Hawaiian Islands weather details & Aloha paragraphs / June 26-27, 2011

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

Lihue, Kauai –                    81                  
Honolulu airport, Oahu –      85  
Kaneohe, Oahu –                80
Molokai airport –                 82
Kahului airport, Maui –           87  (record for Sunday – 93 in 1951)
Kona airport                       85  
Hilo airport, Hawaii –           82

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops…as of 5pm Sunday evening:

Barking Sands, Kauai – 85
Hilo, Hawaii – 74

Haleakala Crater –     45 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea Summit – 46 (over 13,500 feet on the Big Island)

Here are the 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands as of Sunday evening:  

0.64     Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.84     Manoa Lyon Arboretum, Oahu
0.01     Molokai
0.00     Lanai
0.00     Kahoolawe
0.27     Puu Kukui, Maui
0.11     Honaunau, Big Island

Marine Winds – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a 1026 millibar high pressure system to the north of our islands. Our local trade winds will remain active Monday, then ease up a little in strength later Tuesday.

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 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. 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 web cam on the summit of near 13,500 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 web cams are available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon shining down during the night at times. Plus, during the nights you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise and sunset 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. A satellite image, which shows the entire ocean area between Hawaii and the Mexican coast…can be found here.  Here's a tropical cyclone tracking map for the eastern and central Pacific.

 Aloha Paragraphs

Trade winds, just a few showers…
especially on the windward sides at night

The trade winds will be locally blustery through Monday…starting later Tuesday they will ease up some through the remainder of the week.  Glancing at this weather map, we find our primary high pressure system weighing-in at 1026 millibars…located to our north. The placement of this area of high pressure, and its associated ridge running westward from the center, will keep our trade winds blowing. We have small craft wind advisories having been pared back to just the major channels, and only those windiest coastal areas around Maui County and the Big Island.

Our trade winds will remain active…the following numbers represent the strongest gusts, along with directions Sunday evening: 

29                 Port Allen, Kauai – ENE  
27                 Honolulu, Oahu – NE 
23                 Molokai – NE  
20                 Kahoolawe – NNE   
33                    Kahului, Maui – NE
14                 Lanai – NE   
30                 South Point, Big Island – NE  

We can use the following links to see what’s going on in our area of the north central Pacific Ocean Sunday night.  Looking at this NOAA satellite picture we find stable lower level clouds to the east and northeast of the Hawaiian Islands. At the same time we find a thick streak of high cirrus clouds just to the southwest of the island chain. We can use this looping satellite image to see low clouds being carried towards our windward sides by the trade winds. The departing upper level low pressure system to our west is spinning away. We find a rather thick area of high cirrus clouds stretching towards the state, although offshore to our southwest at the time of this writing. Checking out this looping radar image we see showers being carried along in the trade wind flow, although not many at the time of this writing.


Sunset Commentary:  Generally fine trade wind weather will continue to grace the Hawaiian Islands, as we move into the new work week. We'll find blustery trade winds blowing, thus the small craft wind advisory across those windiest parts of our marine environment. These trades will remain active through Tuesday, with an easing-up in their strength by mid-week…through the remainder of the week.

The overlying atmosphere remains dry and stable, which will limit the number and intensity of showers riding in on the trade flow. Nonetheless, there will be a few patches of moisture arriving along our windward sides from time to time…especially during the cooler night and early morning hours. We might find some enhancement of our incoming showers starting Monday and lasting through Tuesday. This will be caused by an upper level low pressure system dropping down over the state from the northeast. Conditions will become drier again by Wednesday, along with lighter trade winds then through much of the rest of the week.

Looking out the windows of my Kula, Maui weather tower early this evening, I see that this mornings high cirrus clouds have moved away. This particular streak of high cirrus has backed off for the moment, now having retreated a short distance to our southwest. Here's a good satellite picture of these high clouds, and their current location. These clouds lit-up beautifully this morning, as they have been during the beginning and ending parts of our days lately. The air temperature at 5pm this evening was 71.1F degrees. This turned out to be a good weekend, one which I've been able to get a little rest, before yet another work week starts early Monday morning. I'll be back then with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Sunday night until then! Aloha for now…Glenn.