in reading the paragraphs above, Hawaii is experiencing great late summer weather conditions now! I plan on taking full advantage of this, as I formulate a couple of surfing trips over to the Lahaina side this weekend. I’ll start my weekend off by taking in one of the new films that are playing in Kahului after work, not quite sure which one yet. This is the time of year when we start to notice the subtle changes in weather, marking the approach of our autumn season. It mostly starts to show up in the earlier sunsets for the most part, that and the later sunrises in the mornings. Although if one pays close attention, there is a little bit of a difference in the overall lighting, as the sun gets lower in the sky each day. Although I must say, summer has a way of extending itself well into the fall season down here in the tropics! I hope you have a great Friday, I’ll be back later in the day with more weather updates. Aloha for now…Glenn.

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