Hawaiian Islands weather details & Aloha paragraphs / January 2-3, 2010

January 2-3, 2010

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

Lihue, Kauai – 76
Honolulu, Oahu – 79
Kaneohe, Oahu – 77
Kaunakakai, Molokai – 79
Kahului, Maui – 80
Hilo, Hawaii – 77
Kailua-kona – 81

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

Port Allen, Kauai – 81F
Hilo, Hawaii – 73

Haleakala Crater – 59 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea summit – 43 (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:

0.01 Poipu, Kauai  
0.01 Waimanalo, Oahu
0.01 Molokai 
0.00 Lanai
0.01 Kahoolawe
0.14 West Wailuaiki, Maui
0.36 Laupahoehoe, Big Island

Marine Winds – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a weak 1013 high pressure system to the north of the islands. Our winds will be generally light, gradually turning southeast and south later Saturday, then south to southwest Sunday...gaining strength.

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

President Obama, on vacation…windward Oahu

Clouds mixed with clear areas…all wrapped in volcanic haze is the name of the game now. The overlying atmosphere is stable however, which will generally keep any showers on the light side. Those places outside of those clouds, will have clear skies, with lots of sunshine,during the days. As you can see from this satellite image, there’s an area of bright clouds to our north, which are high cirrus clouds. They seem to be pulling away at this point…although there may be a few streaks of those icy clouds around locally. The Big Island an Maui will likely have the most clouds, left over from the old cold front. The next cold front is looming up to the north of the islands.





Winds have turned to the southeast and south now…then strengthening some from the south to southwest Sunday into Monday. These changes in direction will reflect the approach of the next cold front, seen to the northwest of the islands in the satellite picture above. We will see lots of volcanic haze filtering into our Hawaiian Island weather picture this weekend…into early in the new week ahead. The cold front, expected to arrive by Tuesday, shouldn’t be much of a rainfall producer. A second frontal boundary may arrive by mid-week, which should deliver more showers than we’ve seen lately.

It’s Saturday evening, as I begin writing the last section of today’s narrative. There’s lots of vog in our local skies now, which I think would easily qualify as thick. The winds are coming up from the south now, helping to transport these volcanic emissions up from the Big Island vents. This haze should remain in place through the next 2-3 days, until one of the aforementioned cold fronts can help sweep it away, or more accurately…the north to northeast winds following in its wake, can do that job. ~~~ I went down to the country club in Sprecklesville today, and had several nice rounds on the putting green there. I didn’t get any holes in one, but enjoyed my self in the nice warm sunshine. I then took the short drive from there to Baldwin Beach, where I had a long walk down to what’s called Baby Beach, a small lagoon, and then back. I sat around on the beach for maybe 45 minutes, and just watched all the people, and the ocean. There are so many people on Maui now, which are taking full advantage of their vacations to spend time out of doors. I jumped in the ocean, and swam around for a while, before heading into Paia for some shopping. When I left that ocean side town, my car thermometer read 82F degrees. As I drove into my house here in Kula, the air temperature up here at the 3,000+ elevation, was a much cooler 63.7 degrees, maybe half an hour after leaving Paia. That’s one of the things I love about living upcountry, it is cooler. ~~~ I’m planning on having a nice pasta dinner this evening, maybe have a drink, and chill out. I don’t have a TV, so I’ll likely either read, or watch youtube music video’s on the internet. I’ll be back Sunday morning with your next new weather narrative from paradise, I hope you enjoy your night! Aloha for now…Glenn.