Hilo

Today: Frequent showers. High near 76. West southwest wind around 7 mph becoming east southeast in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tonight: Frequent showers. Low around 61. East wind 5 to 9 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday: Frequent showers. High near 75. Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Kona

Today: Scattered showers after 11am. Widespread haze. Partly sunny, with a high near 79. Light and variable wind becoming west northwest 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tonight: Scattered showers, mainly before midnight. Widespread haze. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday: Scattered showers, mainly after noon. Widespread haze. Partly sunny, with a high near 78. West wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Waimea

Today: Scattered showers. Widespread haze. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Breezy, with a northeast wind 11 to 17 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.

Tonight: Scattered showers. Widespread haze. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Breezy, with a northeast wind around 16 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Friday: Showers likely, mainly after noon. Widespread haze. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. Windy, with a northeast wind 24 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Kohala

Today: Showers likely, mainly before 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 70. Windy, with an east northeast wind around 30 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tonight: Frequent showers. Low around 43. Windy, with an east northeast wind around 30 mph, with gusts as high as 44 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday: Frequent showers. High near 69. Strong and damaging winds, with an east wind 40 to 44 mph, with gusts as high as 65 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

South Big Island

Today: Scattered showers, mainly before 11am. Widespread haze. Partly sunny, with a high near 79. Windy, with an east northeast wind around 30 mph, with gusts as high as 39 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Tonight: Scattered showers, mainly after midnight. Widespread haze. Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. Windy, with an east northeast wind 26 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 39 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday: Scattered showers. Widespread haze. Partly sunny, with a high near 78. Windy, with an east northeast wind around 26 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Puna

Today: Frequent showers, mainly before 11am. High near 75. North northwest wind 6 to 10 mph becoming east northeast in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tonight: Frequent showers. Low around 59. Northeast wind 6 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Friday: Frequent showers. High near 74. North northwest wind 6 to 10 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Waikoloa

Today: Isolated showers after 11am. Widespread haze. Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. East southeast wind 6 to 10 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tonight: Widespread haze. Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. North wind 5 to 9 mph becoming east southeast after midnight.

Friday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms after noon. Widespread haze. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Light and variable wind becoming southwest around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

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