January 13-14, 2011



Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Thursday afternoon:

Lihue airport, Kauai –        76
Honolulu airport, Oahu –    78
Kaneohe, Oahu –              79
Molokai airport –               74
Kahului airport, Maui –       82
Kona airport –                     82
Hilo airport, Hawaii –         79

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops…as of 5pm Thursday evening:

Kailua-kona – 79F
Hilo, Hawaii – 72

Haleakala Crater –    missing (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea summit – missing (near 14,000 feet on the Big Island)

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

2.49 Waialae, Kauai  
10.33 Palehua, Oahu
3.34 Molokai 
3.46 Lanai
2.77 Kahoolawe
5.31 Puu Kukui, Maui
0.87 Kapapala Ranch, Big Island

Marine Winds – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a cold front near Kauai, which will dissipate. Our winds will become lighter from the southeast Friday and Saturday.

Satellite and Radar Images: To view the cloud conditions we have here in Hawaii, please use the following satellite links, starting off with this Infrared Satellite Image of the islands to see all the clouds around 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. Finally, here's a Looping IR satellite image, making viewable the clouds around the islands 24 hours a day. To help you keep track of where any showers may be around the islands, here’s the latest animated radar image.

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live web cam 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 web cams 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 weather conditions.

Tropical Cyclone activity in the eastern and central Pacific – Here’s the latest weather information coming out of the National Hurricane Center, covering the eastern north Pacific. You can find the latest tropical cyclone information for the central north Pacific (where Hawaii is located) by clicking on this link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Here’s a tracking map covering both the eastern and central Pacific Ocean. A satellite image, which shows the entire ocean area between Hawaii and the Mexican coast…can be found here. Of course, as we know, our hurricane season won't end until November 31st here in the central Pacific.

 Aloha Paragraphs

https://activerain-store.s3.amazonaws.com/image_store/uploads/5/3/0/3/9/ar118886329093035.jpg
  Flash flood watch on all islands Thursday…through the night
Better weather in the near future

>>Looping Radar Image of the Hawaiian Islands<<

Our local winds eased Thursday for the most part, although with still some locally stronger gusts. Lighter winds will gradually become southeast Friday into Saturday.  This weather map shows the storm low, the parent low pressure system of our recent cold front) moving off quickly to the northeast. This trailing cold front, now stalled near Kauai, or to the north of there, is losing its influence over our island chain. At the same time, we see a moderately strong 1028 millibar high pressure system far to our northeast, offshore from the San Diego, California coast. This high pressure cell has a ridge of high pressure (orange zigzag line) extending southwest, to a position southeast and south of the Big Island. This in turn ensures the continuation of our Kona winds. The trade winds aren’t scheduled to return until sometime early next week, say around Tuesday or Wednesday. Actually, if you look at that weather map one more time, you will see a low pressure system to our northwest, with its associated cold front. This low has hurricane force winds revolving around it…which will send us our next cold front later this coming Sunday into early next Monday.

Winds are considerably lighter now than Wednesday, although will remain locally gusty…the following numbers represent the strongest gusts, along with directions Thursday evening:

29 mph        Lihue, Kauai – SW
24              Waianae, Oahu – SE 
21              Molokai – SE
24              Kahoolawe – ESE
24              Kahului, Maui – SW
15              Lanai Airport – SE 
15              South Point, Big Island – NE

Our local atmosphere remains unstable enough that shower prone conditions prevail…with the flash flood watch remaining active through the night. This large University of Washington satellite image shows that the Hawaiian Islands are partly cloudy, rather than mostly cloudy…as they have been the last several days. Looking at this NOAA satellite picture, shows that there there continues to be quite a bit of localized clearing going on, with some of the islands actually finding blue skies at the end of the day!  

There are still a few towering cumulus clouds around, with even the chance that an occasional thunderstorm may pop up again Thursday night.  It doesn't appear likely that we'll have nearly as active night of heavy rain or thunder and lightning, as we saw Wednesday night however. We can loop this satellite image, which shows clouds coming in our direction now from the west. There are still a few active heavier showers located to the south of the island as we move into the night. Checking out this looping radar image shows that there has been a distinct diminishing amount of showers as we've ended the daylight hours. The soils on most of the islands are saturated or near that, so that additional rainfall would easily cause flooding runoff. 



Here in Kihei, Maui, early Thursday evening, we're ending the day with clear to partly cloudy skies…for a change. There were showers around today, and continue to be near the Big Island. These showers are locally pretty heavy, especially along the southeast coasts and slopes. The Big Island missed out on the largest rainfall accumulations, so its about time that they finally took their turn in getting wet. We are near the end of this wet weather event, with just tonight to get through before improving weather reappears Friday into the weekend. There's still that chance that we could see some trouble tonight, in terms of localized heavier showers…although hopefully things will calm down now. I'll be back early Friday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Thursday night until then! Aloha for now…Glenn. 

Extra: I want to add a special thanks to all the folks who have written to thank me for what I do, in terms of keeping this website going. You are very welcome, I actually love every minute of it. Looking at the numbers, and this must be a record for my website so far…there were 42,470 hits on Hawaii Weather Today Wednesday! My goodness, I'm astonished quite honestly. Looking again today on Thursday, so far there had been 40,839 hits on this website, with a combined total for the two days, at least so far…adding up to near 80,000+ hits. Thanks so much for your readership everyone! Glenn

~~~Flash flood watch entire state through Thursday night

~~~Webcam view of the Mauna Kea summit on the Big Island (snow covered lens)…daytime viewing only