08-11-2015, 09:44 PM
Known as the Little Islands/ Big Wake effect there is scientific fact that our high mountains in Hawaii affect wind patterns in a big way;
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Wake/
We have by a factor of 10 the longest island wake effect (sometimes up to 3,000 kilometers) found on Earth. Since wind cannot go through rock they deflect to go around. This fact guarantees that any storm coming in off the ocean on the Big Island or Maui will be deflected by the huge rocks in a flat ocean.
Another way to think of it is winds do not blow but are more correctly considered to be sucked in by low pressure. The counter clockwise motion of a tropical storm system tells you exactly where you are in relation to the vortex. Trades are winds that are sucked into the almost constant low pressure South of Hawaii from high pressure North of Hawaii.
Easy to see these mountains had a huge effect on Iselle. It was fighting shear on it's way here weakening but still organized on the relatively flat ocean and it appeared to me that it tried to avoid the mountains by diving under the Big Island and then in kinda of a dead spot in the lee of Mauna Loa, the back of the vortex spun in right over Pahala, after skipping over Kapoho. Then up and over the flanks of of Mauna Loa and back out to sea to dissipate completely in less than 200 miles.
It doesn't look like we'll be able to see this wind deflection effect with Hilda as it's winds are too far away. Don't be surprised if the moisture from Hilda gets hung up on the Big Island. Clouds/ showers are also affected by the mountains in a big way. They can't go through mountains either and are deflected around or hung up. Tropical storms are well known for doing this and there are no doubts that the mountains are the cause for the hang up and or deflections.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Wake/
We have by a factor of 10 the longest island wake effect (sometimes up to 3,000 kilometers) found on Earth. Since wind cannot go through rock they deflect to go around. This fact guarantees that any storm coming in off the ocean on the Big Island or Maui will be deflected by the huge rocks in a flat ocean.
Another way to think of it is winds do not blow but are more correctly considered to be sucked in by low pressure. The counter clockwise motion of a tropical storm system tells you exactly where you are in relation to the vortex. Trades are winds that are sucked into the almost constant low pressure South of Hawaii from high pressure North of Hawaii.
Easy to see these mountains had a huge effect on Iselle. It was fighting shear on it's way here weakening but still organized on the relatively flat ocean and it appeared to me that it tried to avoid the mountains by diving under the Big Island and then in kinda of a dead spot in the lee of Mauna Loa, the back of the vortex spun in right over Pahala, after skipping over Kapoho. Then up and over the flanks of of Mauna Loa and back out to sea to dissipate completely in less than 200 miles.
It doesn't look like we'll be able to see this wind deflection effect with Hilda as it's winds are too far away. Don't be surprised if the moisture from Hilda gets hung up on the Big Island. Clouds/ showers are also affected by the mountains in a big way. They can't go through mountains either and are deflected around or hung up. Tropical storms are well known for doing this and there are no doubts that the mountains are the cause for the hang up and or deflections.