Hilo

Today: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers in the morning, then numerous showers in the afternoon. Highs around 86 near the shore to 69 to 74 at 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 15 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers. Lows 65 to 70 near the shore to around 56 at 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph in the evening becoming light.

Friday: Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers. Highs around 86 near the shore to 69 to 74 at 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph.

Kona

Today: Sunny in the morning, then mostly cloudy with scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs 83 to 89 near the shore to around 70 near 5000 feet. West winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy early in the evening then becoming mostly clear. Scattered showers early in the evening. Lows 70 to 75 near the shore to around 54 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Friday: Sunny in the morning, then mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs 83 to 89 near the shore to around 70 near 5000 feet. Light winds.

Waimea

Today: Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs around 83 near the shore to 73 to 81 near 3000 feet. North winds up to 10 mph shifting to the east in the afternoon. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 64 to 69 near the shore to 56 to 62 near 3000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Friday: Partly sunny with a 50 percent chance of showers. Highs around 83 near the shore to 73 to 81 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph.

Kohala

Today: Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs around 83 near the shore to 73 to 81 near 3000 feet. North winds up to 10 mph shifting to the east in the afternoon. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 64 to 69 near the shore to 56 to 62 near 3000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Friday: Partly sunny with a 50 percent chance of showers. Highs around 83 near the shore to 73 to 81 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph.

South Big Island

Today: Breezy. Sunny in the morning, then mostly cloudy with scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs around 86 near the shore to around 72 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy early in the evening then becoming mostly clear. Scattered showers early in the evening. Lows around 71 near the shore to around 52 near 5000 feet. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Friday: Sunny in the morning, then mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs around 86 near the shore to around 71 near 5000 feet. East winds 10 to 15 mph.

Puna

Today: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers in the morning, then numerous showers in the afternoon. Highs around 86 near the shore to 69 to 74 at 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 15 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers. Lows 65 to 70 near the shore to around 56 at 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph in the evening becoming light.

Friday: Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers. Highs around 86 near the shore to 69 to 74 at 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph.

Waikoloa

Today: Sunny in the morning then becoming mostly cloudy. Scattered showers. Highs around 87 near the shore to 70 to 75 above 4000 feet. Northwest winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Partly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows around 73 near the shore to 52 to 57 above 4000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Friday: Sunny in the morning then becoming mostly cloudy. A 40 percent chance of showers. Highs around 88 near the shore to 70 to 75 above 4000 feet. Light winds.

Detailed Forecast

Synopsis

Weak trade winds will veer to the southeast as a front stalls just to our north this weekend. An area of enhanced tropical moisture will push across the island chain from the southeast, increasing clouds and showers across much of the state from Saturday into early next week. Shower coverage could be more widespread each afternoon and evening before diminishing each night.

Discussion

Moisture within light to moderate trade flow fuels clouds and showers across windward portions of the islands this morning. Earlier convective activity across windward portions of the Big Island has diminished significantly. Models show that a front approaching from the north will move closer to Kauai and weaken the trades today. Relatively dry conditions are expected across Kauai ahead of the front while greater moisture remains farther to the east. By tonight into Friday morning, more moisture will be drawn northward towards the state as winds continue to weaken and veer to southeasterlies. This will result in a hybrid sea-breeze pattern that could increase clouds and showers across leeward and interior sections of the islands by late Friday morning.
Winds will remain light into the weekend as they veer out of the southeast, allowing the Big Island to block much of the rest of the state. Afternoon sea breezes and overnight land breezes will continue through the weekend and into next week. With abundant tropical moisture in place, expect a generally wet pattern with showers favoring interior and leeward areas during the afternoons and evenings before diminishing each night. Confidence remains low concerning the amount and effects of the incoming tropical moisture this weekend. Our forecast reflects the possibility of higher rainfall probabilities and more widespread rainfall this weekend and beyond, especially in the afternoons and evenings.

Aviation

A band of moisture over the central islands will produce passing showers this morning. Expect a hybrid wind pattern with light to moderate trade winds over eastern slopes, transitioning to a sea breeze pattern each afternoon over leeward areas. Mountain and interior showers are possible each afternoon switching to windward areas in the overnight time periods.
AIRMET Sierra in effect for mountain obscuration over north through east sections of Oahu, Molokai and Maui. The Big Island also has the same AIRMET in effect from Laupahoehoe to Hilo to Volcano. This AIRMET will diminish around sunrise.

Marine

Gentle to moderate trade winds will prevail over most areas through tomorrow. Winds will ease Saturday through Monday, possibly becoming light and variable, as a deep low passes about 750 nm north of the state and pushes a weak surface ridge near the state. The low will lift to the north Monday and Tuesday, allowing the ridge to strengthen, and east to southeast winds will likely rebuild.
Surf along north facing shores will be small today but will build tonight as the next north swell fills in. This next swell will produce surf around the High Surf Advisory level tomorrow into Monday before dropping early next week. Since trade winds will be suppressed across the region through much of the week, the main source for east shore surf will be wrapping north swell. Surf along south facing shores will remain small today and tomorrow as the current south- southwest swell slowly fades today and another small, long period south swell fills in later today and tomorrow. A slightly larger south swell will likely produce surf above the October average during the weekend.

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