700 
ATHW40 PHFO 280025
SIMHI 

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SATELLITE INTERPRETATION MESSAGE
NWS CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER HONOLULU HI
0030 UTC THU FEB 28 2013

BASED ON DATA THROUGH 0000 UTC FEBRUARY 28 2013

VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGES SHOW A TYPICAL TRADE WIND CLOUD 
DISTRIBUTION OVER THE ISLAND CHAIN ALTHOUGH COVERAGE IS LESS THAN 
USUAL FOR THIS TIME OF DAY. THE LOWER AMOUNT OF CLOUD COVER CAN BE 
ATTRIBUTED TO THE DRIER THAN NORMAL AIRMASS OVER THE STATE AS SHOWN 
BY SATELLITE-DERIVED PRECIPITABLE WATER AND WEATHER BALLOON DATA 
FROM HILO AND LIHUE.  WINDWARD SECTIONS OF KAUAI...OAHU AND MAUI 
COUNTY HAVE SCATTERED TO BROKEN LOW CLOUDS WHILE LEEWARD SECTIONS 
HAVE FEW TO SCATTERED LOW CLOUDS. THE WINDWARD SLOPES OF THE BIG 
ISLAND HAVE BROKEN TO OVERCAST LOW CLOUDS WHICH APPEAR TO BE MAINLY 
STABLE STRATOCUMULUS REACHING UP TO THE 5000 TO 6000 FT ELEVATION 
LEVEL. THE KONA SLOPES HAVE BROKEN LOW CLOUDS WHILE MOST OF KAU AND 
THE LEEWARD KOHALA AREAS APPEAR TO BE CLOUD-FREE. SNOW IS STILL 
EVIDENT ON MAUNA KEA AND...TO A LESSER EXTENT...ON MAUNA LOA.

IN THE OFFSHORE WATERS NORTHEAST OF THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS... 
SCATTERED TO BROKEN LOW CLOUDS ARE MOVING TOWARD THE WEST AT 25 TO 
30 MILES PER HOUR.  THESE CLOUDS ARE MAINLY OF THE STABLE 
STRATOCUMULUS TYPE.

FAR TO THE NORTHWEST...A WEAK COLD FRONT CLOUD BAND EXTENDS 150 
TO 200 MILES NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM 30N 167W TO 24N 180...AND 
COVERS MIDWAY ATOLL. THE BAND IS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 10 MILES 
PER HOUR AND CONTAINS BROKEN TO OVERCAST SHOWERY LOW CLOUDS.

WATER VAPOR WIND DATA INDICATED AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH FAR SOUTHEAST 
OF THE BIG ISLAND WITH AN AXIS ALONG A LINE FROM 22N 140W THROUGH 
10N 146W. BROKEN TO OVERCAST HIGH CLOUD LAYERS WITH POSSIBLE 
EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED SOUTHEAST OF THE TROUGH. WATER VAPOR 
IMAGES ALSO SHOWED VERY DRY MIDDLE AND UPPER ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS 
OVER THE AREA FROM 10N TO 25N BETWEEN 150W AND THE DATELINE. 

$$

KODAMA