Photo Credit: Tyler Rooke

West Side

Rest Of Today: Partly sunny. Breezy. Scattered showers in the morning, then isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 77 to 89. Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy in the evening then becoming partly cloudy. Breezy. Lows 67 to 75. East winds 10 to 20 mph.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Highs 77 to 89. East winds 10 to 15 mph.

South Side

Rest Of Today: Breezy. Partly sunny with isolated showers. Highs 79 to 90. Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Breezy. Lows 68 to 73. Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Highs 79 to 89. North winds 10 to 15 mph shifting to the northeast in the afternoon.

North Shore

Rest Of Today: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Occasional showers in the morning, then scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs around 82 near the shore to around 69 near 5000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 69 to 74 near the shore to 51 to 57 near 5000 feet. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Wednesday: Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs 80 to 85 near the shore to around 69 near 5000 feet. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Central Maui

Rest Of Today: Partly sunny. Breezy. Scattered showers in the morning, then isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 80 to 88. Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Breezy. Lows 68 to 73. East winds 10 to 20 mph.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Breezy. Highs 81 to 88. Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph.

Upcountry

Rest Of Today: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Isolated showers in the morning, then scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs 54 to 72. East winds up to 20 mph becoming around 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with isolated showers in the evening, then partly cloudy with scattered showers after midnight. Lows around 50 at the visitor center to around 46 at the summit. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny with isolated showers. Highs 55 to 73. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

East Maui

Rest Of Today: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Occasional showers in the morning, then scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs around 82 near the shore to around 69 near 5000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 69 to 74 near the shore to 51 to 57 near 5000 feet. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Wednesday: Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs 80 to 85 near the shore to around 69 near 5000 feet. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Lanai City

Rest Of Today: Partly sunny. Breezy. Isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 71 to 81. Northeast winds 10 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy in the evening then becoming partly cloudy. Breezy. Lows 61 to 67. Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Highs 71 to 81. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph.

Kaunakakai

Rest Of Today: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Scattered showers in the morning, then isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 68 to 91. Northeast winds 15 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy in the evening then becoming partly cloudy. Breezy. Lows 57 to 75. Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Breezy. Highs 68 to 91. Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph.

Detailed Forecast

Synopsis

High pressure will meander northwest of the islands and weaken over the next several days. Winds will weaken later today then further weaken during the second half of the week. Stable conditions prevail with any rainfall remaining light.

Discussion

This morning sounding show inversions heights have increased about 1 kft overnight and is now around 7 to 8 kft as a slightly above average moisture field works its way through the island chain. High clouds are streaming over the state as low level clouds move of east to west focusing clouds and showers along windward and mauka areas. Overnight rainfall totals range from .01 to .78 inches for the rainier areas of Kauai. CIMSS satellite observations and model guidance shows drier air filling in behind this moisture field and inversion heights sinking to around 4-6 kft this afternoon. The lower inversion heights and available moisture should further limit showers to windward and mauka areas, leaving most leeward locations fairly dry and showers light. The exception would be the kona slopes of the Big Island where afternoon sea breezes can generate isolated showers. This pattern is expected to persist through the week with minor fluctuations in inversion heights and showers due to diurnal patterns and bands of moisture moving through.
A low developing far northeast of the islands will generate a weakness in the the local pressure gradient going forward. Trades will trend downward accordingly, falling into the moderate range later today and potentially becoming light with a corresponding increase in apparent temperature during the second half of the week.

Aviation

Breezy trade winds will hold in place today, with a slight easing expected tonight. Trade wind showers will continue to bring MVFR cigs/vsbys into windward areas at times through the early morning hours, with improving conditions expected by this afternoon.
AIRMET Sierra is now in effect for mountain obscuration across windward sections of Kauai Oahu Molokai and Maui. This AIRMET will likely need to be expanded to include windward Big Island later this morning.
AIRMET Tango remains in effect for moderate low level turbulence over and downwind of the terrain of all islands. This AIRMET will likely remain in place today.

Marine

A high pressure system northwest of the islands continues to drift west. The ridge axis north of the state will weaken and move south as a low pressure system sets up far northeast of the island chain. Trade winds will continue weakening through Friday. A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) remains in effect through the afternoon hours for the typical windy areas around Maui County and the Big Island. The SCA may be cancelled by tonight as wind speeds continue to trend lower.
Small background energy from the south-southwest swells (200 degrees) will continue along south facing shores throughout the first half of this week. A compact storm force low tracked easterly along 25S to 30S between 170W and 150W over the past several days. This storm should produce a moderate south swell, which should fill in on Thursday, peak Friday and slowly decline over the weekend. Surf will likely be near or above the summer average (5 ft) Thursday through the weekend for south facing shores.
Surf along east facing shores will remain rough and choppy and slowly ease over the next few days as the trade winds ease. Tiny background swell energy from the west-northwest is possible later today into Wednesday due to a Typhoon tracking near Taiwan last week.

HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories

Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM HST this evening for Maalaea Bay, Pailolo Channel, Alenuihaha Channel, Big Island Leeward Waters, Big Island Southeast Waters.

Maui Now Weather is brought to you by Blue Hawaiian Helicopters.

Check out their Maui Helicopter Tours today!

Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov