Hawaiian Islands Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs / January 9-10, 2018

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

79 – 65  Lihue, Kauai
84 – 69  Honolulu, Oahu
mm mm  Molokai
83 – 59   Kahului AP, Maui
81 – 68  Kailua Kona
80 – 66  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

0.09  Anahola, Kauai
0.25  Punaluu Pump, Oahu
0.05  Molokai
0.01  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
0.01  West Wailuaiki, Maui
0.57  South Point, Big Island

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

08  Moloaa Dairy, Kauai
15  Kii, Oahu
22  Molokai
08  Lanai
33  Kahoolawe
13  Hana, Maui
29  South Point, 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 northeast…gale lows with a pair of cold fronts northwest

High cirrus and a cold front near Kauai

Clear to partly cloudy…some cloudy areas

Showers locally…some heavy near Kauai – Looping image

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

Small Craft Advisory…Kauai northwest waters, Kauai windward and leeward waters, Kauai Channel, Oahu windward, Kaiwi Channel

High Surf Advisory…north and west shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai and north shore of Maui

Broad Brush Overview: There are two cold fronts approaching Kauai from the northwest, which are causing our local winds to weaken. This will allow sea breezes to develop over the western islands, with clouds and a few showers over some interior areas. As the fronts merge, and reach Kauai early Wednesday, it will weaken to a surface trough, producing clouds and showers across some of the smaller islands. An upper level trough passing over the state Wednesday into Thursday may also enhance rainfall, particularly over the Big Island. A weak ridge moving over the islands later this week…will cause light and variable winds Friday through the weekend.

Details: The surface ridge north of the state will continue to weaken and push south toward the islands…while the high northeast of the Big Island will move east. Our winds will remain east to east-southeast near the Big Island, while they shift southeast and weaken over the smaller islands. This will allow local sea breeze circulations to develop across some of the islands, as well as bring localized volcanic haze (vog). Clouds and isolated showers are also possible over the interior sections of some of the smaller islands…especially on Kauai and Oahu.

This enhanced moisture, combined with the unstable conditions due to the upper level trough moving across the area, may increase rainfall more significantly over portions of the Big Island. The best chance for these potentially heavier downpours, and possible thunderstorms developing on the Big Island…would be Thursday afternoon. However, for now there’s no mention of heavy rain and thunderstorms in the Big Island forecast. It’s still not a sure thing, although things could go in this direction, stay tuned.

Looking Further Ahead:  Once the upper level trough moves east of the Big Island late Thursday, the possibility of enhanced precipitation will diminish. A weak surface ridge will move over the islands from the west Friday, and remain in place through the weekend. This ridge will produce light and variable winds with a stable weather pattern. Look for daytime sea breezes with afternoon clouds and a slight chance of showers across interior sections, followed by local nighttime land breezes with clearing skies each night through the weekend. It looks like light trades may return to the state early next week…returning the focus for showers to the windward sides.

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: A large northwest swell will arrive and persist for several days. Advisory level surf is expected along most north and west facing shores of the smaller islands Wednesday, and may approach warning levels with the expected peak Thursday. An even larger northwest swell is due to arrive this weekend.

A further decrease in wind speeds is expected as a cold front approaches the area from the northwest. As the front stalls and weakens near Kauai and Oahu Wednesday and Wednesday night, a new high building northwest of the area will bring a temporary increase in trade winds. Although winds will likely be below SCA criteria for much of the week, the northwest swells will lead to combined seas exceeding the SCA criteria in many zones beginning Wednesday.

World-wide Tropical Cyclone activity

>>> Here’s the Tuesday PDC Weather Wall Presentation, covering Tropical Cyclone 05S and Tropical Cyclone 04S (Irving) both in the South Indian Ocean

>>> 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