Hawaiian Islands Weather details & Aloha Paragraphs / May 14-15, 2013

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

82  Lihue, Kauai
85  Honolulu, Oahu
80  Molokai
89  Kahului, Maui
85  Kona, Hawaii
84  Hilo, Hawaii

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops around the state… as of 810pm Tuesday evening:

Kahului, Maui – 79
Lojue, Kauai – 76

Haleakala Summit –   43 (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 working.

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

Small Craft Wind Advisory…waters around Maui
County and the Big Island

Trade winds…a few windward showers

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

24  Waimea Heights, Kauai – ESE
42  Kahuku Trng, Oahu – NNE
30  Molokai – ENE
37  Kahoolawe – ESE
33  Kaupo Gap, Maui – NNE
31  PTA West, Big Island – NW

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

5.10  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.55  Poamoho RG 1, Oahu
0.08  Molokai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.35  Puu Kukui, Maui
0.67  Kaloko-Honokohau, 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 Narrative ~~~

The trade winds will blow through this work week…then become lighter from the southeast by Sunday into early next week. Here’s a weather chart showing a high pressure center to the northeast…with its associated ridge extending westward to the north of Hawaii. At the same time, we find a low pressure trough over the ocean to the west of Kauai. High pressure to our northeast will be the dominate weather feature for a while, with locally strong and gusty trades continuing through Friday. The trade winds may increase a notch Wednesday through Thursday into Friday. The models continue showing a possible change beginning this weekend, with the trades faltering once again…and perhaps veering to the southeast by Sunday into early next week – quite a rarity in our Hawaiian Island weather picture. Then again, the trade winds may keep blowing, that’s a question at this point.

Satellite imagery shows large clear areas over and around the island chain this evening. The cloudiness associated with a trough of low pressure, continues to slowly move away to the west. Here’s the looping radar image, showing just a few random showers being carried through the state, mostly over the offshore waters. This drier weather reality will continue through the next several days. As mentioned in the paragraph above, the models are still trying to drop another deep trough of low pressure system over us later this weekend, which could mean more downpours Sunday into the first part of next week! It should be noted that this kind of late season wet weather event bucks our climatological norm…so please stayed tune for possible changes.

Here on Maui [540pm Tuesday, HST]:  The recent trough of low pressure has now shifted over the ocean to the west of Kauai. This bodes well for less showery weather, and a nice dry streak coming up over the next several days. We’ll likely see a few windward showers, although not many for the most part. We’ll grade into a period of stronger trade winds now, which will be gusting up to 40+ mph at times over the next several days…at least in those areas exposed to the strengthening trade flow. This classic trade wind weather pattern will continue into the first part of the weekend, so get those things done…that need nice weather!

It was a hot day here on Maui, with a high temperature of 89F degrees at the Kahului airport…just shy of the 91 degree record for the date. Early this evening, looking over towards the windward sides, I see lots and lots of clear blue skies, with just a few minor popcorn type cumulus clouds…moving along in the brisk trade wind flow. Here in Kula, its sunny, with just some clouds wanting nothing better to do, than evaporate as soon as the sun goes down. As noted above, things will continue to be sweet, from a weather perspective, through most of Saturday. What will happen by Sunday into early next week, well…is still a question. I’ll be back with your next new weather narrative early Wednesday morning, I hope you have a great Tuesday night until then! Aloha for now…Glenn.

A Happy Animals video – full screen viewing best

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:  Tropical cyclone 01E, the first of the season, has formed, located about 650 miles south-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico. Maximum sustained winds are 35 mph, with a present movement towards the west at near 12 mph. Here’s the NHC graphical track map, along with a satellite image.

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 01B (Mahasen) remains active in the Bay of Bengal…located approximately 246 NM south of Kolkata, India. Sustained winds were 45 knots, with gusts to near 55 knots. Here’s the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) graphical track map, along with a satellite image.