Hawaiian Islands Satellite Interpretation Message

Hawaiian Islands Satellite Interpretation Message
Mon, 11 Oct 2010 19:30:00 -0500

Based on data through 0000 UTC October 12 2010.

Overall, fewer clouds over the island chain compared to 24-hours ago when a shower area moved across the state. Low clouds continue to move toward the west-southwest at 20 to 25 miles per hour within the trade wind flow. Following the passage of a shower area this morning, Kauai has dried out with only few to scattered clouds over the island and its adjacent coastal waters. Oahu is a bit cloudier than usual for trade wind conditions with scattered to broken low clouds even over leeward areas and extending into the Kaiwi Channel. The middle and upper slopes of Haleakala and the west Maui mountains have broken to overcast low clouds while the lower elevations were mostly clear. On the Big Island, the usual afternoon broken to overcast clouds have developed over the Kona and Kau slopes while the windward slopes have scattered to broken low clouds. Leeward Kohala and the slopes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa are mostly clear.

Beyond the windward coastal waters from 22°N to 27°N between 140°W and 160°W, patches of broken low clouds are moving toward the west at 15 to 20 miles per hour. One area, from 22°N to 25°N between 145°W and 150°W, appears to have embedded showers and shows up in the satellite derived precipitable water data as a slightly enhanced moisture area with pw values at 1.1 to 1.3 inches surrounded by values an inch or less. North of 27°N, low clouds are more widely dispersed.

Water vapor data show a poorly defined upper level low about 470 miles southeast of Hilo. Broken low clouds embedded in the trades and beneath the upper level low are rather showery in appearance south of 17°N and east of 149°W. A broad trough extends from the low center to approximately 10°N 151°W. The associated subtropical jet axis runs along a line from 19°N 167°W to 10°N 151°W to 16°N 140°W. The intertropical convergence zone, ITCZ, is within a 400 to 600 mile wide band to the south of the jet. Earlier deep convection far southwest of the Hawaiian islands, with tops as high as 55000 ft, dissipated a few hours ago.

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KODAMA

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