Hawaiian Islands weather details & Aloha paragraphs / April 9-10, 2011

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

Lihue, Kauai –                    81
Honolulu airport, Oahu –     86
Kaneohe, Oahu –                79
Molokai airport –                 82
Kahului airport, Maui –         84
Kona airport –                     84
Hilo airport, Hawaii –           80

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops…as of 6pm Saturday evening:

Barking Sands, Kauai – 81F
Hilo, Hawaii – 74

Haleakala Crater –     43 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea summit – 32 (over 13,500 feet on the Big Island)

Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals Saturday evening:

1.52    Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.16    Punaluu Stream, Oahu
0.00    Molokai
0.00    Lanai 
0.00    Kahoolawe
0.12    Kaupo Gap, Maui
0.24   Saddle Quarry, Big Island

Marine Winds – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing high pressure systems to the northwest and northeast of Hawaii. Our winds will blow from the east Sunday into Monday…locally rather strong and gusty. 

Satellite and Radar Images: To view the cloud conditions we have here in Hawaii, please use the following satellite links, starting off with this Infrared Satellite Image of the islands to see all the clouds around during the day and night. This next image is one that gives close images of the islands only during the daytime hours, and is referred to as a Close-up visible image. This next image shows a larger view of the Pacific…giving perspective to the wider ranging cloud patterns in the Pacific Ocean. Finally, here's a Looping IR satellite image, making viewable the clouds around the islands 24 hours a day. To help you keep track of where any showers may be around the islands, here’s the latest animated radar image.

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live web cam on the summit of near 13,500 foot Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. The tallest peak on the island of Maui is the Haleakala Crater, which is near 10,000 feet in elevation. These two web cams are available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two! Plus, during the nights and early mornings you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise too…depending upon weather conditions.

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. Here’s a tracking map covering both the eastern and central Pacific Ocean. A satellite image, which shows the entire ocean area between Hawaii and the Mexican coast…can be found here. Of course, as we know, our hurricane season ended November 30th here in the central Pacific…and begins again June 1st.

 Aloha Paragraphs

Gradually improving weather
 
 
 
 
 

 

Southeast winds will give way to more typical easterly trade wind breezes this weekend into the early part of the new week ahead…then turn to the south and southeast by later Tuesday or Wednesday.  Glancing at this weather map, we find two high pressure systems, one to the northwest and one to the northeast…moving eastward. Meanwhile, we have a weak trough of low pressure to our west. Looking at the isobaric lines around our islands, we find that our winds will remain southeast for the moment…then more fully become easterly trade wind direction Sunday into Monday. Our local winds have picked up enough around Maui County and the Big Island, that a small craft wind advisory is now in effect.

As we move into the second half of this weekend, we'll move into what will become a fairly normal trade wind weather pattern. The latest computer model output suggests that this will be a brief period of trade winds however, ending by later Tuesday or Wednesday coming up. Then, a deepening trough of low pressure, along with an approaching cold front will swing our winds to the south and southeast for several days. This cold front may trigger several days of on and off showery weather around the state…with some of these showers locally heavy.

Light to moderately strong breezes, locally stronger will prevail…the following numbers represent the strongest gusts, along with directions Saturday evening:

25 mph       Port Allen, Kauai – ESE
42                Waianae, Oahu – SSE
06              Molokai 
35                Kahoolawe – ESE
23              Lipoa, Maui – SE
05              Lanai Airport – SW
25              South Point, Big Island – NE

We can use the following links to see what’s going on in our area of the north central Pacific Ocean Saturday night.  This large University of Washington satellite image shows an extensive amount of high and middle level clouds to the south…extending northward over the islands.  Looking at this NOAA satellite picture we see lots of multi-layered clouds out over the ocean and over the islands in places too…with some deep convection not too far south of Hawaii.  We can use this looping satellite image to see a dynamic stream of upper and middle level moisture into our area from the south.  Checking out this looping radar image shows light to moderately heavy showers around the islands, especially to our south…with locally heavier showers embedded locally.

In sum: The atmosphere over the Hawaiian Islands remains somewhat moist and unstable Saturday evening. As we move through the rest of this weekend, the moisture will still be around, although the threat of heavy showers will gradually fade away. This doesn't mean that there won't be showers around, even a few locally generous ones, but just that they won't be heavy as they have been locally over the last several days.

Weather conditions should mellow out more so Sunday and Monday, with generally pleasant trade wind conditions. The models are still calling for a trough of low pressure deepening nearby later Tuesday into Wednesday. This, in combination with an approaching cold front from the northwest, will halt our trade winds again. The winds will turn south and southeast, putting us into a muggy reality, with possible volcanic haze showing up. We could see an associated increase in showers during the second half of the new work week ahead. 

Friday evening I went to see a new film in Kahului.  It was called Hanna, starring Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, and Cate Blanchett…among others. The synopsis: Saoirse Ronan is a teenager, raised in isolation by her father to be the perfect assassin…who is sent into the world on a deadly mission. The critics are giving it a B grade, while the viewers are rewarding it with the same decent grade.  I had been enjoying watching the trailer quite a bit, so I was really looking forward to sitting through it. As it turned out, I like it even more than I thought I was going to, and enjoyed the fabulous action. This young girl was a killing machine, and I know that sounds rather gross, but that's how films can be. As for a grade, I'll go along with the others, and give it a good solid B grade too. I had no misgivings about seeing it, and could recommend it to those of you…who like be carried away from your usual life for a couple of hours! Here's a trailer if you're interested in checking it out.

~~~ Here in Kula, Maui at around 5pm Saturday evening, it's still quite cloudy out there, along with rather thick volcanic haze (vog). The looping radar image is showing a pretty impressive amount of showers just to the south of the islands. There looks to be a chance that some of this wet weather may spread over our leeward sides this evening. There appears to be a thunderstorm not far south of the Big Island and Maui County. If this area of showers gets into our area, then there could be more generous showers. I anticipate that this precipitation will gradually lose its punch, and that Sunday should turn out to be less threatened with showers. The near constant stream of upper high and middle level clouds don't seem to want to leave, which is keeping us in a rather cloudy condition. As the upper low pressure system to our southwest finally weakens and moves further away, our local weather will become more sunny during the days. I'll be back again Sunday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Saturday night until then! Aloha for now…Glenn.

ExtraA: Surfing the breaking edge…one way of being big essentially

ExtraB: A great music video from one of my favorites…Fleetwood Mac

Extra2: Another great music video, from yet another of my favorites…Al Green

Extra3: This time Marvin and Tammie…Ain't no mountain high enough

Extra4: A real toe tapper, Michael…Smooth Criminal

Extra5: One I can never resist some Saturday nights, The Beatles…Come Together