December 24-25, 2009

Merry Christmas!

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

Lihue, Kauai – 77
Honolulu, Oahu – 79
Kaneohe, Oahu – 79
Kaunakakai, Molokai – 78
Kahului, Maui – 79
Hilo, Hawaii – 80
Kailua-kona – 80

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level around the state – and on the highest mountains…at 4pm Thursday afternoon:

Kailua-kona – 79F
Princeville, Kauai – 70

Haleakala Crater – 52 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea summit – 45 (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 afternoon:

1.23 Wainiha, Kauai  
0.01 Waimanalo, Oahu
0.00 Molokai 
0.00 Lanai
0.00 Kahoolawe
0.00 Maui
0.00 Big Island

Marine Winds – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a weakening cold front moving through the state. Our winds will be slightly cooler from the north to northeast in the wake of the cold front Friday, then trade winds this weekend.
  
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 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. 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 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 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.

 

Aloha Paragraphs


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/40/81317278_2f36dd001c.jpg
  Merry Christmas!






An early winter, light shower producing cold front…is moving down through the Aloha state Christmas Eve into the night. This cold front pushed over Kauai during the morning hours…bringing some light to moderately heavy isolated precipitation with it. It was traveling down the island chain towards Oahu this afternoon, probably stalling over the islands of Maui County during the night into Christmas Day. The Big Island looks like it will remain south of the dissipating cloud band. Whatever showers that are able to fall, will end up generally along the windward sides, for the most part. The overlying atmosphere is fairly dry, and stable though…which will limit the amount of showers quite a bit everywhere. Here’s a looping radar image, which shows the showers riding through the state.

The winds will be light ahead of this cold front, then turning slightly cooler from the north to the northeast in its wake. Trade winds will fill in Friday and Saturday, before light southeast breezes return on Sunday. If these southeast breezes manifest as the models suggest, we would see volcanic haze being carried up over some parts of the island chain…from the volcanic vents on the Big Island. Southeast breezes also put the smaller islands, from Maui to Kauai, in the wind shadow of the Big Island. As this light wind convective pattern develops, we often become, as noted, hazy…along with clear mornings giving way to cloudy afternoons over and around the mountains, with just a few minor afternoon showers.

Meanwhile, our big news will occur in the marine environment, as another very large northwest swell will arrive late today on Kauai, becoming locally very large to giant into Friday and Saturday…through the state. This swell has triggered high surf warnings along our north and west facing beaches from Kauai to Maui Thursday afternoon. These swells were generated by deep storm low pressure systems in the northwest Pacific, which had hurricane force winds blowing at times. This swell is being compared to the near giant surf we had a couple of weeks ago. Everyone should use caution when getting near the shorelines along our north and west facing beaches during this high surf episode! At the same time, an out of season south swell will arrive from the southern hemisphere, keeping larger than normal surf up along our south facing beaches as well.

As noted in the paragraphs above, we have a weakening cold front pushing south and southeast into the tropics. This frontal cloud band has made its entry into the state earlier today, bringing a few insignificant showers to Kauai. The computer forecast models show it getting hung up somewhere near Maui late tonight into Christmas Day. There’s always that chance that it could hobble down towards the Big Island, although it will be pretty much out of gas by then. We can look generally for light to moderate showers, with most of that taking aim on our windward sides. Speaking of the cold front, here’s a large view of the Pacific, showing the long cloud band, in relation to the Hawaiian Islands…outlined in blue. Here’s a closer look at the leading edge of this frontal cloud band, which was pushing down through the state Christmas Eve. 

It’s early Thursday evening here on Maui, as I begin writing this last section of today’s narrative.  Oh my, it’s Christmas Eve, it’s a few minutes after 5pm Thursday, and in my book…is officially started now. It’s exciting to be in the fold of this important holiday now, rather than in the long lead up to the present. I have a friend from Marin County, her name is Linda coming over soon. She’s the person I stay with often, when I go to California on vacation. At any rate, we will have dinner together, after watching the sunset, with a nice glass of red wine in hand. We’ll sit around talking, probably have a late walk. In the morning, we’ll have a nice breakfast, coffee, and open a few presents, the ones that my Mom and Dad sent me. Then we’ll join together with my next door neighbors, we’re all good friends, and hang out together. Linda will head back to Haiku, to join her son, and I’ll get ready for my next social occasion around noon Friday. This entails driving over to Haiku, to my friend Sharon’s house, where there’s an afternoon get together, which should be fun. ~~~ I



‘ll catch up with you at some point on Christmas morning, likely early, now that I think about it. I hope you have a great Christmas Eve from wherever you’re reading from! Aloha for now…Glenn.