Photo Credit: Jeni Ji Cousins

West Side

Today: Mostly sunny. Breezy. Scattered showers in the morning. Highs 81 to 88. East winds up to 15 mph shifting to the northeast in the afternoon. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Tonight: Partly cloudy in the evening, then mostly cloudy with scattered showers after midnight. Lows 68 to 76. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.

Saturday: Partly sunny in the morning then becoming mostly sunny. Isolated showers. Highs 81 to 89. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

South Side

Today: Mostly sunny. Breezy. Highs 82 to 90. North winds up to 20 mph shifting to the northeast 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows around 70. North winds up to 15 mph.

Saturday: Mostly sunny. Breezy. Highs 83 to 90. North winds up to 20 mph.

North Shore

Today: Partly sunny. Breezy. Scattered showers in the morning, then isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs around 82 near the shore to around 69 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening, then numerous showers after midnight. Lows around 71 near the shore to around 54 near 5000 feet. Southeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Frequent showers in the morning, then scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs around 83 near the shore to around 70 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph increasing to 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 80 percent.

Central Maui

Today: Mostly sunny. Breezy. Scattered showers in the morning. Highs 84 to 89. Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Tonight: Partly cloudy in the evening, then mostly cloudy with isolated showers after midnight. Lows 67 to 73. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph shifting to the east after midnight. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Saturday: Breezy. Partly sunny with isolated showers in the morning, then mostly sunny in the afternoon. Highs 84 to 90. Northeast winds up to 20 mph increasing to 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Upcountry

Today: Mostly sunny. Scattered showers in the morning. Highs around 66 at the visitor center to around 64 at the summit. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Breezy. Scattered showers after midnight. Lows around 49 at the visitor center to around 46 at the summit. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Saturday: Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Breezy. Scattered showers. Highs around 67 at the visitor center to around 64 at the summit. East winds up to 20 mph becoming 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 50 percent.

East Maui

Today: Partly sunny. Breezy. Scattered showers in the morning, then isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs around 82 near the shore to around 69 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening, then numerous showers after midnight. Lows around 71 near the shore to around 54 near 5000 feet. Southeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Frequent showers in the morning, then scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs around 83 near the shore to around 70 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph increasing to 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 80 percent.

Lanai City

Today: Mostly sunny. Breezy. Highs 74 to 82. Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows around 66. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph decreasing to up to 10 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Saturday: Sunny in the morning, then mostly cloudy with isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 74 to 83. Northeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Kaunakakai

Today: Mostly sunny. Highs 72 to 89. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy in the evening, then mostly cloudy with isolated showers after midnight. Lows 60 to 74. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Saturday: Partly sunny. Isolated showers in the morning. Highs 73 to 89. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Detailed Forecast

Synopsis

Moderate trade winds will persist through Saturday, then return to breezy levels on Sunday into early next week. With increased moisture riding in on the trades, showers will begin to increase in coverage a bit, but still generally favor windward and mauka areas, mostly overnight through the morning periods.

Discussion

The upper level ridge will continue to weaken over the main Hawaiian Islands as an upper level low builds to our northwest and an upper level trough nudges down from the northeast. This will allow the surface ridge to weaken and the trade winds to ease to moderate levels today. With this weakening trend, localized sea breezes will be possible this afternoon, allowing for some cloud and shower development over wind-protected leeward and interior areas. Then trades will build back to moderate to breezy levels through the weekend and into early next week as the surface high builds north of the state.
In contrast to the last couple of days when dry and stable conditions have dominated the local weather, increased moisture embedded in the trades and a less stable atmosphere due to the weakening ridge and higher temperature inversion heights will allow for a slightly wetter pattern over the next several days. Clouds and showers will still favor windward and mauka areas, but showers may make it over to leeward areas at times.

Aviation

Light to moderate easterly trades will continue through the 24-h period, with clouds and showers favoring windward and mauka locations. Localized sea breezes could lead to a few interior and leeward showers through the afternoon hours today.
There are currently no AIRMETs in effect, and none are anticipated today.

Marine

A weak ridge of high pressure north of the state will maintain gentle to moderate trades through around Saturday. As the ridge strengthens late this weekend into early next week, locally strong trade winds may return as early as Sunday afternoon. Moderate to fresh trades are expected during the first half of next week with borderline Small Craft Advisory conditions expected over the typical wind waters around Maui County and the Big Island.
A new small south- southwest swell is expected to build through the day. Tiny long period forerunners (16 seconds) have been observed over the early morning hours at the PacIOOS Kalaeloa (buoy 51212) but the dominant wave period looks to be 14 to 15 seconds as the energy fills in later today. The swell looks to peak Saturday slightly above the summer average, then slowly decline Sunday into early next week. Otherwise, several small pulses from the south are expected next week which should keep surf from going flat along south facing shores.
A few tiny pulses from the north-northwest are expected during the next few days and will likely keep the surf from going completely flat along north facing shores through the weekend. Short-period wind waves generated by the trade winds will gradually decline through Friday as the trades ease. Small, long- period east swells from increased east Pacific tropical cyclone activity may arrive over the weekend, leading to a subtle increase in surf heights.

HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories

None.

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

Check out their Maui Helicopter Tours today!

Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov