Photo Credit: James Grenz

Hilo

Today: Partly sunny with isolated showers. Highs 78 to 83 near the shore to 66 to 71 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Numerous showers in the evening, then frequent showers after midnight. Lows 62 to 71 near the shore to 53 to 58 at 4000 feet. North winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80 percent.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy with numerous showers in the morning, then mostly sunny with isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 76 to 81 near the shore to around 66 at 4000 feet. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Kona

Today: Partly sunny. Isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs around 83 near the shore to around 67 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Mostly clear with isolated showers. Lows 68 to 73 near the shore to 49 to 55 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 81 to 86 near the shore to around 67 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Waimea

Today: Partly sunny in the morning then becoming mostly sunny. Windy. Isolated showers. Highs 67 to 85. East winds 10 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Breezy. Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows around 64 near the shore to 55 to 62 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tuesday: Breezy. Partly sunny with scattered showers in the morning, then mostly sunny with isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 64 to 84. East winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Kohala

Today: Partly sunny in the morning then becoming mostly sunny. Windy. Isolated showers. Highs 67 to 85. East winds 10 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Breezy. Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows around 64 near the shore to 55 to 62 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tuesday: Breezy. Partly sunny with scattered showers in the morning, then mostly sunny with isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 64 to 84. East winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

South Big Island

Today: Partly sunny in the morning then becoming mostly sunny. Breezy. Highs around 82 near the shore to around 65 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 25 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows around 71 near the shore to around 51 near 5000 feet. Northeast winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tuesday: Sunny and breezy. Highs around 82 near the shore to around 65 near 5000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph.

Puna

Today: Partly sunny with isolated showers. Highs 78 to 83 near the shore to 66 to 71 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Numerous showers in the evening, then frequent showers after midnight. Lows 62 to 71 near the shore to 53 to 58 at 4000 feet. North winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80 percent.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy with numerous showers in the morning, then mostly sunny with isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 76 to 81 near the shore to around 66 at 4000 feet. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Waikoloa

Today: Mostly sunny. Breezy. Highs 79 to 87 near the shore to 64 to 73 above 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 25 mph.

Tonight: Breezy. Mostly clear with isolated showers. Lows 66 to 73 near the shore to 49 to 55 above 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 20 mph decreasing to up to 10 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tuesday: Sunny. Highs 78 to 86 near the shore to 65 to 71 above 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph.

Detailed Forecast

Synopsis

A breezy and mostly dry trade wind weather pattern will continue this week. Shower coverage will increase tonight into Tuesday, but total rainfall will be light.

Discussion

High pressure far northeast of the main Hawaiian Islands continues to drive breezy trade winds across local waters this morning. Overnight soundings show a stable airmass with a strong 5000 to 6000 feet inversion over the area. Broken to overcast low clouds cover most windward and mauka locations as a large band of clouds embedded within trade flow passes through the islands. Radar shows isolated shower activity, with scant showers noted within a weak plume lee of Maui County as well as within a cluster just upwind from Oahu.
The current breezy and mostly dry weather pattern will continue through today as the high stays in place and ridging aloft suppresses deep convection. Patchy broken low clouds will move in with the trades, but will anchor along the lower windward slopes. Models show a band of remnant frontal moisture reaching the islands from the northeast Monday night. This will increase windward shower coverage and possibly provide a slight boost to wind speeds. This increased moisture will push through to the west by midday Tuesday. The remainder of the week will feature continued upper ridging that will further reinforce stability and limit overall rainfall. Trades will focus any incoming clouds and showers over windward slopes.

Aviation

The band of low level moisture drifting across the islands, trapped below the strengthening low lvl inversions, continues to generate mainly VFR to occasionally MVFR cigs across TAF locations. MVFR conditions have not been extensive enough through the morning hours to generate widespread mountain obscuration or need for AIRMET at this time. Also, current satellite trends would suggest that this area of clouds should continue to breakup some after sunrise as diurnal distribution develops through Monday afternoon, before clouds expand once again in areal coverage this evening. Shallow moisture across the region, combined with stable conditions, will continue to limit chances for showers through tonight.
Otherwise, the area of high pressure well north of the islands will maintain breezy trade wind flow through the TAF period. This persistent flow pattern will continue the need for AIRMET Tango across much of the islands for low level turbulence lee of the terrain.

Marine

Surface high pressure far north northeast of the area will continue to produce moderate to locally strong trade winds over the next several days. A Small Craft Advisory is currently posted for the typically windy waters around Maui County and the Big Island through Tuesday night.
Short period choppy surf will dominate the Hawaiian shorelines this week with a slight downward trend expected towards the weekend as trade winds become lighter. Otherwise, there will be a series of rather small northwest and south swells throughout the forecast period keeping surf above flat levels.

HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories

Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM HST Wednesday for Maalaea Bay, Pailolo Channel, Alenuihaha Channel, Big Island Leeward Waters, Big Island Southeast Waters.

Big Island Now Weather is brought to you by Blue Hawaiian Helicopters.

Check out their Big Island Helicopter Tours today!

Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov