The latest update to this website was at 826pm Friday (HST)

 

Here are the highest temperatures Friday afternoon…and the lowest Friday morning:

83 / 63  Lihue AP, Kauai
m / m  Honolulu AP, Oahu
82 / m  Molokai AP, Molokai
83 / 66  Kahului AP, Maui
85 / 73  Kona AP, Big Island
82 / 67  Hilo AP, Big Island

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

0.02  Kilohana, Kauai
0.01  Heeia, Oahu
0.01  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.00  Maui
0.01  Mountain View, Big Island

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

15  Mana, Kauai
27  Kuaokala, Oahu
09  Molokai 1, Molokai
15  Lanai 1, Lanai
17  Kahului Harbor, Maui
16  Kealakomo, Big Island

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live webcams on the summit of our tallest mountain Mauna Kea (~13,800 feet high) on the Big Island of Hawaii, and atop the Haleakala Crater (~10,023 feet) 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.

 

https://weather.gc.ca/data/satellite/goes_gwdisk11_1070_100.jpg

Big Blue…click twice for largest version

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES17/ABI/SECTOR/tpw/13/GOES17-TPW-13-900x540.gif 

 A cold front northwest…which is approaching the state


https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES17/ABI/SECTOR/hi/GEOCOLOR/GOES17-HI-GEOCOLOR-600x600.gif

Variable clouds across the state

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES17/ABI/SECTOR/hi/13/GOES17-HI-13-600x600.gif

Low clouds arriving from the southeast…rather than the typical trade wind direction

 

https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/HAWAII_loop.gif

Localized showers

 

https://www.weather.gov/images/hfo/satellite/Kauai_VIS_loop.gif

Kauai and Oahu (Satellite)

 

https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/PHKI_loop.gif

Kauai and Oahu (Radar)

 

https://www.weather.gov/images/hfo/satellite/Oahu-Maui_VIS_loop.gif

Oahu and Maui County (Satellite)

 

https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/PHMO_loop.gif

Oahu and Maui County (Radar)

 

https://www.weather.gov/images/hfo/satellite/Hawaii_VIS_loop.gif

 Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai, and the Big Island (Satellite)

 

https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/PHKM_loop.gif

Maui County and the Big Island (Radar)

 

https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/PHWA_loop.gif

Big Island (Radar)

 

Model showing precipitation through 8-days (you can slow this animation down)

 

https://www.weather.gov/wwamap/png/hfo.png

Please open this link to see details on any current Watches, Warnings and Advisories noted above

 

https://www.weather.gov/images/hfo/graphics/pmsl.gif

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

Glenn’s Aloha Friday comments:  I’m home here in upper Kula, Maui, Hawaii. I hope you have a good Friday wherever you happen to be spending it.

It’s clear although with voggy air, and a low temperature of 54.5 degrees according to my outside temperature sensor.

I’m happy to have this next cold front approaching the state, which will help to shift the current voggy conditions down to the south of the state. We may see yet another cold front approaching the islands late next week.

It’s extremely voggy this afternoon…it’s as thick as a brick…as the saying goes!

As it got dark this evening, the voggy air was by far the most notable weather feature over Maui County. I actually felt a couple of the lightest drops of mist, although they stopped almost immediately.

The high temperature here at my place was a relatively cool 67 degrees.

 

Hawaii’s Broad Brush Weather Overview:  A ridge over the islands will maintain light winds and dry conditions. A weakening cold front and its associated upper level feature will help to enhance trade wind showers this weekend, then a new ridge building to the north will bring a return of trade winds into the new year.

Hawaii’s Weather Details:  Radar and satellite imagery show mostly dry and stable conditions across the state, with a large cluster of low clouds moving towards the state from the east. Clouds and few showers can also be seen developing across some slopes and interior areas, except Kauai, due to sea breeze activity. The atmospheric soundings confirm these mostly dry and stable conditions, with strong temperature inversions around 5,000 to 6,000 feet and precipitable water values well below seasonal average.

As the surface ridge currently extending over the state continues to push further northeast in response to the approaching weak cold front, light to moderate ESE trades will continue over the eastern end of the state, while light to moderate northerly winds begin to filter in to the western end ahead of the front. With this mix of lighter winds, sea breezes will continue to increase clouds and showers over leeward and interior areas locally. In addition, a convergence zone between the ESE trades and the northerly winds filtering in ahead of the front is helping to increase the potential for clouds and showers north and east of Oahu.

The weak cold front northwest of Kauai will gradually approach the western end of the state late tonight into Saturday, then dissipate across the area as it tries to progress further down the island chain through the weekend. Increased moisture in the vicinity of the frontal boundary will increase rain chances, mainly across windward areas as the trades strengthen in the wake of the dissipating front, as a new surface ridge builds to the north. An upper level trough will dip down across the state this weekend, then potentially form a cutoff low to the southeast of the Big Island.

The proximity of this feature to the island chain and the instability that it brings will likely help to enhance windward showers over the weekend into early next week. There might be enough instability to support isolated thunderstorms, but limited moisture with model guidance showing precipitable water values only getting up to 1.1 to maybe 1.3 inches, and the dissipating front and gradually building trades, seem to be the limiting factors.

By Sunday night the upper level trough is expected to be east of the Big Island, which should allow a more typical trade wind pattern to set up to end the year and start the new.

A hot spot over Halemaumau Crater on the Big Island continues to be seen on infrared satellite imagery. The University of Hawaii (UH) Vog Model show SO2 emissions reaching the smaller islands through tonight, and should be pushed offshore as trades return Saturday.

Fire weather:  No critical fire weather conditions are expected for the next 7-days. Dry weather with light winds are expected. Trade winds will return late tonight and Saturday with enhanced shower activity over the weekend. A more typical trade wind pattern is expected Monday onwards.

Here’s a near real-time Wind Profile of the Pacific Ocean – along with a Closer View of the islands / Here’s the latest Weather Map / Vog map animation

Hawaii’s Marine Environment:  An extra-large west-northwest to northwest (290-315 degrees) swell has remained well above guidance at the offshore buoys northwest of Kauai, as it slowly lowers from its earlier peak. Nearshore buoy observations from Hanalei to Pauwela will remain above guidance, before gradually easing tonight through Saturday. This swell has driven surf heights well above warning thresholds for exposed north and west facing shores of the smaller islands and west facing shores of the Big Island.

As a result, the High Surf Warning has been extended through early Saturday. The Small Craft Advisory for high seas over exposed waters has also been extended through this period. Although confidence remains too low to issue an advisory for the north facing shores of the Big Island due to the more westerly direction of the swell, heights may near these levels as the swell peaks.

The ongoing series of extra-large northwest swells has worsened erosion issues, with periodic overwash onto low-lying properties and roadways likely during high tide cycles. This swell is forecast to slowly taper off over the weekend, but will still bring hazardous conditions to exposed areas. Another upward trend is possible early next week, as a couple of smaller northwest swells arrive.

Surf along south and east-facing shores will remain small through early next week, except for south-facing shores exposed to the west-northwest swells.

A surface ridge just north of the state will continue to produce light winds, with land and sea breezes developing near the coasts. A front approaching the state will bring a brief period of moderate northerly winds to the western half of the state. This front is expected to stall and dissipate over the weekend. As a surface ridge builds north of the state in its wake, fresh to strong northeast to east trade winds will return this weekend.

 

Kauai Travel Guide - Erin O'Brien

 

 

World-wide Tropical Cyclone Activity

 

Atlantic Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Caribbean Sea:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Gulf of Mexico:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Northeastern Pacific:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Here’s the link to the National Hurricane Center (NHC)

North Central Pacific:  There are no active tropical cyclones

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

Northwest Pacific Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Southwest Pacific Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

North and South Indian Ocean: 

Tropical Cyclone 05S is located approximately 109 NM south of Cocos Islands

Arabian Sea:  There are no active tropical cyclones

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

>>> Here’s a link to the Pacific Disaster Center’s (PDC Global) Weather Wall website

 

Interesting:  Scientists Engineer Crops to Consume More Carbon Dioxide

Scientists have engineered sugarcane and sorghum to take advantage of rising levels of carbon dioxide, allowing these crops to grow bigger.

To achieve this, researchers focused on the enzyme Rubisco. Plants deploy Rubisco to help capture carbon dioxide for use in photosynthesis. But sometimes Rubisco can consume oxygen instead, slowing growth. As humans pump more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, Rubisco works more efficiently, helping capture more carbon dioxide, which helps plants grow faster.

Rising carbon dioxide levels haven’t yielded the same benefits for all plants, however. A small number of plants are already highly efficient, having evolved a pump that concentrates carbon dioxide in their cells. Such plants — which include corn, sugarcane, and sorghum — are limited less by the amount of carbon dioxide in the air than by the amount of Rubisco in their leaves.

Read more at: Yale Environment 360