Hawaiian Islands Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs / September 14-15, 2015

Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures (F) were recorded across the state of Hawaii Monday…along with the minimums Monday:

84 – 78  Lihue, Kauai
89 – 79  Honolulu, Oahu
84 – 73  Molokai
89 – 77  Kahului AP, Maui 
89 – 78  Kailua Kona
88 – 73  Hilo, Hawaii

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

2.02  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
1.25  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
0.45  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.01  Lanai
0.01  Kahoolawe
0.40  Puu Kukui, Maui
1.26  Puho CS, Big Island

The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph)…as of Monday evening:

29  Lihue, Kauai – NNE
35  Kuaokala, Oahu – NE
27  Molokai – N
25  Lanai – NE
32  Kahoolawe – NE
28  Kahului AP, Maui – NNE
28  South Point, Big Island – ENE

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.

Aloha Paragraphs

A low pressure system spinning…far to the northwest

Here’s a wind profile…of the area around the islands

Thunderstorms offshore to the northwest, west,
southwest, south and southeast

Clouds to our east and northeast, which are being
carried our way on the trades

There are showers in our area…arriving along our
windward sides mostly, although not exclusively
looping radar image

Small Craft Advisory…all coasts and channels
statewide except windward Big Island

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

Returning trade winds…continuing through Thursday. Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands, and the rest of the North Pacific Ocean, along with a wind profiler of the central Pacific. We find a large, moderately strong high pressure system to the north of the state…moving closer to our area now. At the same time we see a storm low pressure system far northwest of the islands. Our winds are now arriving from the trade wind direction. This in turn will finally bring us back into a late summer trade wind weather pattern. The trades will provide some slight relief from the heat, as they pass over the ocean to our east and northeast. However, that ocean surface is running about 3 degrees warmer than normal now, keeping these refreshing trade wind breezes from bringing their usual cooling!  These trades may give way to more southeasterly winds later this week…bringing muggy and voggy weather our way again then.

There will be an increase in windward showers…into mid-week. The atmosphere is becoming more stable now, which means less shower prone…at least for the leeward sides. However, the windward sides will see an increase in showers, which will be carried over into the leeward sides at times on the strengthening trade winds. The latest models suggest that there will be off and on moisture sources riding in on these trades through the mid-week period. The leeward beaches, which have been unusually cloudy and often wet too, will see fewer showers for the time being. Looking ahead, and wouldn’t you know it….we may find moist unsettled weather conditions, with the threat of more heavy rains returning later this week into the weekend.

Here on Maui…It’s 545am Monday morning, and still too dark for me to see what’s going on out there, I’ll let you know in a few minutes. It’s now 6am, and I can see that we have clear to partly cloudy skies, with some high cirrus mixed in as well…which lit up a beautiful pink at sunrise!  The windward sides are cloudy, as the trade winds are back. We’ll see these clouds dropping off and on showers through Wednesday…while the leeward sides will be drier in most areas.

– It’s late afternoon, with a mix of low and higher level clouds…although with lots of sunshine beaming down at the same time. Satellite imagery showers an area of showery clouds arriving along our windward sides, which will continue tonight into Tuesday. As we get into the sunset period, the high cirrus clouds should light up a nice orange and pink…as they did at sunrise this morning.

– We’re into the early evening now, and the weather has changed rather abruptly! It was sunny enough here in Kula, that I was able to dry my laundry out on the line. Then about 5pm or so, the clouds increased markedly, and it’s now foggy and lightly showering at just before 6pm. / Now at 845pm, it’s of course dark, although I can hear a light shower falling out there…it will be nice to fall asleep to.

I’ll be back with many more updates on all of the above and below, I hope you have a great Monday night wherever you’re spending it! Aloha for now…Glenn.

World-wide tropical cyclone activity:

>>> Atlantic Ocean:

1.)   A low pressure area located about midway between the Cape Verde Islands and the Lesser Antilles is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Some development of this low is still possible during the next couple of days while it moves generally northwestward. After that time, however, upper-level winds are expected to become unfavorable for development.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…medium…60 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…medium…60 percent

2.)  A broad low pressure system is located about 375 miles south of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands. Shower and thunderstorm activity continues to show signs of organization, and environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for the formation of a tropical depression over the next few days while the system moves west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…medium…50 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…high…80 percent

Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean

>>> Caribbean Sea: There are no active tropical cyclones

>>> Gulf of Mexico: There are no active tropical cyclones

1.)   A low pressure system over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico has moved inland near Tampico, Mexico. Although tropical cyclone development is no longer expected due to land interaction, locally heavy rainfall will be possible over portions of eastern Mexico during the next couple of days as the system moves farther inland. These rains could produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…low..near 0 percent

Here’s a satellite image of the Caribbean Sea…and the Gulf of Mexico

Here’s the link to the National Hurricane Center (NHC)

>>> Eastern Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclones

1.)  Shower and thunderstorm activity associated with a broad area of low pressure located several hundred miles south of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula has diminished since yesterday. However, some slow development of this system is still possible during the next several days while it moves generally northwestward at 5 to 10 mph.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…10 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…low…30 percent

Here’s a wide satellite image that covers the entire area between Mexico, out through the central Pacific…to the International Dateline.

Here’s the link to the National Hurricane Center (NHC)

>>> Central Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclones

Here’s a link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC)