Photo Credit: Tyler Rooke

West Side

Today: Isolated showers before 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Windy, with an east wind 18 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 43 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tonight: Isolated showers after midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Windy, with an east northeast wind 23 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday: Isolated showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Windy, with an east northeast wind around 26 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

South Side

Today: Scattered showers after noon. Increasing clouds, with a high near 81. East northeast wind 6 to 11 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tonight: Scattered showers before 7pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. North northwest wind around 8 mph becoming south southwest in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday: Showers likely after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Northeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

North Shore

Today: Scattered showers before 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 79. Windy, with a northeast wind 21 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tonight: Scattered showers, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. Windy, with a northeast wind 22 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday: Scattered showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 79. Windy, with an east wind 22 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Central Maui

Today: Scattered showers before noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 79. Windy, with a north northeast wind 23 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tonight: Scattered showers after 7pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Windy, with a north northeast wind 21 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 50 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday: Scattered showers, mainly before 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Breezy, with an east northeast wind 18 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Upcountry

Today: Isolated showers after 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. East southeast wind 7 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. Southwest wind 5 to 11 mph becoming east southeast after midnight.

Friday: Scattered showers after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

East Maui

Today: Showers likely, mainly before 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. Breezy, with an east southeast wind 18 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 37 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tonight: Frequent showers. Low around 64. Breezy, with an east wind 18 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday: Frequent showers, mainly before noon. High near 77. East wind 11 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Lanai City

Today: Isolated showers after 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. North northeast wind 7 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62. Breezy, with a northeast wind 9 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.

Friday: Scattered showers after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. Breezy, with a northeast wind 15 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Kaunakakai

Today: Isolated showers before 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 78. Windy, with an east wind 24 to 29 mph, with gusts as high as 49 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tonight: Isolated showers after midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Windy, with an east wind 21 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday: Scattered showers, mainly after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Breezy, with an east wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Detailed Forecast

Synopsis

A strong high north of the area will produce windy weather through early next week. The trades will focus showers over mainly windward areas. Showers may become more active over the weekend as moisture spreads over the islands from the southeast. Rainfall will subside starting Monday as drier air moves over the area.

Discussion

As of 2 AM surface analyses show an unusually strong 1046 mb high far north of the islands. The pressure gradient south of the high is producing strong easterly trade winds over the islands. A Wind Advisory is in effect through this evening, and may need to be extended. Winds may subside a bit Friday night as the high moves away to the southeast. Winds will strengthen again Monday as a new high builds north of the islands but that high is not forecast to be as strong as the current one.
The trade winds are focusing showers over mainly windward areas. These showers may become more active over the weekend and thunderstorms will be possible as deeper moisture spreads over the islands from the southeast. Drier weather will return on Monday. Rainfall may pick up again next Wednesday as the remnant of a front moves over the islands from the north.

Aviation

Winds will remain robust through today as a strong surface high northeast of the state strengthens. Clouds and showers will continue to favor eastern sections of the islands throughout the period. AIRMET Tango remains in effect for low level mechanical turbulence for areas over and immediately south through west of mountains due to the locally strong trade winds. Given the persistence of the strong winds, the threat of low level mechanical turbulence is likely to persist throughout the forecast period.

Marine

A series of high pressure systems far north of the Hawaiian Islands will keep strong to near gale force easterly trade winds blowing across the region into the early next week. The exception will be over the Alenuihaha Channel, where a Gale Warning remains in effect through early Friday morning. A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) remains in effect for rest of the coastal waters due to a combination of strong trades and elevated seas through Friday morning. These SCA conditions will likely continue through the weekend as another strong high reinforces the current high. With that said, an extension of the Gale Warning and SCA is likely in the coming days.
Strong trade winds over and upstream of the islands will keep advisory level surf in place along east facing shores through the first half of next week. A High Surf Advisory (HSA) is in effect for east facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and the Big Island through 6 AM Monday morning. An uptick in surf is expected over the next day as the winds increase locally and upstream of the state.
A series of small overlapping northwest swells will move through the area into next week, with surf remaining below advisory levels along exposed north and west facing shores. The first of the series of northwest swells is expected late today followed by another reinforcing northwest swell late Saturday into Sunday.
Wrapping trade wind swell continues to provide some small surf along south facing shores. A small out of season south swell will give a boost to south shore surf later today through Saturday. South swell energy will decrease to more seasonal normal levels after Saturday evening.

HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories

Wind Advisory until 6 PM Thursday for Molokai Kahoolawe all of Maui except Haleakala summit and parts of the Big Island.
High Surf Advisory until 6 AM Monday for east facing shores of the Big Island Maui Molokai Oahu and Kauai.
Gale Warning until 6 AM Friday for the Alenuihaha Channel.
Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM Friday for all Hawaiian waters except the Alenuihaha Channel.

Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov