We had a longer than usual spell of strong trade winds this
December, so it might be helpful for those that don’t live here
year-round to find out about our wind patterns. Trade winds
account for 70% of all winds in Hawaii and are the most common
winds over Hawaiian waters. These winds, which blow from a NE to
ENE direction, became known as trade winds hundreds of years ago
when trade ships carrying cargo depended on these easterly winds
around the earth in the subtropics for speedy passage. During
the summer, trades prevail more than 90% of the time, sometimes
persisting throughout an entire month. However, in the winter
(January through March), trade winds may occur only 40% to 60%
of the time. Though pleasantly brisk and refreshingly cool on
land, strong, gusty trade winds can cause problems for mariners.
Blowing from the NE through East direction, these strong trades
funnel through the major channels between the islands at speeds
5-20 knots faster than the speeds over the open ocean. North
Pacific high-pr