Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs
Posted by GlennSeptember 24-25 2007
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Monday:
Lihue, Kauai – 85F
Honolulu, Oahu – 86
Kaneohe, Oahu – 83
Kahului, Maui – 87
Hilo, Hawaii – 84
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 86
Temperatures early Tuesday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Kaneohe, Oahu – 76F
Hilo, Hawaii – 68
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:
0.73 HANALEI RIVER, KAUAI
1.19 NUUANU UPPER, OAHU
0.01 MOLOKAI
0.01 LANAI
0.31 KAHOOLAWE
0.98 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.47 KAPAPALA RANCH, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1030 millibar high pressure system located far to the NE of Hawaii. This high pressure cell will keep moderate trade winds blowing across our Hawaiian islands Tuesday…locally stronger and gusty in those locally windiest areas 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 and Radar 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.
Wailua Bay on Kauai
photo credit: flickr.com
The Hawaiian Islands head into yet another week, in a long series of weeks…with the trade winds blowing steadily. Weather maps show high pressure systems located far to the NE and north of the islands Monday evening. Wind speeds will range between light to moderately strong, all the way up to strong and gusty, depending upon your location. As usual, these breezes will be strongest during the days, and lightest in general during the nights. The latest model output indicates that the trade winds will continue well into this new week. There are no advisories for winds in the major channels, or the coastal waters at this time. The latest models suggest we may see stronger winds during the last third of this week…which may necessitate small craft advisories in the southern part of the state then.
The overlying atmosphere is primed for windward shower activity, which may be enhanced to some degree as an upper level trough digs into the area north of Hawaii. The windward sides will see the bulk of whatever showers that will be falling at the moment. As is often the case, the leeward areas will remain much less wet, although a few showers may fall even along these south and west facing areas. The Kona slopes on the Big Island will likely see the most generous showers, where afternoon or evening raindrops will develop in the upcountry areas. The upper level low to our north may help to bring some high level cirrus clouds overhead later this week.
It’s Monday evening as I start writing this last paragraph of todays weather narrative. As noted above, the trade winds will be the primary driver of our local weather here in the Aloha state as we begin this new week.. The secondary feature will be the showers that arrive on those trade winds along the north and east facing windward coasts and slopes. The aforementioned upper level trough of low pressure, with its associated cold air aloft, may enhance whatever showers that arrive along those windward sides soon. Looking a little further ahead, we’ll keep an eye on all the tropical moisture that is evident to the south of the Hawaiian Islands, as pointed out in this satellite image. That area of disturbed weather to our south, which looks at times as if it has a slight spin to it…although at this point doesn’t look likely to become a tropical depression. As the upper level trough gets set up to our north, we could see some of those rain bearing clouds get drawn up to the west of our islands later in the week. It’s not a sure thing by any means, although if this rich tropical moisture were to stretch northward, we could see some measure of heavier rains arriving at some point starting around Thursday, with the best chance of showers on the kauai end of the state. Whether these actual rainy clouds arrive or not, we’ll likely see lots of high cirrus clouds moving over our islands with time, as the winds aloft carry the tops of those thunderstorms north and NE over our islands. ~~~ I’ll be back early Tuesday morningwith your next weather narrative from paradise. I hope you have a great Monday night wherever you happen to be! Aloha for now…Glenn.
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