Hawaiian Islands Satellite Interpretation Message
Fri, 28 Jan 2011 23:30:00 -0600
Based on data through 0500 UTC January 29 2011.
The pressure gradient south of a northeast to southwest oriented surface ridge located about 360 miles north of Honolulu continued to maintain a rather tranquil trade wind weather pattern across the aloha state early this evening. There were mainly scattered to locally broken low clouds with embedded isolated showers being transported over the windward coastal waters by the trades. Plumes of scattered to broken low clouds and isolated showers also extended west of some of the islands. The largest of these plumes extended almost 240 miles west of the Kona coast of the Big Island. Additional scattered to locally broken low clouds and isolated showers extended more than 175 miles east of Maui and the Big Island.
The individual low cloud elements over the windward Hawaiian coastal waters were generally moving westward at about 20 mph. The highest tops of the low clouds over the ocean surrounding the Hawaiian islands were estimated to be about 6 thousand feet, except just east of the Big Island where the low cloud tops appeared to be closer to 8 thousand feet.
As of 700 pm HST Friday, scattered to broken low clouds were across most of the eastern half of Kauai, while a few low clouds were elsewhere on that island. Broken to overcast low clouds covered the Koolau and Waianae mountain ranges on Oahu, while scattered to broken low clouds covered the remainder of Oahu. Broken to locally overcast low clouds were over the eastern one-third of Molokai. Scattered low clouds covered the southern half of Lanai. On Maui, broken to locally overcast low clouds were across the windward shorelines, the lower slopes of mount Haleakala, and above the western mountains. There were mainly scattered low clouds elsewhere on Maui. Broken to overcast low clouds covered most of the coastal sections of the Kona and Kau districts on the Big Island. There were scattered to broken low clouds above the lower elevations of the windward and southeastern Big Island.
Upwind of the main Hawaiian islands, the leading edge of a nearly 250 mile wide area of broken to overcast low clouds extended from near 21.5°N 151.5°W to 18.5°N 151.5°W, or about 230 miles east of Hilo. This leading edge has moved westward at 15 to 20 mph during the past 6 hours.
According to loops of water vapor imagery and satellite derived upper level winds, northeast to southwest oriented middle and upper tropospheric ridges were across the Hawaiian islands. As a result upper level winds above the Hawaiian islands were from the northwest at 50 to 55 mph early this evening. Water vapor imagery also indicated significant upper level subsidence above the state. The ridging aloft, as well as at the surface, were contributing to the stable atmospheric conditions being experienced across the Hawaiian island chain.
Elsewhere, an upper tropospheric low was evident in water vapor imagery near 11°N 140°W, or about 1180 miles southeast of Hilo. This low has moved toward the east northeast at 15 mph during the past 6 hours. Broken layered clouds with embedded isolated thunderstorms associated with this low aloft were generally in the area from 14°N to 19°N between 133°W and 145.5°W. The highest tops of the cumulonimbus clouds were estimated to be near 43 thousand feet.
Far to the northwest of Kauai, the leading edge of a 200 mile wide band of broken to overcast layered clouds with embedded showers associated with a cold front extended from near 30°N 168°W to 26°N 175°W to 24°N 180°W, or about 180 miles southeast of Midway atoll. The leading edge of the cloud band has been moving eastward at about 20 mph.
HOUSTON
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