April 26-27 2008

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

Lihue, Kauai – 79
Honolulu, Oahu – 86
Kaneohe, Oahu – 80
Kahului, Maui – 86
Hilo, Hawaii – 83
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 83

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level at 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon:

Kahului, Maui – 84F
Lihue, Kauai – 77   

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: 

1.17  MOUNT WAIALEALE, KAUAI
0.62 LULUKU, OAHU
0.0 MOLOKAI
0.10 LANAI
0.00 KAHOOLAWE
1.24 KULA, MAUI
2.00 PALI 2, BIG ISLAND

Weather Chart – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing that the tail-end of a cold front, associated with a deep storm in the Gulf of Alaska, will be moving away. At the same time, we’ll find strengthening trade winds as a high pressure ridge to our north takes its place.

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. 

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.

Aloha Paragraphs

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The hazy sunset skies over Hawaii

The trade winds are slowly returning this weekend, gradually clearing the atmosphere of haze and all the extra humidity of late. Our high pressure ridge will ever so slowly shift northward, allowing the trade winds to ease back into the state from east. This suggests that our winds will be picking up, light at first, ventilating away the long lasting volcanic haze westward late in the weekend slowly. The computer models show that the trades, once they get well established, will last through the new week ahead.

As the trade winds arrive back into our Hawaiian Island weather picture, showers will move onto the windward sides. The last several days have seen a convective weather pattern, with clear mornings giving way to showery clouds over the interior areas during the afternoons. As the strengthening trade winds firm, so will the likelihood of showers passing their way along the windward coasts and slopes. The leeward sides of the islands will find dry weather in most cases…although the Kona slopes could see a few afternoon showers.

It’s Saturday evening as I begin writing this last section of today’s narrative. Saturday has been a transition day here in Hawaii, shifting from a light wind, hazy convective weather pattern…into the return of a long lasting trade wind episode. The trade winds certainly didn’t barrel back into our Hawaiian Island weather picture by any means, although they did show their face at last. Late Saturday afternoon the trade winds were gusting to 30 mph at times at Maalaea Bay here on Maui, which is a good sign of things to come. Despite the mid-day arrival of the trade winds, showers broke out from the ripe towering cumulus clouds upcountry again today, where thunderstorms and heavy rains, with localized flooding occurred in places. As the trade winds continue to firm, the bias for showers will reach back over to the windward sides of the islands starting Sunday.

~~~ I had the best intentions to go out today, although after washing my clothes, hanging them on the line, and having a leisurely breakfast, I got caught up. It wasn’t anything other than the way the weather was acting that stopped me from getting in my car! Clouds began gathering early, and did nothing but get thicker and thicker as the morning graded into the early afternoon hours. At that point I was committed to watching the show from my weather deck, and it certainly was some show to watch! The rains started gentle enough, although it didn’t take long before it was just pouring down. Then, and this is where it started to get really good, we had the most intense lightning and thunder. I rarely get to experience this kind of weather, so I was very happy that I had hung at home.
 
~~~ It’s early Saturday evening at the moment, and even with the return of the trade winds today, and the atmosphere clearing rainfall, it’s still exceptionally hazy out there. I still can’t see the West Maui Mountains, although I can now see the north shore slightly…where there are waves breaking on the reefs down there…and there’s the south shore peeking through the haze too. I’m still a little "worked-up" over the amazing thunderstorm activity that exploded over the Kula, Maui area earlier in the day…in what seemed like right over my house! Sunday should bring gradually clearing skies, at least we can hope so, as the trade winds help to clear our hazy skies then. I’ll be back early Sunday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Saturday night until then! Aloha, Glenn.

Ahh spring….

Behold, my brothers, the spring has come: the earth has received the embraces of the sun and we shall soon see the results of that love!  Every seed is awakened and so has all animal life.  It is through this mysterious power that we too have our being and we therefore yield to our neighbors, even our animal neighbors, the same right as ourselves, to inhabit this land.   

 

Tatanka Yotanka (Sioux Chief Sitting Bull) at the Powder River council in 1877