Hawaiian Islands Satellite Interpretation Message

Hawaiian Islands Satellite Interpretation Message
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:30:00 -0500

Based on data through 0000 UTC September 04 2010.

Water vapor imagery shows an upper level trough sharpening over the region between the windward side of the Hawaiian island chain and 800 miles northeast of the main Hawaiian islands. Another trough is centered north of 30°N near 168°W but the trough axis stretches southwestward across the far northwestern Hawaiian islands connecting to an upper low near 21°N 175°W. Between these troughs, a sharp north to south oriented upper level ridge is positioned along 162°W, or about 200 miles west of Kauai.

Deep moist convection is limited to the southern portions of the area, south of 12°N, near the intertropical convergence zone which is just south of 10°N. Infrared imagery shows a few thunderstorms with tops above 40000 feet near 10°N 142°W and between 160°W and the dateline between 10°N to 12°N. Elsewhere across the area, scattered to broken low topped stratocumulus dominates. The highest concentration of these clouds is north of 20°N between 165°W and 140°W, and includes the waters surrounding the main Hawaiian islands.

Over the Big Island, broken to overcast low clouds covers the lower slopes below 8000 feet from the Waikoloa Village south to South Point and along the Kau district from South Point to near Volcano. Another deck of broken low clouds stretches from the Puna district across Hilo and along the windward lower slopes northward to Waipio valley.

Over the small islands, scattered low clouds are skirting haleakala's slopes on all sides, and these are locally drifting off the leeward coast reaching Kahoolawe. A small patch of low clouds is found over the mountainous eastern portion of Molokai. More extensive low clouds covers the Koolau mountains of Oahu as well as the Waianae mountains and coast. These clouds are also drifting over the immediately adjacent leeward Oahu coastal waters. Scattered low clouds are hanging across the higher terrain of Kauai and over the leeward coast and waters, reaching Niihau as well.

The cloud tops over the state are estimated by satellite to be between 8000 and 10000 feet, with cloud movement to the west at about 20 mph.

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BRENCHLEY

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