Hawaiian Islands Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs / January 13-14, 2018

Air Temperatures – The following high temperatures (F) were recorded across the state of Hawaii Saturday…along with the low temperatures Saturday:

79 – 62  Lihue, Kauai
83 – 67  Honolulu, Oahu
mm mm  Molokai
81 – 59  Kahului AP, Maui
82 – 71  Kailua Kona
85 – 68  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

0.02  Kalaheo, Kauai
0.01  Poamoho RG 1, Oahu
0.00  Molokai
0.01  Lanai
0.03  Kahoolawe
0.05  West Wailuaiki, Maui
0.27  Saddle Quarry, Big Island

The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph) Saturday evening:

17  Waimea Heights, Kauai
16  Kuaokala, Oahu
07  Molokai
12  Lanai
13  Kahoolawe
08  Kula 1, Maui
18  Kaloko-Honokohau, Big Island

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. Here’s the webcam for the 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.

Aloha Paragraphs

High pressure west-northwest…storm and gale lows far north

High clouds north…and southeast of the Big Island

Mostly clear to partly cloudy…some cloudy areas

Just a few showers – Looping image

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

Small Craft Advisory…all coasts and channels except Maalaea Bay

High Surf Warning…north and west shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Big Island, and north shore of Maui

Broad Brush Overview: The generally light wind conditions will prompt daytime sea breezes and nighttime land breezes this weekend. Look for afternoon clouds, although with only a few showers, along with mostly clear and seasonably cool nights and mornings. The trades will return Monday, then strengthen and become strong and gusty by Wednesday. Windward and mountain showers may become more frequent Tuesday onward…as the trades increase.

Details: Dry weather prevail, which will remain in place through Monday. Weather maps show the islands in a very weak wind field, between high pressure ridges to the west and east, and a large area of low pressure well to the north. The resulting light wind flow is allowing a nighttime land breeze and daytime sea breeze regime to prevail over the islands. A surface ridge will remain over the state, then drift northward late Sunday through Monday. Trade winds will become more defined Sunday night and Monday into Tuesday onward.

Looking Further Ahead: A robust high will park itself to our north by Wednesday, in the wake of a weak cold front. The front won’t have any influence on our weather, although the building high will cause trade winds to increase significantly, with 25-35 mph winds over the open ocean. Winds this strong interacting with island terrain in a stable environment may require a Wind Advisory. The models then show the trades decreasing somewhat Friday into next weekend…as a weak surface trough develops to the west of the state.

Here’s a wind profile of the Pacific Ocean – Closer view of the islands / Here’s the vog forecast animation / Here’s the latest weather map

Marine environment details: The extra large northwest swell will build rapidly, bringing surf heights well above warning levels to exposed shores on the smaller islands, and to the Big Island a bit later. Warning level surf will continue through this weekend and possibly into Monday. As the swell subsides, surf should remain at advisory levels into mid-week before…another northwest swell arrives Wednesday night.

A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) is in effect for all Hawaiian coastal waters, except Maalaea Bay, due to seas. A ridge over the state will keep winds light through the weekend. The ridge will move north late Sunday, with moderate to locally stronger trade winds returning at the beginning of the work week. Winds will then increase through the new week.

Extra large swells have the potential to cause significant impacts to shorelines, especially ones already prone to erosion. This type of event usually generates well above coastal overwash, especially when coinciding with high tides. The highest tide throughout the state will occur again between 130 and 300am Sunday morning, with values between 1.6 and 2.6 ft. Additionally, harbors with northern and northwestern exposures could see impacts from potential surging.

Very large surf on the north and west shores

World-wide Tropical Cyclone activity

>>> Here’s the latest PDC Weather Wall Presentation, covering Tropical Cyclone 06S (Berguitta) in the South Indian Ocean, along with a tropical disturbance being referred to as Invest 90W east of Singapore, Malaysia

>>> Atlantic Ocean:

>>> Caribbean Sea:

>>> Gulf of Mexico:

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:

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:

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

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean: No active tropical cyclones