Hawaiian Islands Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs / March 2-3, 2018

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

78 – 72  Lihue, Kauai
79 – 72  Honolulu, Oahu
80 – 66  Molokai AP
81 – 68  Kahului AP, Maui
84 – 70  Kailua Kona
78 – 69  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

6.72  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
4.40  Poamoho RG 1, Oahu
1.14  Molokai
0.01  Lanai
0.00  Kahoolawe
1.01  West Wailuaiki, Maui
2.53  Saddle Quarry, Big Island

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

21  Port Allen, Kauai
27  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
27  Molokai
25  Lanai
35  Kahoolawe
28  Kapalua, Maui
25  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 north-northeast…prompting east-southeast winds

A low and associated trough is located west of Hawaii

Partly to mostly cloudy across the state…deeper clouds west

Showers locally over the islands…and offshore
Looping image

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

High Surfing Advisory…east facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island

Small Craft Advisory…coastal and channel waters around Maui County and the Big Island

Broad Brush Overview: A couple of moderately strong high pressure centers will merge well north-northeast of the state, while continuing to spin out east-southeasterly winds through the weekend…and on into early next week. Passing showers will favor windward and mountain areas, with just a few showers expected over some leeward spots on the smaller islands. A weak cold front will move across the island chain Monday night and Tuesday, with showers favoring north and northeast facing slopes. Cooler northeast winds and slightly drier weather is expected in the wake of this front.

Details: The latest satellite imagery continues to show a low pressure system west-northwest of Kauai, drifting slowly northward away from the state. The high pressure centers well north-northeast of Hawaii continue to weaken. A band of enhanced showers and a few thunderstorms remain in place west of Kauai, and will continue to move northward with the low. Otherwise, an upper level jet stream will carry high cirrus clouds over the state, with scattered windward and mountain showers…and an occasional shower over leeward sections of islands through the weekend.

Looking Ahead: The high pressure systems over the Central Pacific will shift to the north of the state, as a low moves south into the Eastern Pacific. The northerly wind flow between these systems will drive a weak cold front across the state Monday night into Tuesday morning, with an increase in overnight and morning showers in the forecast for all islands. Cooler and drier air moving in behind the front, will drop high and low temperatures by a few degrees along with drier weather. By Thursday, a cold upper level low drops into the islands from the north…enhancing shower activity again.

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 strong pressure gradient between high pressure northeast of the state, and weak low pressure to the northwest continues to support strong east-southeast winds across the local waters. Over the weekend, winds will gradually trend down as high pressure to the northeast weakens, in response to low pressure dropping south across the eastern Pacific. Seas will respond and lower, likely dropping below advisory levels across most waters by Saturday.

Over the typically windier locations (channels), however, strong winds with seas hovering around advisory levels will remain likely. Early next week, trades will shift to a more northeast direction and strengthen into the strong category, as a weak cold front approaches…and moves through the local area from the north.

Although surf along east facing shores is expected to gradually trend down through the weekend, heights will remain near or around advisory levels. In addition to this easterly trade wind energy, a small north-northeast swell associated with a large batch of gales over the Gulf of Alaska, is expected to fill in Saturday night through Sunday…which may keep the surf near advisory levels into Sunday for exposed beaches.

The models suggest there will be a strong high pressure (up to 1045 mb) becoming established over the northwest and north-central Pacific, which resembles the pattern observed through the month of November…when significant beach erosion issues occurred from the northerly swells.

A mix of small west-northwest and north-northeast swells is expected Sunday through next week. Two larger overlapping north-northeast swells, associated with low pressure dropping south-southeast from the Aleutians across the northeast Pacific will be possible Tuesday through the second half of the week.

A small to moderate south swell will be possible over the weekend due to a recent gale to storm-force low passing southeast of New Zealand last weekend. This should hold through the weekend before lowering.

World-wide Tropical Cyclone activity

Here’s the Friday PDC Weather Wall Presentation…covering newly formed Tropical Cyclone 11S to the east of Madagascar 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