Is this what it takes to call it "summer" in Kona

[Al in Kona]

The Kailua-Kona 5-day high/low temperature forecast appears below. Typically our temperatures remain pretty even varying perhaps only a degree or two back and forth at the most. However, this week we see a slow gradual rise of 1 to 3 degrees F`. Maybe we could call this the start of Summer! You may think that a few degrees is nothing but actually we do notice mostly the slightly warmer night time temperatures. Just wanted to show how slowly and how little temperatures change here. Some may even call it a bit monotonous! This is for May 20 thru 24, 2009.

84`F = 28.8`C 72`F = 22.2`C

85`F = 29.4`C 73`F = 22.7`C

74`F = 23.3`C

[www.dadluvsu.com]

Does anyone else think Al is bragging?

I would be too!

[Donald Sanders]

  Al in Kona said:

The Kailua-Kona 5-day high/low temperature forecast appears below. Typically our temperatures remain pretty even varying perhaps only a degree or two back and forth at the most. However, this week we see a slow gradual rise of 1 to 3 degrees F`. Maybe we could call this the start of Summer! You may think that a few degrees is nothing but actually we do notice mostly the slightly warmer night time temperatures. Just wanted to show how slowly and how little temperatures change here. Some may even call it a bit monotonous! This is for May 20 thru 24, 2009.

84`F = 28.8`C 72`F = 22.2`C

85`F = 29.4`C 73`F = 22.7`C

74`F = 23.3`C

Aloha Al,

I have noticed that the temps got a little warmer in Kona this week. At Keahou Bay, where I work some days, it was 91 on the thermo in my car, in the full sun. Where I live in Holualoa, 1500', it was a cool 81. Night time temps were high too, 69! Most of the year I average 63/64 night low. I heard that the ocean temp was 80. 10 days since last measurable rain, then 1.25. Hope rainy season starts soon! I always love the mauka showers.

I am very reluctant to post info about my climate or my palms because it might sound bragging and palm growers are sick of hearing how fantastic Hawaii is.

Al, can you believe how beautiful this island is?

Regards to you wonderful wife.

Aloha from your friend, Don

[amazondk]

Al,

I post information on the weather thread. But, in reality it probably is not too relevant as on the equator in the humid tropics at our elevation, 20 to 30 meters above sea level things certainly don´t change much. During our winter or rainy season the temperatures are pretty much as yours. The nights are always around 74 F, but during the dryseason, or our summer the highs can go up to 105 F. But, the nights arre still the same.

dk

[www.dadluvsu.com]

  Donald Sanders said:

I am very reluctant to post info about my climate or my palms because it might sound bragging and palm growers are sick of hearing how fantastic Hawaii is.

Post away Donald. It's just insipring me to get my backside over to the island and find a plot to grow palms! Glad you guys are enjoying a bit of "summer heat"

[Kim]

This palm grower is not sick of hearing about Hawaii. I can't get enough of it! Please continue...

[Palm Guy]

Shoot, I'm envious of Hawaii and I live in Bermuda! I think Hilo's microclimate is the best out of all the Hawaii climes though...Can't beat that rainfall. Although I can see alot of dry climate species not liking that much.

Al- We get those exact same temperatures from about Jun -Oct. April - May its slightly cooler as is Nov -Dec. Winter - Jan - Mar here can get quite chilly due to the wind chill factor although it does helps us grow the cool loving species. Since we are moderated by ocean currents I can appreciate the slow change in temperatures as well. When the eastern coast of the US starts warming up around March we warm up a month later and cool down a month later due to the ocean effects . I'd imagine that Hawaii has the same sort of oceanic influence. I've also noticed another similiarity in that your intra-day temperatures don't vary much either. Perfect weather in my opinion!

Here's our weather change patterns for comparison...temperatures are slowly creeping upward ...

[Jeff in St Pete]

  Donald Sanders said:

Aloha Al,

I have noticed that the temps got a little warmer in Kona this week. At Keahou Bay, where I work some days, it was 91 on the thermo in my car, in the full sun. Where I live in Holualoa, 1500', it was a cool 81. Night time temps were high too, 69! Most of the year I average 63/64 night low. I heard that the ocean temp was 80. 10 days since last measurable rain, then 1.25. Hope rainy season starts soon! I always love the mauka showers.

I am very reluctant to post info about my climate or my palms because it might sound bragging and palm growers are sick of hearing how fantastic Hawaii is.

Al, can you believe how beautiful this island is?

Regards to you wonderful wife.

Aloha from your friend, Don

Don, I would love for you to post info about your climate, palms, and other amazing plants you are growing in Hawaii. Please post some photos soon too!

[bgl]

The weather here is definitely interesting. Certain aspects are very predictable: the relatively small differences between daytime highs and nighttime lows for instance. Other aspects can be widely unpredictable, as to when and how much rain we're going to get. I can drive from Hilo to Leilani Estates (25 miles or so), and drive through areas where it's pouring down, and then in between it's nice and sunny!

And Michael, surprisingly many dry climate species will grow and even thrive here on the Hilo side. Needless to say, they will do much better for Al on the other side of the island. Only a handful or so that I tried here and gave up on. That could be either because of the rainfall OR because of the soil. Bought a Brahea aculeata in Jan 2008, and it's doing great. Still in a pot, but I will be planting it soon.

Back to the weather: so far 67.50 inches this year. Same time in 2008: 63.83.

[www.dadluvsu.com]

  bgl said:

so far 67.50 inches this year. Same time in 2008: 63.83.

Wow.

[happ]

Does Hawaii ever experience heat waves\ cold spells? I imagine the oceanic effects greatly modify the climate & work against wide swings in day to day temps. Very high or low pressure systems should translate into some noticeable change in daily temps. Rain would likely be the main variable per season, right? Remarkable climate for it's unremarkableness [if that's a word But even southern Florida can have weeks of very little variation in daily temps. Also coastal cities in California, particularly in summer, can have monotonously little change in 24 hour temps & day to day variety.

[bgl]

Happ,

Sure, there are heatwaves and coldspells here as well, but in my experience different from other places I have lived in. And two of those places: s. California and s. Florida, which gives me some reference. A heatwave here is typically when we have very dry weather during tbe summer, which automatically means less cloud cover and thus more sunshine and higher daytime temps. A coldspell, which is NOT like a coldspell elsewhere would of course generally be during the winter months, when we have very rainy weather for several days, and the lack of sunshine will automatically mean lower daytime temps. Maybe only in the upper 60s, if that. That may not sound like a coldspell to most, but keep in mind, Hawaii is in the tropics! Incidentally, many people, including people who have lived here all their lives, often refer to the winter months as the rainy season. Incorrect! There is no rainy season in Hawaii. A rainy season happens in places that have specific dry and wet seasons, and that's not the case in Hawaii. It's true that, on average, we get less rain during the summer, and more during the winter, but again, this is just an average. Not a reliable prediction. June is one of the drier months. On average! A few years ago the month of June was the second wettest that particular year.

About the small variation between nighttime lows and daytime highs. You are correct, and I should have been more specific. Here, while other aspects of the weather can be unpredictable, this is very predictable THROUGHOUT the entire year. While this is generally also the case in coastal SoCal, there are exceptions. We lived in the San Diego area for 10 years, and I remember one holiday (may have been Labor Day). We were in Mission Bay Park, no more than 2 miles inland, and it was about 100 degrees! That'll NEVER happen here. And of course, when you get further inland (in SoCal), the differences can be substantial. I remember when we lived in Poway, and I would head out for a morning run in March, for instance, and it could be in the upper 30s around 7 a.m. That same afternoon it could be in the 90s. And about south Florida - again, yes, usually minor difference from night to day, but again there are those exceptions that we simply don't have in Hawaii. And anyone who has lived in FL and experienced when a Canadian coldfront comes thru and the temp drops to below freezing will know what I'm talking about. Interestingly, I never heard anyone mention windchill factor when I lived there. At one point, when we lived in Coral Springs, FL, my Dad from Sweden came over for a visit. This was in Nov/Dec 1981. He was 76. While he was there we drove up to Orlando. A coldfront arrived overnight, and the next morning we took that boat across the little lake to the Magic Kingdom in Disney World. My Dad who had lived in SWEDEN all his life had never experienced that kind of cold...! Fortunately, he was there for almost 3 weeks and the cold weather only lasted a few days.

Here where we are, a cold winternight is generally right around 60F. We have experienced down to 57F, but that's fairly unusual. A hot summer afternoon is right around 86F, but never more than that. Hilo being at sealevel could be a few degrees higher. I believe you'll be hard pressed to find other places with such a small variation between winter night lows and summer daytime highs!

Bo-Göran

[Palm Guy]

Bo- Ditto on the windchill factor! 60 F with wind gusts to 50 mph is going to feel really really cold!!! More often than not we need to wear sweaters on a winter night - especially on the north side of the island. But I think its the humidity that really distinguishes it. Dry cold is very different from a humid cold. I remember studying in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada for 5 years and my skin would feel really cold. I'd get chapped lips and dry skin and without a wooly hat I would feel like my ears were going to fall off. Whereas here in Bermuda its always humid so the cool winds seem to bite into your bones rather than leave your skin feeling cold. Maybe thats the same type of experience your dad went through on his visit to S. Florida?

Al- What's your rainfall like?

[amazondk]

I have experienced being cold while hiking in the rainforest here in the pouring rain with the temperature at around 70 F. With the gloom under towering trees, up to 60 meters or more in height it is surprising how uncomfortable one can be.

dk

[happ]

Thanks for the informative reply, Bo Also Bermuda, Palmguy

86F as your highest yearly temp is incredible considering your normal lowest minimum is only 26 degrees cooler. Also, I figured Bermuda would be well into the 80's by now [sounds delightful & about what it is here; 75-80F\ 26-29C].

Glad there are people who closely observe the weather in your locales. Some weather nerds mock even the California climate as being so bland [and during summer it is bland, frankly]. I still get excited by the little stuff [ie. marine layer].

I image unlike Hawaii, that summer is the wet season in Bermuda, yes? [is Bermuda considered part of the Bahama Islands?]

[Al in Kona]

  happ said:

I image unlike Hawaii, that summer is the wet season in Bermuda, yes? [is Bermuda considered part of the Bahama Islands?]

happ - unlike most of the rest of Hawaii, we here on the Kona coast of the Big Island do have a summer max for our rainfall. Normally in summer we wake up to sunny skies, then gradually get a cloud build up resulting in afternoon to early evening showers. In that respect we are different from the rest of Hawaii with their winter max rainfall. Also, in winter many times frontal systems that move down from the northwest bringing cooler rainy weather to the rest of the state escape us altogether as they veer to the northeast once they get as far south as Maui. This leaves us sunny and warm but also no or very little rain from those fronts. As a result, visitors coming to Hawaii in winter will usually find their chances of having nice warm sunny weather are much greater in Kona than in Honolulu or in Kauai. Don't think many winter visitors realize this and it is not advertised for obvious reasons.

[Palm Guy]

Happ - Sorry I missed this one. There is really no significant difference in rainfalls here in Bermuda. Dec-Mar can see about 4-6 inches a month, April May usually about 3-4 inches (driest period), Jun -Sep gets about 5-6 inches and Oct - Nov (rainiest months) 6-7 inches. Sometimes there are weird occasions where we get 10-14 inches of rain a month. Doesn't happen very often though!