Today: Mostly sunny in the morning, then partly sunny with isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs around 81 near the shore to 65 to 70 at 4000 feet. Northwest winds up to 10 mph shifting to the northeast in the afternoon. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows around 65 near the shore to around 51 at 4000 feet. Northwest winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Wednesday: Partly sunny. Scattered showers in the morning, then isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs around 79 near the shore to 64 to 69 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.
Kona
Today: Mostly sunny in the morning, then partly sunny with isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 80 to 85 near the shore to around 71 near 5000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph shifting to the west in the afternoon. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 65 to 70 near the shore to around 52 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD
Wednesday: Mostly sunny in the morning, then partly sunny with scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs 79 to 84 near the shore to around 70 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 30 percent.
Waimea
Today: Breezy. Mostly sunny with isolated showers in the morning, then partly sunny with scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs around 80 near the shore to 71 to 78 near 3000 feet. Northeast winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Showers likely in the evening, then scattered showers after midnight. Lows around 64 near the shore to 50 to 58 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Isolated showers. Highs around 78 near the shore to 70 to 77 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Kohala
Today: Breezy. Mostly sunny with isolated showers in the morning, then partly sunny with scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs around 80 near the shore to 71 to 78 near 3000 feet. Northeast winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD
Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Showers likely in the evening, then scattered showers after midnight. Lows around 64 near the shore to 50 to 58 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Isolated showers. Highs around 78 near the shore to 70 to 77 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
South Big Island
Today: Breezy. Sunny in the morning, then partly sunny with isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs around 83 near the shore to around 72 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows around 67 near the shore to around 51 near 5000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph increasing to 10 to 20 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Wednesday: Breezy. Sunny in the morning, then partly sunny with scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs around 82 near the shore to around 71 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.
Puna
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD
Today: Mostly sunny in the morning, then partly sunny with isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs around 81 near the shore to 65 to 70 at 4000 feet. Northwest winds up to 10 mph shifting to the northeast in the afternoon. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows around 65 near the shore to around 51 at 4000 feet. Northwest winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Wednesday: Partly sunny. Scattered showers in the morning, then isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs around 79 near the shore to 64 to 69 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.
Waikoloa
Today: Sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Highs around 82 near the shore to 66 to 73 above 4000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph shifting to the north in the afternoon.
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows around 69 near the shore to 47 to 55 above 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs around 81 near the shore to 65 to 72 above 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph shifting to the northwest in the afternoon. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Detailed Forecast
Synopsis
A weakening cold front moving through Maui County and the Big Island will bring a few showers to mainly windward areas today and tonight, while cooler and dry conditions prevail over Kauai and Oahu. Trade winds will fill in behind the front and hold in place into Wednesday, although they will likely become light over Kauai and Oahu Wednesday afternoon. Fairly dry conditions are expected statewide Wednesday through the weekend, with a few windward showers expected each night, particularly over the eastern islands, and a few showers developing over the island interiors each afternoon.
Discussion
Currently at the surface, a weakening cold front is moving through Molokai, while a 1020 mb high is centered around 450 miles west of Kauai. Light and variable winds are in place in advance of the front, while moderate to locally breezy winds prevail in its wake. Infrared satellite imagery shows clear to partly cloudy skies in most areas, while radar imagery shows very little shower activity statewide. Main short term concerns revolve around rain chances and wind trends during the next couple days.
The cold front will continue to move southeastward and through Maui County today, before dissipating near the Big Island tonight. Moderate to locally breezy north to northeast winds are expected to fill in behind the front as it progresses down the island chain, with winds shifting to a more typical east- northeasterly trade wind direction tonight. The trades will hold at moderate levels over the eastern islands Wednesday, but will become light over Kauai and Oahu as a ridge nears these islands from the north. The ridge will settle southward and over the western end of the state on Thursday, then hold nearly stationary through the end of the work week. This will keep winds light and variable over the western islands where land and sea breezes will prevail, while the eastern end of the state holds in a light to locally moderate trade wind regime. A cold front will approach from the northwest on Saturday, then stall out and dissipate just northwest of Kauai on Sunday. The gradient will weaken as a result, with land and sea breezes prevailing statewide over the weekend and into early next week.
As for the remaining weather details, dry conditions are expected to prevail over Kauai and Oahu today and tonight, while a few showers affect mainly windward areas across the eastern end of the state. With the returning trades and dewpoints lowering into the upper 50s behind the front, it will feel cooler across the islands as well. Showers will continue to affect windward sections of the eastern islands Wednesday through Friday where the trades attempt to hold on, while lighter winds over Kauai and Oahu will allow a few showers to develop over the island interiors each afternoon, with mainly dry nights and mornings. The land and sea breeze pattern is expected to spread to the entire state Saturday through early next week, with a few showers possible over the island interiors each afternoon and mainly dry conditions prevail during nights and mornings.
Aviation
As a weakening cold front settles over Maui County and dissipates today, light southwest flow will transition to trades from northwest to southeast. As a result, clouds and showers will become increasingly focused over windward sections of Maui and Molokai this morning into this afternoon. VFR is expected to prevail throughout this time.
AIRMET Tango for tempo mod turbulence /FL250 TO FL350/ was issued for Kauai through Maui as an upper trough passes north of the area.
AIRMET Tango for lee turbulence may be needed by this evening and tonight as a period of locally breezy trades develops over Molokai through Big Island.
Marine
Fresh to locally strong north to northeast winds will continue to fill in as a diminishing cold front advances down the island chain today. The wind direction will shift out of the east statewide tonight into Wednesday, before weakening and shifting out of the east-southeast Wednesday night through the second half of the week as a couple of fronts pass to the north. Light and variable winds will likely be the result over the Kauai and Oahu waters through the latter half of the week and upcoming weekend.
Surf along exposed north and west facing shores will remain above average through the week as overlapping west-northwest swells arrive and move through in response to the ongoing active pattern across the northern Pacific. The next swell in the series is filling in early this morning and should peak today before gradually lowering through midweek. Surf will respond and reach the extra-large category today – which supports the High Surf Warning and Small Craft Advisory (for seas) continuing into Wednesday. The offshore buoys to the northwest reflect this new source with the peak energy centered around the 13-14 second band and swell heights coming in higher than predicted. As this source slowly eases late Wednesday, the next pulse is forecast to arrive Thursday, which will drive the surf back toward warning levels Thursday through Friday. A gradual downward trend is then expected over the weekend.
HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories
High Surf Warning until 6 AM HST Wednesday for Niihau, Kauai Leeward, Waianae Coast, Oahu North Shore, Maui Windward West, Kona, Kohala, Kauai North, Molokai Windward, Molokai North, Molokai West, Maui Central Valley North, Windward Haleakala.
Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM HST Wednesday for Kauai Northwest Waters, Kauai Windward Waters, Kauai Leeward Waters, Kauai Channel, Oahu Windward Waters, Oahu Leeward Waters, Kaiwi Channel, Maui County Windward Waters, Maui County Leeward Waters, Maalaea Bay, Pailolo Channel, Alenuihaha Channel, Big Island Windward Waters.
This comments section is a public community forum for the purpose of free expression. Although Big Island Now encourages respectful communication only, some content may be considered offensive. Please view at your own discretion. View Comments
