The Hawaiian Islands are known for their diverse weather patterns.
Located more than 2,000 miles southwest of the state of California and surrounded completely by the ocean are the Hawaiian Islands. The six major islands that make up the state of Hawaii --- Hawaii (the Big Island), Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai and Lanai --- are actually just the eastern-most islands in the greater Hawaiian island chain. Due to their placement in the tropics and the wide distance situated between each of them, the Hawaiian islands are known for their diverse weather patterns.
Erosion and How It Affects Climate
Molten lava explodes from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano, active since 1983.
Kauai, the western-most major island in Hawaii, is also the oldest one. Naturally, it has the greatest erosion of the major islands; Kauai's Waimea Canyon and eastern valleys are evidence of this. The island of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island, is the youngest of the six major Hawaiian islands, and has drastically different geography; Mauna Loa, inactive since 1984, and Mauna Kea, inactive for an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 years, are both volcanic mountains that have experienced very little erosion. Maui, Oahu, Molokai and Lanai are an intermediary between Kauai and the Big Island, as are their levels of erosion.
Seasons in Hawaii
The world has 13 total climate zones; Hawaii has 11 of them, 10 of them existing on the Big Island alone. Some of Hawaii's many microclimates are volcanic, industrial, agricultural, desert, marine, rain forest, temperate and frozen alpine. Native Hawaiians acknowledge only two, six-month long seasons in Hawaii: Kau and Ho'oilo. Kau lasts from May to October; During this time, the sun is nearly directly overhead and trade winds are dependable. Ho'oilo, on the other hand, lasts from November to April; the weather is cooler during this time of the year, trade winds are more easily affected by other winds, and most heavy storms occur during this time. The Army has long held a large presence in the Pacific Islands and Hawaii, but since 2003 specifically, it has used Hawaii's microclimates for research studies to test how corrosive certain materials are when employed in such diverse environments and climates.
Temperature
Hawaii is special in that its average year's range in temperature is very small. Not accounting for elevations above 5,000 feet, the difference in temperature between the coldest and the warmest months throughout the state does not go over 9 degrees. In the summer season, the average high is 85 and the average low is 71. In the winter, the averages are 78 and 62, respectively. Honolulu's hottest month is typically August, with temperatures hovering in the upper 70s. Its coldest month is usually February, with temperatures in the lower 70s. Water temperatures in the surrounding ocean stay fairly consistent year-round, ranging from the mid-70s to 80 degrees.
Trade Winds
Trade winds are a major factor in the weather patterns of Hawaii. They flow east to west and bring cool air to Hawaii from the north. Though they blow relatively consistently and strongly, their flow changes once they interact with Hawaii's many mountains, valleys, hills and flat lands. The summer season produces the windiest months, with speeds of 12 miles per hour or higher more than half of the time, though the winter season is known to produce violent, abrupt winds above 40 miles per hour, most of these commonly associated with heavy storms.
Rain
Mount Waialeale, located on the island of Kauai, averages a yearly rainfall of close to 500 inches --- that is more than 40 feet of rain, and the world's highest-recorded average rainfall per year. The sunniest, driest months are usually in the summer and the southern parts of each island tend to be the driest all year. One can expect short spurts of rain year-round in Hawaii, though rainfall varies mostly according to island topography.
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