Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs
Posted by GlennSeptember 25-26 2007
Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Tuesday:
Lihue, Kauai – 85F
Honolulu, Oahu – 89
Kaneohe, Oahu – 84
Kahului, Maui – 89
Hilo, Hawaii – 81
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 85
Temperatures early Wednesday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:
Honolulu, 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 Wednesday morning:
0.51 HANALEI RIVER, KAUAI
0.93 POAMOHO 2, OAHU
0.05 MOLOKAI
0.00 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
1.43 PUU KUKUI, MAUI
1.44 PAHOA, BIG ISLAND
Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a 1031 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…locally stronger and gusty in those locally windiest areas through Thursday. 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.
Hawaiian cumulus clouds
photo credit: flickr.com
The trade winds remain active, and are expected to increase in strength a notch over the next couple of days. Weather maps show a 1030 millibar high pressure system located far to the NE of the islands Tuesday. Wind speeds will range between light to moderately strong, all the way up to strong and gusty, depending upon your location. The latest model output indicates that the trade winds will continue through the rest of this week, and quite likely right on into next week. There are now small craft advisories posted for winds in those windiest areas in the southern part of the state…needed as the winds are boosting in strength now. The winds atop the summits on the Big Island are strong enough to have triggered a wind advisory until midnight.
Showers will continue to favor the windward coasts and slopes, with a few showers making their way into the leeward sides of the islands too…some of which could be locally heavy. The Kona slopes on the Big Island will likely see the most generous showers of any leeward spot, where afternoon or evening showers will develop in the upcountry areas. The upper level low to our north will help to bring some high level cirrus clouds overhead soon…as well as enhance whatever showers that are around at times locally through the rest of the week too. Yet, all things considered, weather will remain quite nice in general.
It’s Tuesday evening as I start writing this last paragraph of todays weather narrative. An area of tropical moisture, in the area southwest through southeast of Hawaii, as viewed in this satellite image, is full of towering cumulus and even thunderstorms. At very least, we’ll see high cirrus clouds being drawn up over the Aloha state, especially over the Big Island and perhaps Maui…carried our way by the upper winds aloft. This area of disturbed weather has only the slightest chance of spinning up into a tropical depression. As the NWS forecast office in Honolulu is saying…"further development, if any, would be slow." The sea water temperatures are plenty warm enough for tropical cyclone development down there, although the winds above this tropical disturbance are not favorable at the moment, creating a relatively unfavorable environment for a tropical system to form. At any rate, the tops of those thunderstorms (cirrus clouds) will stream up over the state. ~~~ In sum, in regards to our weather here in the islands during this very first several days of autumn 2007, nothing too out of the ordinary. The trade winds will dominate our Hawaiian Island weather picture, with some enhancement to the local showers by the upper level trough of low pressure to our north…some of which may be briefly heavy. The best chances for sun bathing and tanning, will continue to be along the south and west facing leeward beaches. ~~~ I will be back early Wednesday morning with your next weather narrative, I hope you have a great Tuesday night until then! Aloha for now…Glenn,
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