Photo Credit: Jeni Ji Cousins

West Side

Today: Sunny. Haze through the day. Isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 76 to 81. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Haze. Lows 64 to 71. Light winds.

Sunday: Sunny. Haze through the day. Isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 76 to 81. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

South Side

Today: Sunny and haze. Highs around 83. Light winds.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Haze. Lows 62 to 73. Light winds becoming north up to 10 mph after midnight.

Sunday: Sunny and haze. Highs around 83. North winds up to 15 mph.

North Shore

Today: Mostly sunny with isolated showers. Haze. Highs around 79 near the shore to around 67 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Haze. Lows around 67 near the shore to around 50 near 5000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Sunday: Mostly sunny with isolated showers. Highs 76 to 81 near the shore to around 66 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Central Maui

Today: Sunny and haze. Highs around 82. Northeast winds up to 15 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Haze. Lows 63 to 68. Light winds.

Sunday: Sunny and haze. Highs 79 to 84. Northeast winds up to 15 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon.

Upcountry

Today: Mostly sunny. Isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs around 63 at the visitor center to around 70 at the summit. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows around 45 at the visitor center to around 50 at the summit. East winds up to 10 mph.

Sunday: Sunny. Isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs around 62 at the visitor center to around 70 at the summit. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

East Maui

Today: Mostly sunny with isolated showers. Haze. Highs around 79 near the shore to around 67 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Haze. Lows around 67 near the shore to around 50 near 5000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Sunday: Mostly sunny with isolated showers. Highs 76 to 81 near the shore to around 66 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Lanai City

Today: Mostly sunny in the morning, then partly sunny with isolated showers in the afternoon. Haze through the day. Highs 71 to 77. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Haze. Lows around 63. Light winds becoming northeast up to 10 mph after midnight.

Sunday: Mostly sunny. Haze through the day. Scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs 71 to 78. Northeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.

Kaunakakai

Today: Mostly sunny. Haze through the day. Isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 68 to 83. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Haze. Lows 55 to 71. Light winds becoming east up to 10 mph after midnight.

Sunday: Sunny. Haze through the day. Isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 68 to 83. East winds up to 15 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Detailed Forecast

Synopsis

Light east to southeast winds and mostly dry conditions will prevail through early next week, with a few showers possible along windward slopes and coasts at night and over the island interiors each afternoon. A cold fronts will approach from the northwest around the middle of next week, shifting winds more southerly and bringing an increase in showers, particularly over the western end of the state.

Discussion

Currently at the surface, a 1026 mb high is centered around 1800 miles east-northeast of Honolulu, with a ridge extending southwestward to a location near or just north of Kauai. Land breezes prevail across much of the state, with unsheltered sections of Maui and the Big Island seeing light to moderate east-southeast trade winds. Infrared satellite imagery shows mostly clear to partly cloudy conditions. Radar imagery shows a few showers moving into windward and southeast facing slopes of Maui and the Big Island, with little if any shower activity elsewhere. Main short term focus revolves around wind trends and rain chances.
The ridge of high pressure near Kauai will remain nearly stationary today, keeping land and sea breezes dominant over the western islands, while light to moderate trades hold over the eastern end of the state. A new high building north of the area is expected to bring a brief return of light to moderate trades statewide on Sunday, before the approach of a front eases the trades again Monday. Light to moderate trades may briefly fill back in Tuesday, followed by a transition to more southerly flow at light to moderate speeds Wednesday and Thursday in advance of another approaching front. This front is forecast to lift back northward as a warm front late next week, allowing a return of light to moderate east to southeast winds across the state.
As for the remaining weather details, mostly dry and stable conditions are expected through Tuesday. There will still be a few showers moving into windward slopes and coasts each night, with a few daytime heating showers possible over the island interiors each afternoon. Rainfall amounts should remain light however with low and mid level ridging keeping inversion heights suppressed. As winds turn southerly in advance of another front Wednesday and Thursday, the boundary layer should moisten up and inversion heights should rise, bringing an increase in showers, particularly over the western end of the state. A land and sea breeze pattern featuring windward showers at night and interior showers during the day may return for the end of the upcoming work week.

Aviation

Light and variable winds with overnight/early morning land breezes and daytime sea breezes are expected through tonight as the surface ridge remains in the area. Outside of a few early morning light showers for windward coastal areas, the best chance for clouds/showers will be through the afternoon period over interior and leeward areas where sea breezes become established. VFR conditions will prevail. Light to moderate trades will return on Sunday, with clouds and light showers returning to windward and mauka locations.
No AIRMETs are expected.

Marine

High pressure remains over the northeastern Pacific, with a ridge extending southwest to just north of the islands. The ridge will keep light and variable winds in place for the western end of the state, and light to moderate southeasterly winds for the eastern part of the state through tonight. Light to moderate easterly trade wind flow will then return Sunday into Monday as high pressure briefly rebuilds north of the state. A front could then pass north of the islands and weaken the wind speeds again Tuesday onward.
Current west-northwest swell will hold today before increasing tonight into Sunday. Peak surf heights are expected to exceed advisory levels and could potentially reach warning levels along north and west facing shores Sunday. Will likely need a High Surf Advisory or Warning issued sometime today. Another similarly- sized northwest swell is expected to build in Tuesday night and linger through Wednesday.
Small surf is expected along south and east facing shores.

HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories

None.

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Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov