February 23-24 2006

Air Temperatures — The following maximum temperatures were recorded across Hawaii Thursday:

Lihue, Kauai – 72F
Honolulu, Oahu – 79
Kaneohe, Oahu – 74
Kahului, Maui – 81
Hilo, Hawaii – 78
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 83

Temperatures early Friday morning ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at the 4 a.m. hour:

Kailua-kona – 72
Hilo airport – 65

Precipitation Totals — The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals during the last 24 hours (as of Friday morning) on each of the major islands, including:

3.43 LIHUE AIRPORT, KAUAI
2.01 MAUNAWILI, OAHU
0.19 MOLOKAI
0.03 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
0.65 WEST WAILUAIKI, MAUI
0.84 PAHALA, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart — Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map…showing a strong high pressure system far NW of the islands. This high has an elongated ridge running from its center SE to near the islands. At the same time we have a pair of lows, one to the east, and another to the west, with our light NE winds from the ridge squeezing through the lows. This will give us mostly light NE breezes. Here’s a Weather Map Symbol page for clarification about what all those funny weather symbols mean.

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 only available during the daylight hours here in the islands…that is unless there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two!

Satellite Images — To view the cloud conditions we have here in Hawaii, please use the following satellite links, starting off with the Infrared Satellite Imageof the islands to see all the clouds around the state. This next satellite image is one that gives close images of the islands only during the daytime hours, and is referred to as a Close-up visible satellite image. The next satellite 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 radar image.

Aloha Paragraphs


Upcountry Maui

The Hawaiian Islands are in the clear again for the most part, that is less you’re on Kauai…where heavy rains were still occurring in places Thursday. One trough of low pressure, which was just to the west of the state, is now well to the east…although another trough is spinning to the west and NW now. This has allowed the eastern Islands, on the Big Island end of the chain, to dry out. However, flash flooding was reported late Thursday morning on Kauai.


The latest weather map shows an extremely strong 1051 millibar high pressure system located far to the NW of our islands. This high pressure cell is too far away to give more than locally breezy trades for the time being. We’ll find a fairly normal winter time trade wind weather pattern over us now, which will pervail through at least Saturday. This will keep mostly sunny skies over the leeward beaches, with partly cloudy conditions with a few showers over the windward coasts and slopes.


Days will be warm, and nights seasonably cool. The range in air temperatures at sea level will be from about 68F to 83F…give or take a degree or two. The upcountry, higher elevation areas, will have several degrees shaved off those balmy conditions at the coasts. The mountain summits on Maui and the Big Island will be much colder, necessitating very warm clothing, especially where the winds are blowing. By the way, there is still snow on the ground atop both Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii.


The longer range computer forecast models continue to show the chance of increasing showers late this weekend into early next week. That high pressure system mentioned in one of the paragraphs above, is forecast to get closer to us, with stronger east or SE winds blowing then. At the same time, another trough of low pressure is scheduled to be west our area, which could keep our atmosphere rather shower prone starting Sunday into Monday. The models still haven’t completely made up their minds, so I suggest we don’t get too excited or discouraged, over this wet weather prospect just yet…although it looks likely at this point.


Meanwhile, in the marine environment, a gale low has been spinning out to the NE of the islands. This area of brisk winds continues to generate NE swells, which are keeping our east through north shores full of breaking waves. This fairly uncommon NE swell will continue, and should actually bump the surf up another notch this weekend. Speaking of unusual, storms in the southern hemisphere, down near New Zealand, have generated an out of season SSW swell, which is heading in our direction. We will see these waves arrive Friday, bathing our leeward south and west facing beaches and reefs into the weekend.


I went to a film after work yesterday, it was called the White Countess. I very much enjoyed this story, and could recommend it to just about everyone. Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Lynn Redgrave and Kazuo Ishiguro star in this final production from the Merchant Ivory team that brought us “Howards End” and “Remains of the Day”, the adult variety of movie magic that they made their hallmark. This time the story is set in 1930’s Shanghai and is the story of one ex-diplomat’s quest to fulfill his dream with a former countess who is the passionately sensual embodiment of his dream.


It’s early Thursday evening here in Kula, Maui.  It was quite a nice day here on Maui, with lots of warm sunshine beaming down, especially along the beaches. The high temperatures in Wailea-Kihei, and along Front Street in Lahaina, reached the middle 80F’s…it was 86F degrees on Wednesday as well. The sandy beach was full of people doing their thing today, including lots of digging in the sand as usual, and there were just enough small waves breaking, that folks were having fun riding the waves on their foam bodyboards. I was able to catch a couple of nice bodysurfing rides at lunch myself. I was floored as I drove up through the pasturelands this evening, as the lighting was so special, along with the whispiest layer of thin fog that was laying right down on the ground. I actually had two of the cars in front of me pull over to take this Heavenly scene in. I knew it would be almost as good out on my weather deck, so I just pushed forward towards home. I hope you had a great Thursday, and that you will plan on meeting me here again for the next completely updated weather narrative on tap for Friday morning. Aloha for now…Glenn.