![]() You might notice that the street lamps around the Big Island are an unusual redish-orange color when they come on at night. The top of Mauna Kea, of course, has world class telescopes probing the mysteries of the universe. Just about anywhere on the Big Island is good for looking at the moon and stars. ![]() This means it is perfect for people who enjoy stargazing. A Pele bow is a rainbow lit by the lava - it looks like a bright orange rainbow and are only visible at night near the lava flow.īeing isolated by thousands of miles of ocean, and having 14,000 foot mountains means Hawai'i has some of the darkest and clearest skys around. They look similar to rainbows but are much more muted in color. A moonbow is a rainbow at night, lit by the moon. A normal rainbow, a moonbow, and a Pele bow. There are actually three types of rainbows on the Big Island. The Hawaiian word for rainbow is ānuenue (ahh-new-e-new-e). The trade winds on the Big Island come from the east, and the moisture they carry from the ocean convert to rain when they encounter the pressure of two 14,000 foot mountains. The east side of the island is usually wetter and the west side of the island is usually dryer. Rain on the Big Island is divided right down the middle due to Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. The rain feels fine and it isn't cold (unless you're up at a higher altitude). People who are working outside rarely stop working or put on a raincoat if it starts raining. One of the nicest things about Hawaiian rain is that it is warm. From rain that is so hard it hurts, to a fine mist that actually goes upwards - lofted on the light currents of air. Indeed, the types of rain are unbelievable. The incredibly rich Hawaiian Language has over 100 words for rain: words for rain in a particular slant, or fineness or direction. The rain is what gives the Big Island its lush green land and beautiful plants and flowers. The wet side of the island can receive 150 to 200 inches of rain a year. The Big Island is also known as the Rainbow Island - and for good reason. The cloud will change shape and definition but will persist as long as the temperature and wind conditions are right. New air is constantly being drawn into the lenticular cloud, but the cloud stays fairly fixed as the air is converted to moisture and moved on. As the temperature falls past the dew point the cloud begins to form from the condensation. The clouds are formed when air is pushed up by a mountain into an area of cooler temperature. Lenticular Clouds are a standing wave effect and thus do not move. The name lenticular comes from the fact that the cloud is shaped like a lentil seed. Lenticular Clouds require a mountain to form - in this case the mountain was Mauna Loa. I noticed the cloud at sunrise and it continued to persist for about 5 or 6 hours after that. The one I show captured on the left was the day after Thanksgiving, 2003 over the Volcano Golf Course. Lenticular Clouds are especially unusual. There are often many layers of clouds at different altitudes - usually each moving in a different direction. Hawai'i can have some pretty unusual clouds. Mauna Kea is on the left, sunrise is on the right. Part of the cloud is in the shadow of the mountain.Ī 270° panaramic using 10 stitched photos. Other parts of Hawai'i are in some of the cleanest air in the upper hemisphere and that makes for breathtakingly clear sunrises and sunsets.Įarly sunrise lights Mauna Loa with red. Parts of Hawai'i have volcanic smog in the air, which can often make for spectacular and colorful sunrises and sunsets. ![]() There are often many layers of clouds, at different altitudes,- each moving in different directions. Hawai'i can have beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Having two 14,000 foot mountains surrounded by 2,500 miles of open ocean causes weird weather to occur.Īs we like to say on the Big Island - if you don't like the weather wait 5 minutes or drive 5 miles. It may be perfect where you are, and raining 5 miles down the road. The islands have very unpredictable weather. I mean, it's always beautiful and perfect, right? I learned differently once I lived here for a while. I used to think that the weather forecasters on Hawai'i TV had the easiest job in the world. To use this site you must read and agree to our Terms and Conditions - Click Here
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