Weather Forecast

Hawaii County Weather Forecast for February 20, 2022

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Photo Credit: James Grenz

Hilo

Today: Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs around 83 near the shore to 65 to 70 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with showers likely. Lows around 66 near the shore to around 52 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 10 mph in the evening becoming light. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Washingtons Birthday: Partly sunny with showers likely. Highs around 80 near the shore to 65 to 70 at 4000 feet. Light winds becoming east around 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 60 percent.

Kona

Today: Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Highs 80 to 85 near the shore to around 71 near 5000 feet. Light winds.

Tonight: Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Lows 66 to 71 near the shore to around 53 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

Washingtons Birthday: Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs 80 to 85 near the shore to around 71 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Waimea

Today: Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs around 82 near the shore to 72 to 78 near 3000 feet. Northeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows around 65 near the shore to 51 to 59 near 3000 feet. East winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Washingtons Birthday: Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs around 79 near the shore to 71 to 78 near 3000 feet. East winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Kohala

Today: Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs around 82 near the shore to 72 to 78 near 3000 feet. Northeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows around 65 near the shore to 51 to 59 near 3000 feet. East winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Washingtons Birthday: Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs around 79 near the shore to 71 to 78 near 3000 feet. East winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

South Big Island

Today: Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Highs around 83 near the shore to around 72 near 5000 feet. Light winds.

Tonight: Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Lows around 68 near the shore to around 52 near 5000 feet. East winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Washingtons Birthday: Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs around 83 near the shore to around 72 near 5000 feet. East winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.

Puna

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

Today: Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs around 83 near the shore to 65 to 70 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with showers likely. Lows around 66 near the shore to around 52 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 10 mph in the evening becoming light. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Washingtons Birthday: Partly sunny with showers likely. Highs around 80 near the shore to 65 to 70 at 4000 feet. Light winds becoming east around 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 60 percent.

Waikoloa

Today: Sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Highs around 82 near the shore to 66 to 73 above 4000 feet. Light winds.

Tonight: Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Lows around 70 near the shore to 48 to 56 above 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 10 mph in the evening becoming light. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Washingtons Birthday: Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs around 82 near the shore to 66 to 73 above 4000 feet. Light winds becoming northwest around 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Detailed Forecast

Synopsis

Light to moderate trade winds will continue for the next few days, then strengthen during the upcoming work week. Clouds and showers will favor windward and mauka areas, while also developing across leeward sections during the afternoons this weekend.

Discussion

An upper low persists well north of the state, with an associated upper trough extending southward and passing just north of the islands. Troughing at the surface just east of the islands keeps winds light to moderate across local waters. Satellite loop shows deep moisture along the eastern flank of the upper trough remains east of the islands, characterized by a ragged 600 mile wide band of broken to overcast layered clouds.
Models show the surface trough will linger northeast of the state through Monday. Winds will weaken, with more northeasterly winds occurring across the west half and easterly winds across the east half. The gradient will be light enough for development of localized sea and land breezes. As a new high builds northwest of the state, drier air will move across Kauai and possibly toward Oahu. However, greater moisture and weaker/higher inversion heights will remain across Maui and the Big Island, leading to higher rainfall chances.
By Tuesday, a stronger high building north of the state will return us to a more typical trade wind pattern across the area, which is expected to continue through the coming work week. This will return us to a more typical trade wind rainfall pattern, with showers focused across windward and mauka areas mainly during the night and morning hours.

Aviation

Light to moderate northeast winds will continue over the islands today as a weak surface trough persists north of the islands. Localized land and sea breezes will interact with the trade winds enhancing clouds over island mountain and interior sections. Any showers that form will develop over these interior areas in the afternoon and early evening hours, or over windward and mountain areas in the overnight to early morning hours. VFR conditions will prevail for most locations.
No AIRMETs are in effect, and none are anticipated through the next 24 hours.

Marine

A weak surface trough lingering in the area through Monday will keep the moderate north-northeast winds over the Kauai and Oahu waters, with east to southeast trades holding over the eastern end of the state. A return of fresh to strong easterly trade winds is expected Monday night through Tuesday as high pressure builds north of the islands. Guidance shows this pattern holding through the second half of the week.
Surf along exposed north and west facing shores will remain up today as the northwest swell that peaked Saturday slowly eases. The downward trend will continue into the start of the week, with mainly a combo of small north-northwest and northwest swell energy moving through. A west-northwest swell associated with a large area of fresh- to near gale-force winds across the northwest Pacific will arrive by Tuesday, then linger through midweek. Guidance shows this source peaking below the high surf advisory levels Wednesday, then moving out by Thursday.
A more significant west-northwest swell is possible later in the week. Guidance shows a broad storm-force low emerging off the coast of Japan tonight into Monday, with a large area of storm- force winds expanding eastward toward the Date Line Monday through Tuesday – centered over the 295 to 315 degree directional bands relative to the islands. Wave guidance responds and depicts seas in this area climbing into the 30 to 40 ft range. If this evolves as predicted, surf will quickly build down the island chain through the day Thursday, with a peak likely exceeding warning levels Thursday night through Friday for exposed north and west facing shores.
Despite the light trades, recent fresh to strong easterly breezes upstream support the background easterly trade swell holding today before easing into the start of the week. PaciOOS buoy observations at Mokapu, Kaneohe, and Hilo reflect this easterly source holding above predicted this morning within the 8-10 second band. Increasing trades will lead to increasing short-period and choppy surf through the second half of the week.

HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories

None.

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Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov

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