Air Temperatures – The following high temperatures (F) were recorded across the state of Hawaii Monday…along with the low temperatures Monday:
79 – 71 Lihue, Kauai
81 – 74 Honolulu, Oahu
81 – 71 Kahului AP, Maui
80 – 71 Kailua Kona AP
76 – 67 Hilo AP, Hawaii
Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (in inches) for each of the islands as of Monday evening:
2.46 Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.85 Manoa Lyon Arboretum, Oahu
0.22 Molokai
0.00 Lanai
0.00 Kahoolawe
1.30 West Wailuaiki, Maui
3.45 Saddle Quarry, Big Island
The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph) as of Monday evening:
28 Puu Lua, Kauai
44 Kuaokala, Oahu
32 Molokai
32 Lanai
37 Kahoolawe
37 Maalaea Bay, Maui
33 South Point, Big Island
Here’s a wind profile of the Pacific Ocean – Closer view of the islands
Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live webcam on the summit of our tallest mountain Mauna Kea (nearly 13,800 feet high) on the Big Island of Hawaii. This webcam is available during the daylight hours here in the islands, and at night whenever there’s a big moon shining down. Also, at night you will be able to see the stars — and the sunrise and sunset too — depending upon weather conditions.
Aloha Paragraphs
Cold front well to the northeast
Thunderstorms well south…with high cirrus clouds over the state locally
Partly to mostly cloudy…with those Cirrus from Oahu to the Big Island
Showers locally – Looping radar image
Small Craft Advisory…coasts and channels statewide
Wind Advisory…Haleakala summit on Maui above 6,000 feet
Gale Warning…Pailolo and Alenuihaha Channels, Big Island leeward and southeast waters
High Surf Advisory…east facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and the Big Island
~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~
Locally gusty trade winds remain active over the state…easing up during the second half of the week. Here’s the latest weather map, showing a moderately strong high pressure system northeast of Hawaii, with an associated ridge of high pressure running westward from its center…crossing the International Dateline. As a result, the trade winds will be our primary weather influence, which are expected to remain blustery into mid-week. This windy episode will finally ease some Wednesday into Friday, and then a more pronounced slow down is expected in our winds over the upcoming weekend.
Our Hawaii weather will remain rather uneventful…except for the locally gusty winds. The outlook calls for the current trade wind weather pattern to continue, along with the usual windward showers. This prolonged trade wind weather pattern will likely last through the end of the year, with an old cold front or two arriving along the way. As far as any organized cloud bands on the horizon, the best bet seems to be showers increasing from an old frontal band around Wednesday, and then increased windward showers again late Thursday or Friday into the New Years holiday weekend.
Marine environment details: Surf along north and west facing shores has fallen below advisory level heights, and the advisory has been cancelled. A moderate reinforcing swell from the northwest is forecast to arrive Tuesday, but will remain below advisory levels.
Along east facing shores, the High Surf Advisory continues into Tuesday, due to the strong trade winds creating rough and choppy surf. A slight weakening in wind speeds is expected around midweek, which may allow the advisory to be dropped. However, the trade winds are expected to remain relatively breezy through Friday and could keep surf near or at advisory levels for east facing shores through then.
A Gale Warning is in effect for the Pailolo and Alenuihaha Channels and waters south of the Big Island through Tuesday, due to strong trade winds and accelerations around Maui and the Big Island. A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) is in effect for the remaining waters due to a combination of the trade winds and northwest swell.
A shear line cloud band followed by another strong high pressure system behind it, will bring a north northeast swell and a boost to northeast winds to the islands around Thursday and Friday. Models show winds and seas increasing to SCA levels as well as the potential for a High Surf Advisory for east facing shores.
Locally gusty trade winds into Tuesday
World-wide tropical cyclone activity…with storms showing up when active
>>> Atlantic Ocean: The 2016 hurricane season has ended
Here’s a satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean
>>> Caribbean: The 2016 hurricane season has ended
>>> Gulf of Mexico: The 2016 hurricane season has ended
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: The 2016 hurricane season has ended
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: The 2016 hurricane season has ended
Here’s the NOAA 2016 Hurricane Season Summary for the Central Pacific Basin
Here’s a link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC)
Tropical Storm 30W (Nock-ten) is in the South China Sea. Here’s the JTWC graphical track map, with a satellite image…and what the computer models are showing.
>>> South Pacific Ocean: No active tropical cyclones
>>> North and South Indian Oceans / Arabian Sea: No active tropical cyclones
Here’s a link to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)
Interesting Researchers Found Local Experiences and Temperatures Drive Belief or Non-Belief in Climate Change – A new study finds local weather may play an important role in Americans’ belief in climate change. The study, published on Monday, found that Americans’ belief that the earth is warming is related to the frequency of weather-related events they experience, suggesting that local changes in their climate influence their acceptance of this worldwide phenomenon.
The researchers found that Americans who experience more record highs than lows in temperature are more likely to believe the earth is warming. Conversely, Americans who live in areas that have experienced record low temperatures, such as southern portions of Ohio and the Mississippi River basins, are more skeptical that the earth is warming.
The study notes that part of this dichotomy may be because of the early terminology used to describe climate change that suggested the earth was simply warming – not changing in innumerable but measurable ways. This might have led residents living in areas that experienced an unusually cold winter to doubt that climate change is occurring.
“Who do Americans trust about climate change; scientists or themselves?” said Robert Kaufmann, professor in the department of geography and the Center for Energy & Environmental Studies at Boston University and lead author of the paper. “For many Americans, the answer seems to be themselves.”
The researchers also found that a recent period of lower-than-average temperatures offset the effect of a long warming period, further supporting their findings that people’s belief in climate change is local and experiential.
The scientists note the importance of differentiating between weather, the temperatures of a relatively short period of time such as a season, and climate, the average temperatures over a period of 25 or 30 years. Emphasizing the difference between weather and climate may help scientists more effectively communicate about climate change.
The paper, “The Spatial Heterogeneity of Climate Change: An Experiential Basis for Skepticism,” was published in Proceedings National Academy of Sciences.
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