Hawaiian Islands Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs / April 26-27, 2018

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

81 – 74  Lihue, Kauai
83 – 72  Honolulu, Oahu
79 – 71  Molokai AP
82 – 68  Kahului AP, Maui
84 – 73  Kailua Kona
76 – 67  Hilo AP, Hawaii

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

0.65  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
3.98  Poamoho RG 1, Oahu
0.54  Molokai
0.42  Lanai
0.02  Kahoolawe
3.70  Puu Kukui, Maui
1.49  Papaikou Well, Big Island

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

29  Port Allen, Kauai
25  Kaneohe MCBH, Oahu
23  Molokai
12  Lanai
31  Kahoolawe
29  Kahului AP, Maui
22  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 of the state…a cold front northwest

The high and middle clouds…clipping some parts of the state

Clear to partly…cloudy some windward areas

Showers locally…some are locally heavy – Looping image

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

Broad Brush Overview: The long lasting trade wind flow will begin to diminish through tonight, as high pressure to our north weakens. The low level wind flow will shift to the southeast going into tonight as well, as a late season cold front approaches the state from the northwest. This cold front will bring increased rainfall to the islands, with showers reaching Kauai tonight and Friday, before moving down the island chain Friday night through Sunday morning. Showers may linger into next week…especially over the Big Island and possibly parts of Maui.

Details: A moderately strong high pressure system north-northeast of the islands, continues to drive moderate to locally strong trade winds across the state. Satellite imagery shows a band of overcast low clouds embedded within trade flow, approaching the islands from the east. These showers will likely pick up along the windward sides as the cloud band arrives. Rainfall will continue to favor windward and mountain areas…which is typical with such a trade wind weather pattern in place for the time being.

The models show the trades beginning to decrease through tonight, as the high to our northeast weakens and gets pushed eastward by a cold front to our northwest. Local winds will begin to change from weaker trades to southeasterlies as this front gets closer…which may carry volcanic haze (vog) our way locally. The front will reach Kauai early Friday, spreading increased showers along and ahead of it. There’s a degree of uncertainty concerning the strength of the front, as it moves across the islands Friday into Sunday.

The models go on to show colder temperatures aloft developing Sunday, likely making this front a more prolific rainfall producer, as it reaches the Big island late in the weekend. The probability for heavy rainfall increases from Friday through Sunday, although it’s too early to tell which island will be most under threat. The frontal boundary may stall near the Big island, potentially providing that island with lots of rainfall into early next week…some of which could bring localized flooding issues.

Looking Ahead: Look for a drier trade wind flow returning to the smaller islands after the frontal passage, bringing back a pattern of windward and mountain showers into next week. Moisture from the frontal boundary near the Big island and perhaps Maui, may enhance these showers from time to time. High pressure will strengthen sufficiently to bring back strengthening northeasterly trade winds by the middle of next week…which will likely continue into next weekend.

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:  Locally strong trade winds will weaken, then collapse completely tonight, as a weak trough develops over the area. A cold front associated with the developing low is expected to reach Kauai sometime Friday, then move down the chain through Saturday before potentially stalling near the Big Island through the rest of the weekend. Initially, right behind the front, north winds may briefly reach small craft advisory criteria in some of the marine zones. The low will send a mix of swells and seas toward the islands this weekend into next week…necessitating a small craft advisory late Saturday into Monday.

A moderate north-northwest swell is expected to arrive and peak Friday, with peak surf heights below advisory levels. The low that develops north of the islands late in the week, will remain in place until early next week. The amount of swell/surf that arrives in the islands is somewhat uncertain, and will depend on the evolution of the low and associated fetch. Current indications are that a fairly significant swell will produce advisory level surf along exposed north and west facing shores…with the peak of the swell around Sunday.

Elsewhere, several pulses of relatively small southwest to south swells are expected over the next week or so, with a peak in swell energy around Sunday. Rough and choppy surf along east facing shores will diminish Thursday and Friday.

World-wide Tropical Cyclone activity

Here’s the latest Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) Weather Wall Presentation…covering a tropical disturbance being referred to as Invest 93W

>>> 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

>>> North and South Indian Oceans / Arabian Sea: No active tropical cyclones

Here’s a link to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)


Interesting: Invasive Cuban Treefrogs Leap Out of Florida, Establish First Known Population in Louisiana – A population of exotic invasive Cuban treefrogs has been discovered in New Orleans, more than 430 miles from the nearest known population in Florida, making this the first known breeding population in the mainland United States outside that state, reports a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Cuban treefrogs can drive out native frogs and be a nuisance to homeowners. Native to Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands, Cuban treefrogs have successfully bred in Florida since at least 1951. Established populations of the treefrog species have also been found on Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“Homeowners may be familiar with the nuisance species as they have noxious skin secretions, lay their eggs in bird baths and fish ponds, and they can clog plumbing and cause power outages by short-circuiting utility switches where they seek refuge,” said USGS Research Ecologist Brad Glorioso, the lead author of the study. “Cuban treefrogs grow much larger than native treefrogs, have been known to displace native treefrogs, and will even eat smaller frogs, often of their own species. A decline in native treefrogs could have consequences, since frogs act as both predator and prey in food webs.”

The invasive species may have hitched a ride on palm trees imported from Lake Placid, Florida, and planted in the Elephant Exhibit at the Audubon Zoo in March 2016. Elephant keepers noted the presence of unusual treefrogs soon thereafter.

According to Glorioso, the tight spaces at the base of palm tree fronds provide an ideal hiding spot for the treefrogs as they are inadvertently transported to distant places. Palm trees are frequently imported from Florida in large numbers to recently disturbed areas, including New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

“They often end up in places with unsuitable climates, but in south Louisiana, Cuban treefrogs appear capable of withstanding seasonal cold spells by seeking appropriate refuge,” said Glorioso.

In late 2016, reports of at least eight Cuban treefrogs of varying sizes on the grounds of the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans gave concern that a population may be establishing. Following additional reports in 2017 of suspected Cuban treefrog tadpoles and recently metamorphosed juveniles in Riverview, a part of Audubon Park between Audubon Zoo and the Mississippi River, the USGS began investigating the likelihood of an established population.

Between mid-September and mid-November of 2017, USGS scientists captured 367 Cuban treefrogs in just four surveys. In addition, in late October, approximately 2,000 Cuban treefrog tadpoles were removed from two pools of water in Riverview. The pooled water was then drained to eliminate any possibility of survival of overlooked tadpoles.

It is not yet known how the Cuban treefrogs have impacted Louisiana’s native treefrogs, but USGS scientists did note a lack of native species during their surveys. No native treefrogs were captured at Riverview, where the highest density of Cuban treefrogs were found.

Cuban treefrogs are not a harmless invasive species, says Glorioso, and eradicating the recently discovered population in Louisiana is improbable.

“Right now, the hope is that the Cuban treefrogs do not reach and become established in the large tracts of public land, including the Barataria Preserve of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, just across the Mississippi River,” said Glorioso.