Hawaiian Islands Weather details & Aloha Paragraphs / December 26-27, 2011

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

Lihue, Kauai –                   78
Honolulu airport, Oahu –    82  
Kaneohe, Oahu –               77
Molokai airport –                77
Kahului airport, Maui –        81  
Kona airport –                    81
Hilo airport, Hawaii –          79

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

Honolulu, Oahu – 80
Princeville, Kauai – 73

Haleakala Crater – 41 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea –        30 (near 13,800 feet on the Big Island)

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live web cam on the summit of near 13,800 foot Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. This web cam is 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. Here's the Haleakala Crater webcam on Maui…which is working only sometimes lately.

 Aloha Paragraphs

Blustery trade winds, a few passing windward showers
Small craft wind advisories statewide –
high surf advisory east shores all islands –
Wind advisory Haleakala Crater, Maui 

As this weather map shows…we have a near 1031 millibar high pressure system far to the northeast of the Hawaiian Islands Monday evening.  Our gusty trade winds will continue on into this last week of the year. These unusually long lasting trades will gradually become somewhat lighter going forward however.

The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph), along with directions Monday evening:

27                 Waimea Heights, Kauai – ENE
35                 Kahuku, Oahu – NW
31                 Molokai – E
46                    Kahoolawe – NE
42                    Kaupo Gap, Maui – N
38                 Lanai – NE
47                    Kawaihae, Big Island – NE

We can use the following links to see what’s going on in our area of the north central Pacific Ocean Monday evening.  Looking at this NOAA satellite picture we see fairly minor amounts of low level clouds over the ocean to the northeast through east at the time of this writing. We can use this looping satellite image to see high cirrus clouds over the ocean to our northeast and north, as well as the southwest through south. Checking out this looping radar image we see a few showers over the ocean, some of which are coming into our windward sides at times.

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

0.25               Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.06               Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
0.05               Molokai
0.00               Lanai
0.00               Kahoolawe
0.67                 Puu Kukui, Maui
0.60                 Kawainui Stream, Big Island

Sunset Commentary:  The unusually long lasting trade winds will begin diminishing in strength as we move through this last week of 2011. Winds have been gusting up over 40 mph, in a couple of those windiest spots lately…which continues this evening. We have small craft advisory flags whipping in the blustery waters over the entire state’s marine environment. Meanwhile, winds remain strong enough that a wind advisory remains in place over the Haleakala Crater on Maui.

A few showery clouds will be carried in towards our windward coasts and slopes at times. The more active showers that we saw late last week into this past weekend, are now backing off, which should remain the case going forward. The latest computer forecast models continue to hint we might have a cold front approaching our area towards the end of this work week, getting close to Kauai later Friday into early Saturday.  

Here in Kula, Maui at around 515pm HST, it was clear, with an air temperature of 66.7F degrees. As noted above, these unusually long lasting and strong trade winds aren't quite through with us, although will become lighter over the next few days, continuing that trend thereafter. Winds have been regularly gusting up into the 30-40 mph range, with a few of those windiest spots topping the 40 mph mark today. Today was a nice sunny day in many areas, with just those common partly cloudy conditions prevailing along the windward sides…along with a few light showers. The leeward sides had a splendid day, with good beach conditions, at least in those areas outside the strongest winds.

~~~ My neighbors and I had a little business in Pukalani today, and then we drove up Piiholo Rd in Makawao. We ended up at the Makawao Forest Reserve, having ourselves a great walk. None of us had been on this particular hike, and all sort of thought it would be an hour or two, at the most. As it turned out, it was a 6 miles hike, which took us 4 hours to do. We were poking along during the first half, and then realized that we'd bitten off more than we thought, so we quickened the pace. It was so beautiful up in that forest, and was partially sunny, with a stiff wind blowing through the tops of those very tall trees up that way. At one point, some clouds came in, and we had a short period of the lightest mist possible. Looking over that way from here in Kula, now that we're back home, I can see a rainbow over that way. We thoroughly enjoyed the outing, although as I mentioned, it was quite a bit longer than any of us had anticipated, considering the fact that we didn't bring enough snacks. ~~~ I'll be back early Tuesday morning, when I'll have your next weather narrative ready for the reading, at around 530am HST. I hope you have a great Monday until then! Aloha for now…Glenn.