Hawaiian Islands weather details & Aloha paragraphs / December 26-27, 2009

December 26-27, 2009

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

Lihue, Kauai – 78
Honolulu, Oahu – 80
Kaneohe, Oahu – 80
Kaunakakai, Molokai – 80
Kahului, Maui – 84
Hilo, Hawaii – 81
Kailua-kona – 80

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level around the state – and on the highest mountains…at 5pm Saturday evening:

Port Allen, Kauai – 81F
Lihue, Kauai – 76

Haleakala Crater – 55 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea summit – 41 (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 Saturday afternoon:

0.57 Mount Waialaele, Kauai  
0.18 Oahu Forest NWR, 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 weak 1022 millibar high pressure system to the east-northeast of the islands. Our winds will become lighter from the southeast through Monday.
  
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

  Lovely weather in Hawaii!

Weather here in the islands will be nice Sunday…through the first couple of days of the new work week ahead. We’ll find generally clear skies, punctuated by some cloudy periods during the afternoons locally. These few clouds will gather over and around the mountains, although with the overlying atmosphere being dry and stable…hardly any showers will fall. The air visibilities will be fine for the moment, although will become less clear and hazy over the next few days. The next major change in our local weather will arrive around the middle of the new week, when the next cold front brings showers to some parts of our islands then.

The breezes will be light southeast Sunday onwards…for a few days. As these southeast breezes occur, we’ll see volcanic haze being carried up over some parts of the island chain…from the volcanic vents down 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 some afternoon clouds over and around the mountains, with just a few minor showers…if any at all.

It’s Saturday evening here on Maui, as I begin writing this last section of today’s narrative.  Saturday was another really nice day, just like Christmas Day was. These favorably inclined weather conditions will hold firm through the next several days. Since we are involved with El Nino conditions, cold fronts will continue to approach, but most of them have, and likely will continue…to stall before arriving. Those that are a little stronger will push into the state, but not often bring that much rainfall. The next one, on Monday, will pass us by, with the next one likely not reaching Kauai either on Wednesday. The southwest Kona breezes might be able to bring up some showers from the deeper tropics preceding that frontal boundary. These showers would likely fall along our south and west facing leeward sides around mid-week, coming up. ~~~ I had a great day, having breakfast with my neighbors, before we all headed down to Baldwin Beach, to soak up a few rays. There was no lack of sunshine, that’s for sure! I jumped in the ocean, and it felt wonderful, as it always does. I’m sipping on a small glass of red wine as I write these words, let me go down and get the bottle, so I can share it with you. I wish I could pour you a glass, if you were old enough that is, smile! It’s a 2006 Goldeneye, a great Pinot Noir, from Anderson Valley, Philo, California…in Mendecino County. Meanwhile, I’m listening to pandora.com on the internet, the current song is Foolish Heart, by Steve Perry. My neighbors have invited me for dinner, so I’ll be heading over there after finishing these last few sentences. I hope you had a wonderful Saturday, either here on the islands, or elsewhere! I’ll be back Sunday morning with your next new weather narrative from paradise. Aloha for now…Glenn.