Hawaiian Islands Weather details & Aloha paragraphs / January 30-31, 2013

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

Lihue, Kauai –                        77  
Honolulu airport, Oahu –         80  
Molokai airport –                    77
Kahului airport, Maui –           79 
Kona airport     –                 82   
Hilo airport, Hawaii –              78

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops around the state…as of 430am Thursday morning:

Kahului, Maui – 73
Port Allen, Kauai – 63

Haleakala Summit –   39     (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea Summit – 34      (13,000+ 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…if it's available.

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.  The 2012 hurricane season is over in the eastern and central Pacific…resuming on May 15th and June 1st 2013.

Aloha Paragraphs

High Surf Advisory for north and west shores of
Kauai and Niihau, and north shores of Oahu,
Molokai and Maui…starting at noon today

Clear to partly cloudy with cloudy periods…
a few showers falling windward sections

~~~546am HST Thursday morning: partly cloudy
and calm…at my upcountry Kula, Maui
weather tower: 55F degrees~~~

The following numbers represent the most recent top wind gusts (mph), along with directions as of Wednesday evening:

15       Poipu, Kauai – NE 
24       Kuaokala, Oahu – NNE    
10        Molokai – NNE        
13       Kahoolawe – NE
16       Kapalua, Maui – NNE  
17       Kohala Ranch, Big Island – WSW

Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands as of Wednesday evening:
 
0.27          Kilohana, Kauai
0.66          Mililani, Oahu
0.00          Molokai
0.02          Lanai
0.03          Kahoolawe
0.54          Kaupo Gap, Maui
1.67          Pali 2, Big Island  

We can use the following links to see what’s going on in our area of the north central Pacific Ocean.  Here's the latest NOAA satellite picture – the latest looping satellite image…and finally the latest looping radar image for the Hawaiian Islands.

                   ~~~ Hawaii Weather Commentary ~~~ 

Our winds have shifted to the cool north-northeast direction, which will swing around to the northeast and finally east Thursday into Friday, lasting through the weekend…into next week. Here's a weather chart showing a large, strong near 1038 millibar high pressure system, located far to the northeast of Hawaii. At the same time, we see a deep storm low pressure system to our north, with hurricane force winds! Meanwhile, closer to home…we still have the tail-end of a weak trough of low pressure, which is stretched across the Big Island.

Satellite imagery shows what's left of the old cold front, the tail-end of which is just barely hanging on…across parts of Maui and the Big Island. This weather feature, will keep clouds and some showers around across parts of Maui and the Big Island tonight. Here's the satellite image, that shows a closer view of the islands. Here's the looping radar image, so we can keep track of whatever showers that continue to fall locally. The islands will find improved weather conditions in general, with returning trade winds Thursday.

As the winds fill back into the state now, and more fully statewide Thursday, they will keep a few passing showers falling along our windward sides for several days. These winds will start off from the north-northeast and northeast, in the wake of the departing trough over the Big Island. As the winds veer all the way around to the east-northeast and east by Friday, they will fluctuate a bit in strength, and direction through the weekend. The latest computer models are showing a cold front approaching the state Sunday, which may stall before arriving…dissipating to our northwest and north by next Monday or so. There is still some question about whether this next front will stall, or perhaps dip into at least part of the state. At any rate, the front's leftover moisture will eventually be carried back over our north and east facing windward coasts and slopes for a few days next week. The leeward south and west sides, starting soon, will have favorably inclined winter weather conditions through most of the next week! I'll be back this evening with additional updates, I trust you will have a great Wednesday night wherever you're spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.  

A Wednesday poem: Center, by Billy Collins, from his book The Art of Drowning

At the first chink of sunrise,
the windows on one side of the house
are frosted with stark orange light,

and in every pale blue window
on the other side
a full moon hangs, a round, white blaze.

I look out one side, then the other,
moving from room to room
as if between countries or parts of my life.

Then I stop and stand in the middle,
extend both arms
like Leonardo's man, naked in a perfect circle.

And when I begin to turn slowly
I can feel the whole house turning with me,
rotating free of the earth.

The sun and moon in all the windows
move, too, with the tips of my fingers,
the solar system turning by degrees

with me, morning's egomaniac,
turning on the hallway carpet in my slippers,
take the cold orange, blue, and white

for a quiet, unhurried spin,
all wheel and compass, axis and reel,
as wide awake as I will ever be.

World-wide tropical cyclone activity:

Atlantic Ocean/Caribbean Sea:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Gulf of Mexico: There are no active tropical cyclones

Eastern Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

Central Pacific Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Western Pacific Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

South Pacific Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

North and South Indian Oceans:  Tropical cyclone 13S (Felleng) remains active in the South Indian Ocean, located approximately 300 NM west-northwest of La Reunion Island. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) shows this cyclone with 85 knot sustained winds, with gusts to 105 knots. 13S will remain active over the next 96 hours, moving by offshore to the east of Madagascar, and west and southwest of La Reunion Island…gradually weakening. Here's the graphical track map, along with a satellite image.

Interesting:  As more people move to urban areas in search of economic opportunities, the number of buildings that are needed to house them continues to rise. It is estimated that by 2030, an additional 1.4 billion people will live in cities, of which 1.3 billion will dwell in cities of developing countries. The increasing number of buildings has long-term impacts on both the environment and natural resources.

Fortunately, a variety of policy tools hold promise for promoting sustainability in buildings, according to Kaarin Taipale, contributing author of the Worldwatch Institute's State of the World 2012: Moving Toward Sustainable Prosperity.

The buildings in which we live and work are a major consumer of energy, responsible for some 30—40 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions, a similar share of total solid waste, and 12 percent of all fresh water used. With the rate of urbanization reaching record levels, there will be more construction and buildings than ever before.

The introduction and enforcement of effective public policies can be the cheapest and most efficient method for promoting sustainability in the construction and use of buildings, Taipale says. The goal is to radically reduce buildings' environmental footprint and long-term negative social and financial effects.

In search of a "best policy" in her State of the World 2012 chapter, "From Light Green to Sustainable Buildings," Taipale suggests considering four dimensions in a policy package:

Process. It is important to take into account the entire life-cycle of a building, from design and construction to its use and demolition. Some posit that designating a sustainability coordinator for the planning and construction period should be a requirement for any building permit. An additional tool for the time span when the building is being used is a mandatory "maintenance diary," documenting the various ways the building is serviced and renovated.

Performance. What matters most is how well the entire building performs, not how its individual parts might adhere to requirements. Setting minimum energy performance standards, for example, makes more sense than specifying the thickness of a thermal insulation. A growing set of core criteria has evolved by which to measure building performance in terms of resource use. These consider greenhouse gas emissions, energy and water use, and waste production, among others. Policies can require that certain minimum performance standards and benchmarks be met.

Sustainable Infrastructure. Buildings need efficient infrastructures that save resources and provide everyone equal access to basic services such as fresh water and sanitation, energy, communication, and public transport. The quality of these infrastructures determines the level of urban sustainability. National water legislation, for example, can help secure access to safe drinking water for urban residents for a fair price.

Resource Use. Sustainability of resource use considers financial, human, and natural resources. Shifting toward a greater reliance on renewable energy is the most efficient method to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and mitigate climate change. Such a shift also helps reduce local air pollution and health hazards. We need higher energy performance requirements for new construction and refurbishment, however, because it does not make much sense to waste renewable energy in buildings that are not energy efficient.