Last update to this website was at 810pm Wednesday evening, April 21, 2021
Air Temperatures – The following high temperatures (F) were recorded across the state of Hawaii Wednesday afternoon…along with these low temperatures Wednesday morning:
80 – 67 Lihue, Kauai
88 – 70 Honolulu, Oahu
85 – 64 Molokai AP
86 – 66 Kahului AP
84 – 75 Kona AP, Hawaii
86 – 71 Hilo, Hawaii
Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands Wednesday evening:
1.05 Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.03 Palehua, Oahu
0.00 Molokai
0.00 Lanai
0.00 Kahoolawe
0.00 Maui
1.65 Waiaha, Big Island
The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph) Wednesday evening:
10 Waimea Heights, Kauai
15 Honolulu Harbor, Oahu
04 Molokai
25 Lanai
27 Kahoolawe
24 Kahului Harbor, Maui
21 Upolu AP, Big Island
Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live webcam on the summit of our tallest mountain Mauna Kea (~13,800 feet high) on the Big Island of Hawaii. Here’s the webcam for the (~10,023 feet high) Haleakala Crater on Maui. These webcams are 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.
The high and middle level clouds are gone…although there are a few more approaching from the west
Clear to partly cloudy…a few cloudy areas
Our winds are quite light…at least in most areas
Just a few showers locally
Model showing precipitation through 8-days (you can slow this animation down)
Hawaii is on the 3rd line down from the top…and the 1st line to the right of the middle line (lightning is the blue dots)
Please click this link…to see current Watches, Warnings and Advisories noted above
~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~
>>> Glenn’s Wednesday comments: My low temperature this morning here in upper Kula, Maui was 55.5 degrees
622am, it’s still voggy here on Maui, with a thin veil of high cirrus clouds overhead.
1119am, the high clouds have given way to lots of low clouds now…with still lots of vog around too.
239pm, the breezes are stronger, with lots of sunshine, and somewhat less vog around this afternoon…we’re heading in the right direction as far as vog is concerned.
Super sunny afternoon, I mean like a mid-summer day…or even sunnier than that!
6pm, sunny with an air temperature of 75 degrees…which is very warm for this time of day.
A gorgeous pink late sunset, with a bank of gray low clouds just down the mountain from here in upper Kula…as the temperature has dropped quickly to 60.6 degrees at 715pm. At the same time, I also see a growing and bright 1/2 full moon…directly overhead at the time of this writing.
810pm, clear with a temperature of 56.4 degrees
Broad Brush Overview: The higher level clouds will gradually diminish going forward. Leeward sea breezes will support upcountry clouds and a few showers for the time being. Strengthening trade winds and a more typical trade wind weather pattern will return by the end of the week.
Details: Overcast middle and high level cloudiness is gradually thinning and slowly shifting southward. Afternoon leeward sea breezes should have a pretty easy time generating afternoon cloud build-ups, and a even few showers over inland upcountry areas.
We will see similar conditions Thursday, although the gradual increase in trades reduces the likelihood of sea breeze development. Thus, showers may instead manifest in more typical trade wind fashion by Thursday afternoon…especially for Oahu, Maui County and the Big Island.
Looking Further Ahead: Locally strong trades will return by week’s end, as high pressure becomes established well to the north of the island chain. There is strong model consensus that the weak trough currently northwest, will push toward the islands, eventually relocating near or directly over the state this weekend.
The resulting reduction in stability of our atmosphere, will support a wetter trade wind pattern for the weekend. Low confidence with respect to the development of this low, in turn results in higher than normal forecast uncertainty by early next week…stay tuned for more details.
Here’s a near real-time Wind Profile of the Pacific Ocean – along with a Closer View of the islands / Here’s the latest Weather Map. Here’s the animated volcanic emissions graphic
Marine Environmental Conditions: A trough northwest of Kauai will gradually dissipate through Friday. In doing so, light trade winds are expected to spread westward from Maui and the Big Island. A surface high is forecast to pass north of the islands Thursday through Friday, resulting in a boost in the trade winds with speeds becoming locally strong for especially the nearshore areas of Maui County, and waters south of the Big Island. These trades will persist through Sunday…followed by a drop off Sunday night into Monday.
A small to moderate northwest swell will lead to a rise in surf along the north and west shores. This swell will peak Thursday, followed by a gradual decline through Friday. A small to moderate west-northwest swell is expected to arrive next week Monday night and peak Tuesday…followed by a slow decline.
A continuous stream of small swells from the south and southwest will maintain small surf for the south shores throughout the forecast period. The return of the trade wind means the surf along the east facing shores will be on the rise Friday and Saturday when the trades turn stronger. Expect surf to build to small to moderate heights. Surf along the east facing shores will be on the downtrend Monday as the trade winds weaken.
World-wide Tropical Cyclone Activity
>>> Here’s a link to the latest Pacific Disaster Center’s Weather Wall…covering the Pacific and Indian Oceans
Atlantic Ocean: Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2021. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued as conditions warrant.
Caribbean: Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2021. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued as conditions warrant.
Gulf of Mexico: Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2021. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued as conditions warrant.
Eastern Pacific: Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on May 15, 2021. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued as conditions warrant.
Here’s the link to the National Hurricane Center (NHC)
Central Pacific: Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on June 1, 2021. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued as conditions warrant.
Here’s the link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC)
Northwest Pacific Ocean:
Typhoon 02W (Surigae) is located 378 NM northeast of Manila, Philippines
South Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones
North and South Indian Oceans / Arabian Sea:
Tropical Cyclone 29S (Jobo) is located 513 NM north of Antananarivo, Madagascar
Here’s a link to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)
Interesting: Tonight…The first major meteor shower since January is coming to a sky near you over the next few nights – and the peak will be in the predawn hours of Thursday, Earth Day.
The Lyrids have been observed for more than 2,700 years, NASA said, making them one of the oldest known showers. The first recorded sighting of a Lyrid meteor shower goes back to 687 B.C. in China. Observers there said the Lyrids were “falling like rain.”
Surigae Stirs Up the Pacific
The super typhoon reached extreme intensity earlier in the year than any storm in the satellite era.
Surigae (known as Bising in the Philippines) is the first typhoon of the 2021 season in the northwest Pacific and the second named storm. According to the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), the super typhoon reached sustained winds of 165 knots (190 miles per hour) in the early afternoon on April 17. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the central pressure inside the storm dropped to 895 millibars, one of the lowest readings ever recorded.
The typhoon is expected to curve and stay offshore, but its outer bands have been lashing the central and northern Philippine islands with heavy rain, gusty winds, and coastal flooding. At least one person has died and nearly 100,000 have evacuated coastal areas.
Typhoon season in the Western Pacific generally peaks from July through October, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration. On average, 20 tropical cyclones form in the region every year, and eight or nine cross the Philippines.
“The large-scale environment for typhoon formation in the northwest Pacific is more favorable than it was last year,” noted meteorologist Jeff Masters. “More warm water is present, and La Niña is now fading toward neutral conditions.”
Email Glenn James: 
Maggie Says:
Aloha, Glenn. I’ve been looking at the surface weather map over the past several weeks and there seems to be a persistent low pressure system to our NE. It’s wobbled close to the islands from time to time, bringing wet conditions over the past month before then moving back to the NE. I can’t remember seeing a persistent oceanic low in that position for so long. Typically, they seem to get swept up in storm systems and disappear. Does this strike you as unusual, or is it a normal feature this time of year? I am used to seeing a summertime stationary high pressure system to our NE, but not a parked low pressure system.
~~~ Hi Maggie, your comments are so true. Looking at the latest weather map, we see low pressure systems just northeast, and another far to the north-northeast, in the Gulf of Alaska. Additionally, we see two high pressure systems parked offshore from southern California, and another offshore from the OR/WA coasts. These high pressure systems are, and have been blocking the storm path from storms going west to east.
In turn they have kept our local winds coming in from the northeast for several weeks, which carry cooler air over the cooler waters to our north. This of course keeps our local air temperatures cooler than normal for this time of year, especially during the early mornings…which you have probably noticed.
So, this is unusual, for sure, although it looks like things will shift soon, with our winds finally coming in from a more easterly direction, and very likely warming us up some. We can also see a weak cold front just to our north, which will drop down into the state Friday into Saturday, stalling over Maui. We see another cold front north of this first one, and it might arrive around next Wednesday…time will tell.
Thanks so much for your very good question!
Aloha, Glenn
Glenn Says:
test
chico Says:
BRRR! Glenn
~~~ Hi Chico, that’s for sure! I don’t know where you live, although here at my place in upper Kula, the air temperature at 604am Saturday morning…is 43.3 degrees. These northeast winds we’ve been having, and will continue to have for the time being, will keep our temperatures cooler than usual.
Stay warm everyone…especially during the early morning hours!
Aloha, Glenn
Diane Dougherty Says:
Aloha Glenn,
We have been vacationing in the Wailea area on Maui for almost 40 years. It seems that the last 5 weeks or so the winds have been more consistent and stronger than past years. I thought Haleakala normally protects this area from the worst of the wind. Is this normal for March into April? Mahalo for your insight.
~~~ Hi Diane, good question. Lucky you, vacationing in Wailea at times over the past 40 years…wow! As for the trade winds this late winter into early spring, they are often quite robust and persistent this time of year. They typically calm down or falter completely during the later fall through winter, into the early spring periods. As for the Haleakala Crater blocking the trades, this is of course true in some cases. The classic trade winds come in from the east-northeast through easterly directions. When the winds arrive from the north through northeast, they tend to shoot down the central valley and out through the Maalaea Bay…down into Kihei and Wailea. When they are more directly easterly, they typically don’t get down into Wailea as much. So, have the trade winds been stronger and more consistent in Wailea during the last 5 weeks? The truth is that I live in upper Kula, and the winds are completely different up here, compared to down along the south coast. So, I appreciate your letting me know that in fact…they have been stronger than usual lately!
I hope you enjoy the rest of your visit here in paradise!
Aloha, Glenn
Lou Says:
Aloha Glenn,
28 degrees F at the summit of Haleakala this morning. Coldest temperature at this time in the morning in April I have ever seen. Weird.
Cheers,
Lou
~~~ Hi Lou, man oh man, that is cold! Here at my place in upper Kula it dropped to a chilly 45.5, way warmer than up there…although cold enough!
Thanks for letting us know!
Aloha, Glenn