Subject: Central Pacific: Satellite Interpretation Message

From: LDM Weather <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2010 13:32:35 -0500

235 
ATHW40 PHFO 301832
SIMHI 

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SATELLITE INTERPRETATION MESSAGE
NWS CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER HONOLULU HI
1830 UTC THU SEP 30 2010

BASED ON DATA THROUGH 1800 UTC SEPTEMBER 30 2010

A LIGHT NORTHERLY FLOW PREVAILS IN THE LOW LEVELS NEAR THE 
ISLANDS FROM KAUAI TO MOLOKAI...WHILE AN EASTERLY FLOW IS SEEN OVER 
WATERS SOUTH OF THE BIG ISLAND. HOWEVER...CLOUD MOTIONS ON REGIONAL 
SATELLITE IMAGERY MASK THIS FACT...AS CLOUDS JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE 
ARE MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST NEAR KAUAI...AND A WEAK 
CIRCULATION...AT CLOUD LEVEL...IS APPARENT OVER WATERS ABOUT 100 
MILES NORTH OF OAHU. CLOUDS OVER THE WATERS NORTHEAST OF THE BIG 
ISLAND ARE DRIFTING TO THE EAST. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ACTUAL 
LOW LEVEL FLOW AND OBSERVED CLOUD MOTIONS IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT 
THE LOW LEVEL FLOW IS SHALLOW...AND SOME OF THE CLOUDS ARE IN A 
LAYER THAT EXTENDS FROM 9 TO 14 THOUSAND FEET...WHERE STEERING 
WINDS ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE LOW LEVEL WINDS. 

SKIES OVER KAUAI ARE CLOUDY...WITH BROKEN TO OVERCAST 
CLOUDS...OBSERVED TO BE NEAR 8 THOUSAND FEET...TRACKING FROM 
NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST OVER THE ISLAND. A GOOD PORTION OF OAHU IS 
UNDER MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES THIS MORNING...ALTHOUGH A FEW SHOWERS MOVED 
FROM NORTH TO SOUTH OVER THE NORTH SHORE NEAR KAHUKU NEAR SUNRISE. 
SMALL PATCHES OF CUMULUS /CU/ ARE OVER THE SPINE OF THE KOOLAU 
RIDGE...WITH A SLIGHTLY LARGER PATCH OF CU OVER THE WAIANAE RANGE...
AND OVER NEAR SHORE WATERS NORTH OF MOKULEIA. AN AREA OF BROKEN 
STRATOCUMULUS /SC/ IS OVER SOUTHEAST OAHU NEAR WAIMANALO...AND THE 
REMAINDER OF THE ISLAND IS SUNNY. BROKEN TO OVERCAST SHOWERY CU 
EXTEND NORTHWARD...AND TO A LESSER EXTENT EASTWARD...FROM THE NEAR 
SHORE WINDWARD WATERS OF MAUI AND MOLOKAI...AND SKIES OVER MAUI 
COUNTY ARE MOSTLY CLOUDY UNDER A MIX OF STABLE SC AND SHOWERY CU. 
IN CONTRAST...THE BIG ISLAND IS SUNNY...WITH ONLY A FEW SC LOCATED 
OVER NEAR SHORE WATERS OFF THE HAMAKUA COAST. 

WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS A CLOSED LOW ALOFT CENTERED ABOUT 100 
MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE BIG ISLAND...THAT HAS BEEN DRIFTING SOUTH 
OVER THE PAST 8 HOURS. AN ANTICYCLONE ALOFT IS CENTERED ABOUT 375 
MILES WEST OF KAUAI...WITH THE END RESULT BEING A NORTH TO NORTHEAST 
FLOW ALOFT OVER THE ISLANDS. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN 
DISORGANIZED WITHIN THE NEAR EQUATORIAL TRADE WIND CONVERGENCE ZONE 
SOUTH OF THE ISLANDS. 

$$

BIRCHARD

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