Subject: Central Pacific: Satellite Interpretation Message

From: LDM Weather <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:27:48 -0600

530 
ATHW40 PHFO 171827
SIMHI 

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SATELLITE INTERPRETATION MESSAGE
NWS CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER HONOLULU HI
1830 UTC THU JAN 17 2008

BASED ON DATA THROUGH 1800 UTC JANUARY 17 2008

THE WEATHER PATTERN IS RATHER COMPLEX ACROSS THE CENTRAL PACIFIC. A 
WEAK HIGH SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES NORTHWEST OF KAUAI IS SANDWICHED 
BETWEEN A WEAKENING LOW 850 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF THE STATE AND A 
DEVELOPING FRONT 1500 MILES TO THE NORTHWEST.

THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS ARE UNDER A LIGHT...STABLE...AND MAINLY 
DRY TRADE WIND FLOW SOUTH OF THE HIGH AND ITS ASSOCIATED RIDGE. A 
FIELD OF BROKEN STRATOCUMULUS CLOUDS IS MOVING WITHIN THIS FLOW AND 
IS AFFECTING MOSTLY WINDWARD AREAS FROM KAUAI TO MAUI. A SHIELD OF 
SCATTERED TO BROKEN HIGH CLOUDS PASSING OVERHEAD IS PARTIALLY 
OBSCURING THE DETAILS OF THIS LOW CLOUD COVER. THE STRATOCUMULUS 
FIELD ABRUPTLY ENDS EAST OF MAUI...LEAVING THE BIG ISLAND UNDER 
MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES THIS MORNING. 

LOW CLOUD CHARACTERISTICS CHANGE ABRUPTLY 100 MILES EAST OF THE BIG 
ISLAND. A 100 MILE-WIDE BAND OF SCATTERED TO LOCALLY BROKEN CUMULUS 
CLOUDS RUNS ALONG 17N 154W...24N 148W...AND 30N 144W...AND CONTINUES 
NORTHWARD TO THE WEAKENING LOW 850 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF THE 
ISLANDS. THIS CLOUD BAND SEPARATES THE STABLE STRATOCUMULUS CLOUDS 
OVER THE STATE FROM A MORE TYPICAL...TRADE-WIND MIX OF CUMULUS AND 
STRATOCUMULUS TO THE EAST. ISOLATED TOWERING CUMULUS CELLS RISE AS 
HIGH AS 26000 FT ALONG THE BAND 175 TO 200 MILES EAST OF THE BIG 
ISLAND. THESE CELLS ARE MOVING TO THE WEST AT 10 MPH AND ARE BEING 
TRIGGERING BY A LINGERING UPPER TROUGH ASSOCIATED WITH THE SURFACE 
LOW.

ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS CENTERED ABOUT 525 MILES NORTHWEST OF 
KAUAI ALONG 30N 164W AND 20N 171W AND IS TRAVELLING TO THE EAST 
AROUND 30 MPH. IT IS GENERATING A 400 MILE-WIDE SHIELD OF SCATTERED 
TO BROKEN HIGH CLOUDS OVER MOST OF THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS 
CENTERED ALONG 19N 161W AND 27N 156W. FARTHER NORTHWEST...A STRONGER 
UPPER TROUGH IS DRIVING A DEEPENING FRONT THAT IS APPROACHING THE 
DATELINE.

$$

WROE

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