Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs
Posted by GlennJuly 16-17 2007
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Monday:
Lihue, Kauai – 84F
Honolulu, Oahu – 88
Kaneohe, Oahu – 83
Kahului, Maui – 87
Hilo, Hawaii – 85
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 79
Temperatures early Tuesday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Kaneohe, Oahu – 77F
Hilo, Hawaii – 71
Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours on each of the major islands, as of Tuesday morning:
1.79 MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.70 MANOA LYON ARBORETUM, OAHU
0.08 MOLOKAI
0.45 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.47 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
2.08 KEALAKEKUA, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing high pressure systems located to the north and NE of Hawaii Tuesday. The trade winds will remain light to moderately strong over Hawaii’s marine environment…although locally stronger and gusty in those usual windiest locations through Wednesday. 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.
Tropical Cyclone activity in the eastern and central Pacific – Here’s the latest 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.
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.
Kona coast on the Big Island
The cloud band that brought showers to many areas of the Aloha state this past weekend, has mostly fallen apart…although some windward areas, especially around the Big Island, will continue to see showers. Accumulations will be generally light, with the leeward sides remaining mostly dry through at least the next several days. The exception is the upcountry leeward slopes, especially in Kona…where rain has continued, with even the threat of thunderstorms Monday afternoon. These leftover showers will continue to bring off and on showers into Tuesday, although thereafter, at least through Wednesday, things will return to more or less normal. The trade winds will play an active part in our Hawaiian Island weather picture through the work week, with a degree of uncertainty developing by the weekend…as a tropical system moves close to the state then.
The latest computer forecast models show that another unusual weather occurrence may unfold, during the second half of the work week. This will entail a possible out of season old cold front arriving around Thursday. Complicating matters further, an upper level low pressure system is forecast to slide overhead during the second half of the work week as well. The combination of the incoming moisture, which could be enhanced by the upper level low…could bring another round of showers into the state, although probably most active on Kauai and Oahu. This would be welcome news, as this past weekends showers weren’t near enough, or widespread enough to break the back of the current drought conditions that presently exists in Hawaii.
As noted in the first paragraph, there’s a good chance that a tropical system may move close to the state this weekend. Before anyone gets too nervous about this, the chances are that the current hurricane Cosme will be downgraded to a tropical storm or even a tropical depression by the time it gets near our islands…or passes to the south. This storm started out recently in the eastern Pacific as tropical depression 06E, or the sixth tropical cyclone of the 2007 hurricane season. The models show it coming very near our Hawaiian Islands, although it is still too early to know what influence it may or may not have just yet. At any rate, here is a tracking map, so you can follow its progress in our general direction. The best hope is that it would come close enough to bring some much needed rainfall, and by the time it got close enough to do that, that all the strong and gusty winds would be gone.
It’s Monday here in Hawaii as I begin writing this last paragraph of today’s weather narrative. If you had a chance to read down through the paragraphs above, you will know by now that it is an unusual period in terms of weather now. First we had an old cold front, or the tail-end of one, bring out of season showers to the islands this past weekend, which are still falling around the Big Island. Then we find a chance of yet another out of season old frontal cloud band arriving Thursday, bringing the chance of more showers then into Friday. As if all that wasn’t eough, what is currently hurricane Cosme, could bring some chance of increased showers and wind close to the Hawaiian islands, as a tropical storm this coming weekend. Despite the fact that Cosme has increased in strength, to a hurricane, the models show it weakening again soon, and perhaps all the way down to much weaker tropical storm or tropical depression before it gets near our area. At any rate, again, we are hoping for some bit of its moisture field to move over the state of Hawaii, which would bring much needed precipitation then. I will keep you closely updated on this prospect as this weather situation unfolds. Please note the storm tracking map in the paragraph above. ~~~ I’ll be back early Tuesday morning with your next weather narrative. I hope you have a great Monday night wherever you happen to be spending it. Aloha for now…Glenn.
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