Hilo

Today: Partly sunny in the morning then becoming cloudy. Isolated showers. Highs around 84 near the shore to 68 to 73 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with isolated showers. Lows around 66 near the shore to around 54 at 4000 feet. West winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Thursday: Partly sunny in the morning then becoming cloudy. Isolated showers. Highs around 84 near the shore to 68 to 73 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Kona

Today: Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming mostly cloudy. Isolated showers. Highs 80 to 85 near the shore to around 68 near 5000 feet. Northwest winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy in the evening then becoming partly cloudy. Isolated showers. Lows 69 to 74 near the shore to around 55 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Thursday: Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming mostly cloudy. Isolated showers. Highs 80 to 85 near the shore to around 68 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Waimea

Today: Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Isolated showers. Highs around 82 near the shore to 69 to 79 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy in the evening then becoming partly cloudy. Isolated showers. Lows around 66 near the shore to 54 to 62 near 3000 feet. Southeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Thursday: Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Isolated showers. Highs around 82 near the shore to 69 to 79 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Kohala

Today: Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Isolated showers. Highs around 82 near the shore to 69 to 79 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy in the evening then becoming partly cloudy. Isolated showers. Lows around 66 near the shore to 54 to 62 near 3000 feet. Southeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Thursday: Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Isolated showers. Highs around 82 near the shore to 69 to 79 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

South Big Island

Today: Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Breezy. Highs around 85 near the shore to around 72 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Breezy. Lows around 70 near the shore to around 53 near 5000 feet. Northeast winds up to 20 mph.

Thursday: Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Breezy. Highs around 85 near the shore to around 72 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph.

Puna

Today: Partly sunny in the morning then becoming cloudy. Isolated showers. Highs around 84 near the shore to 68 to 73 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with isolated showers. Lows around 66 near the shore to around 54 at 4000 feet. West winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Thursday: Partly sunny in the morning then becoming cloudy. Isolated showers. Highs around 84 near the shore to 68 to 73 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Waikoloa

Today: Sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Highs around 85 near the shore to 69 to 75 above 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph shifting to the north in the afternoon. Gusts up to 30 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows around 72 near the shore to 51 to 58 above 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 15 mph.

Thursday: Sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Highs around 85 near the shore to 69 to 75 above 4000 feet. South winds up to 10 mph shifting to the northwest in the afternoon.

Detailed Forecast

Synopsis

Mostly dry and stable conditions with light to moderate easterly trade winds will continue through Friday. The best chance for light showers will be overnight through the early morning hours over windward areas. Although leeward cloud coverage may increase through the afternoon hours where localized sea breezes form, rainfall chances will remain limited. A return of breezy trade wind conditions is expected this weekend into early next week.

Discussion

Guidance remains in good agreement and depicts the light to moderate easterly trades holding into Friday, then trending up over the weekend as the ridge strengthens to the north. Limited moisture combined with a strong subsidence inversion around 5000 ft supports the stable conditions persisting each day. This suppressed environment will limit rainfall chances, even with a weak mid- to upper-level trough moving through from east to west Thursday through Friday. Despite some afternoon cloud development over our leeward areas where sea breezes form, very little to no rainfall is anticipated. Windward shower coverage may trend up over the weekend through early next week as breezy trades return.

Aviation

Surface high pressure northeast of the state will allow for light to moderate trades to persist trough the remainder of this morning. With a relatively dry atmosphere will in place, expect only isolated showers to affect mainly windward sides of the islands. By early this afternoon, brief sea breezes may develop along portions of the leeward coasts.
There are currently no AIRMETs in effect and none are anticipated today.

Marine

A ridge will linger north of the islands over the next couple of days causing light to fresh trade winds into Friday for most areas. The ridge is expected to build farther to the north beginning Friday afternoon. Trade winds will then increase into the moderate to locally strong range, reaching the Small Craft Advisory threshold over the windier eastern waters around Maui County and the Big Island Saturday and Sunday.
A series of small, medium period, south swells will keep surf along south facing shores elevated over the next couple of days. Surf heights will drop a bit from Friday into the weekend as south swell energy begins to ease. Long range models show southern hemisphere storms ramping up in the Tasman Sea area over the next few days, perhaps producing another long term boost to south side surf starting Wednesday or Thursday next week.
The current small northwest swell will fade, with declining surf heights along north and west facing shores through Friday. Another small, medium period, northwest swell arrives late Saturday into Sunday. Eastern facing shores will see small wind wave chop through Friday. East shore surf heights will rise through the weekend as trade winds strengthen.

HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories

None.

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