Hawaiian Islands Satellite Interpretation Message
Thu, 30 Dec 2010 18:30:00 -0600
Based on data through 0000 UTC December 31 2010.
A complex weather pattern continues over the region, while high pressure at the surface and aloft over and east of the main Hawaiian islands has ushered in a trade wind flow.
A nearly zonal, or west to east flowing, jet stream is racing across the western Pacific roughly along 30°N, then abruptly turns to the northeast near 160°W as it slams into an upper level ridge established along 140°W. At the base of the upper ridge, a center of high pressure aloft is parked 675 miles east of the Big Island near 21°N 145°W. Meanwhile, a nearly stationary upper level low is centered nearly 1000 miles southwest of Oahu at 12°N 170°W.
A trade wind flow is established over all of the main Hawaiian islands as the upper high east of the state and associated surface high pressure exert a greater influence and the upper low to the southwest weakens and fills. Mainly scattered low clouds near the islands are travelling from the east around 20 mph.
Low cloud cover over the islands is greatest over the western end of the state, as a batch of broken stratocumulus and cumulus clouds covers most of Kauai. This area of clouds cleared Oahu earlier in the afternoon but has left broken low clouds along the Koolau range. However, narrow bands of low clouds downwind of and parallel to the Koolau range persist, hinting at the stable conditions that have set up over the state. Satellite-derived precipitable water estimates show 1.3 inches near Kauai tapering off to around 1 inch east of Oahu. As a result, only patches of broken low clouds are found along windward sections of Maui county and the Big Island north of Ookala. Sea breezes have led to the development of broken low clouds along leeward slopes of the Big Island below 7000 ft south of Kamuela.
With the zonal jet stream abruptly changing course over the far northwest portion of the area, a series of fronts are stacked up over northern waters, as well as a field of broken high clouds north of 23°N east of 167°W. A trough along 30°N 152°W, 26°N 160°W, and 20°N 169°W is moving to the east at 15 mph north of 26°N and is stalled to the south. Another decaying front runs along 30°N 151°W and 28°N 166°W. Ragged low cloud bands, roughly 150 miles wide, mark these features. Another front at 30°N 180° is moving to the east near 40 mph and is marked by a 200 mile wide band of layered clouds.
To the south of the state, isolated thunderstorms with tops to 51000 ft are being triggered by the upper low along the ITCZ near 07°N 159°W. Elsewhere, thunderstorms are non-existent along the ITCZ, which is confined south of 10°N.
DWROE
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