April 3-4, 2010


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

Lihue, Kauai – 79
Honolulu, Oahu – 82
Kaneohe, Oahu – 79
Kaunakakai, Molokai – 79
Kahului, Maui – 80
Hilo, Hawaii – 76
Kailua-kona – 80

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

Barking Sands, Kauai – 83F
Princeville, Kauai – 73

Haleakala Crater –    55 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea summit – 39 (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:

1.99 Mount Waialaele, Kauai  
1.29 Manoa Valley, Oahu
0.32 Molokai 
0.02 Lanai
0.01 Kahoolawe
6.46 Puu Kukui, Maui 
1.71 Kawainui Stream , Big Island

Marine Winds – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a strong 1039 millibar high pressure system located far to the north-northwest of the islands….with a ridge of high pressure north and northeast of the islands. This pressure configuration will bring back around round of strong and gusty trade winds into Monday.

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

http://images2.layoutsparks.com/1/105636/easter-eggs-kittie-colorful.jpg
  Happy Easter!

 

The trade winds will be gaining strength during the Easter Holiday Sunday.  Looking at this weather map, we find that a strong 1039 millibar high pressure system in the area north-northwest of the state Saturday night. As this high pressure cell moves southeast into the area north of our islands, winds will become strong and gusty once again. We have small craft wind advisories stretching across the entire state…along with high surf advisories along our windward east facing beaches.

These active trades will continue into Monday, taper off some Tuesday into Wednesday…then surge ahead again Wednesday night into next weekend. This series of high pressure systems, moving by to our north, will continue to bring bouts of strong trade winds. The periods between these strongest blustery episodes, will remain moderately breezy. There really isn’t an end to to this prolonged trade wind pattern, as they will likely blow through the first half of this month. The spring months are commonly filled with trade wind weather.

The overlying atmosphere is more moist now, so that showers will keep the windward sides off and on wet tonight into Easter Sunday. This increase in showers may continue into the first part of the new week ahead. In contrast, the leeward sides of the islands, especially on Maui and the Big Island, should remain mostly dry. The chance of heavy showers is remote, as the atmosphere remains quite stable. In addition, the showers will be moving by quickly…limiting their chances of raining over any one area too long.

It’s Saturday evening as I begin writing this last section of this today’s narrative. As mentioned above, the trade winds are getting stronger again now. Looking at the strongest gusts around the state at around 4pm, these were the strongest on each of the islands:

36 mph on Kauai
36 mph on Oahu
30 mph on Molokai
44 mph on Lanai
33 mph on Kahoolawe
40 mph on Maui
33 mph on the Big Island

As the numbers above show, our winds aren’t terribly strong just yet, although as all of the numbers are above 30 mph, with a couple of 40 mph or over gusts in Maui County, this is quite still strong…with more to come. This points to the good possibility that  stronger winds will be on tap over the next day or two. As the strong 1038 millibar high pressure system, now to our north-northwest, moves closer tonight into Easter Sunday, the stronger winds will arrive more fully. ~~~ Here in Kula, Maui we had a few light showers that fell during the afternoon hours. It’s partly cloudy at the moment, although there are lots of clouds over along the windward sides…with passing showers. Here’s a satellite image so we can check this situation out. At the same time, with occasional showers coming in now, we’d better take a quick look at this looping radar image as well. ~~~ While I was over in Paia this morning for a haircut, the sun was playing tag with cloudy periods and quick little passing showers. Since the weather was a bit suspect, I just did my food shopping and came back upcountry to home. My wind chimes have been sounding off nicely most of the day, and more so this evening, I expect some larger numbers in that list up above as we move into Easter. Speaking of which, I’d like to wish everyone a great holiday! I’ll be back Sunday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Saturday night until then! Aloha for now…Glenn.