It’s true when people say that Hawaii’s trade winds are like nature’s air conditioning. As I write this, a cool breeze is gently blowing through my house. Outside, I see the leaves dancing and hear their subtle rustlings. I want to be dancing, too, but instead, I continue to write.
Actually, trade winds have always been one of my inspirations when writing. First off, they make staying indoors so much more comfortable. But mostly, I love how it puts me at ease – like a soothing song of nature.
Trade winds also remind me of how fortunate I am to call Hawaii my home. While they’re sometimes taken for granted, trade winds happen to be the driving force of the island outdoors. I just wish they could be around every day of the year.
It was a different story a few days ago. I was inside, writing and…sweating! Boy, was it muggy and miserable. The trades had left us temporarily, with dead winds as the unfortunate replacement. Those are the days I choose to use the real air conditioning. Otherwise, I’m chin-deep in the ocean, praying the trades come back.
he trade winds are a prevailing pattern of easterly winds that blow from the subtropical high-pressure belts near the equator towards the lower-pressure belts around 30 degrees latitude in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. In Hawaii, they typically blow from the northeast, bringing cool, refreshing air and gentle waves to the islands.
The trade winds are a prevailing pattern of easterly winds that blow from the subtropical high-pressure belts near the equator towards the lower-pressure belts around 30 degrees latitude in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. In Hawaii, they typically blow from the northeast, bringing cool, refreshing air and gentle waves to the islands.
Here’s how they work:
- Warm air rises: Near the equator, the sun heats the air, causing it to rise. This creates a high-pressure belt at around 30 degrees latitude in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
- Air travels north: The rising air cools and sinks back down to the Earth’s surface at around 30 degrees latitude. As it sinks, it flows back towards the equator, creating a large-scale circulation pattern.
- Earth’s rotation: The Earth’s rotation deflects this airflow westward, resulting in the easterly trade winds.
The trade winds have a significant impact on Hawaii’s climate:
- Cool and refreshing: They bring cool, dry air from the ocean, keeping the islands comfortable year-round.
- Rainfall: They generate clouds and rain on the windward sides of the islands, creating lush rainforests and supporting agriculture.
- Waves: They create consistent surf conditions on the east and north shores of the islands, popular with surfers and bodyboarders.
- Navigation: In the past, they played a crucial role in Polynesian navigation, helping voyagers sail between the islands.
In Hawaii, the weather varies from day to day but not as drastically as it does on the mainland. In Colorado, for instance, it can be super-sunny one day and then snowing the next?!?! Talk about confused weather…Hawaii, though, has subtle changes in its day-to-day weather. We’ll get trades for a few days and then it turns off, and we’re stuck with dead winds.
