While the morning low of 61 degrees in Honolulu was several degrees above the record low of 57, it was five degrees cooler than normal.

The island chill was nearly cold enough to require a wind breaker for those venturing out before the tropical sun warmed the islands into the low 80s by afternoon.

When NASA’s TERRA satellite passed overhead at midday, the typical daytime cloudiness had failed to develop over the high terrain.

In the enlarged version of the image to the right taken at that time, five islands of the state are clearly visible and mainly free of cloud cover.

Clearly evident are the lush landscapes of the northeastern shores of most islands, which have been created over millennia by the moisture of prevailing northeasterly trade winds.

The more arid landscapes of Lanai and Kahoolawe are due to moisture being lifted, condensed and rained out over neighboring Molokai and Maui before reaching there.

Volcanic fog, or vog, has been a public health problem in several of the Hawaiian islands for nearly a year. Southerly winds earlier and later in January blew acrid gases from around Kilauea volcano, on the Big Island, up the island chain.

This was clearly not a problem on January 13.

Image: NASA MODIS Repid Response System