Hilo

Today: Partly sunny in the morning then becoming cloudy. Scattered showers. Highs 81 to 86 near the shore to 65 to 73 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 63 to 70 near the shore to 53 to 59 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Thursday: Cloudy with scattered showers. Highs 81 to 86 near the shore to 65 to 74 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Kona

Today: Sunny with isolated showers in the morning, then mostly cloudy with scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs 82 to 89 near the shore to around 70 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy in the evening then becoming partly cloudy. Isolated showers. Lows around 71 near the shore to 49 to 55 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Thursday: Mostly sunny with isolated showers in the morning, then mostly cloudy with scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs 82 to 89 near the shore to around 71 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Waimea

Today: Mostly sunny with isolated showers in the morning, then partly sunny with scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs 68 to 88. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with isolated showers. Lows 62 to 68 near the shore to 54 to 62 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy. Isolated showers in the morning, then scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs 68 to 88. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Kohala

Today: Mostly sunny with isolated showers in the morning, then partly sunny with scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs 68 to 88. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with isolated showers. Lows 62 to 68 near the shore to 54 to 62 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy. Isolated showers in the morning, then scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs 68 to 88. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

South Big Island

Today: Sunny in the morning, then partly sunny with isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs around 85 near the shore to around 68 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows around 71 near the shore to around 51 near 5000 feet. East winds 10 to 15 mph.

Thursday: Mostly sunny in the morning, then partly sunny with isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs around 85 near the shore to around 69 near 5000 feet. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Puna

Today: Partly sunny in the morning then becoming cloudy. Scattered showers. Highs 81 to 86 near the shore to 65 to 73 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 63 to 70 near the shore to 53 to 59 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Thursday: Cloudy with scattered showers. Highs 81 to 86 near the shore to 65 to 74 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Waikoloa

Today: Sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Highs 80 to 89 near the shore to 67 to 75 above 4000 feet. North winds up to 15 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows around 71 near the shore to 49 to 56 above 4000 feet. Light winds.

Thursday: Sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Highs 81 to 90 near the shore to 68 to 75 above 4000 feet. Light winds.

Detailed Forecast

Synopsis

Moderate trade winds will prevail across the state through much of the forecast period. Expect afternoon sea breezes over sheltered leeward areas. Dry and stable conditions will limit shower coverage and intensity. Showers that do develop will favor windward and mountain locations during the overnight through early morning hours.

Discussion

With little pattern change noticed over the past 12 hours, there is little change in forecast philosophy from last evening. POP/Sky/Wx grids were altered across windward areas of the smaller islands for this morning to reflect slightly clearer and drier conditions across those areas than anticipated yesterday afternoon. The governing influence of high pressure far north of the main Hawaiian Islands remains blunted by a front 500 miles to our north. The result is trade winds in the light to moderate range across local waters this morning. Increased ridging aloft maintains a stabilized airmass, with limited total rainfall amounts recorded overnight.
Drier air and upper ridging will continue to build over the islands through the rest of the week, dropping inversion heights and increasing stability even further. As a result, shower activity will remain limited, primarily favoring windward and mountain locations during the overnight through early morning periods each day. Additionally, trade winds will ease slightly over the next couple of days, allowing more development of afternoon sea breezes across sheltered leeward areas. This will increase interior and leeward clouds each afternoon and support a few showers to develop during peak heating each day through Thursday.
Friday through the weekend, expect trade winds to increase slightly but remain in the moderate to locally breezy range. While models indicate that a slight, brief uptick in moisture is possible by Sunday, the generally dry and stable pattern should persist well into next week.

Aviation

Light to locally moderate trade winds will continue today, with some local afternoon sea breezes possible. Clouds and showers will favor the windward and mountain areas during the early morning hours. With the afternoon sea breezes, some clouds and showers will build over leeward and interior sections. VFR conditions are expected to prevail with brief MVFR conditions possible in showers.
No AIRMETs in effect, and none are expected today.

Marine

A weak high pressure ridge north of the Hawaiian Islands will keep gentle to moderate trade winds in the forecast today. The ridge will strengthen slightly from Thursday onward with more moderate trade wind speeds lasting through the first half of next week.
Long period south swell will remain small through the forecast period. The next best chance for larger south swell activity may begin to develop in the first week of September around a gale to storm force low with a long fetch area, setting up just east of New Zealand. This next pulse of south swell energy may reach the south shores of Hawaii around Sunday September 11th.
Otherwise small surf remains in the forecast along all other shores into the first half of next week.

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