Update: Wind advisory now in effect for Big Island summits; fire weather possible later this week

Update at 4:56 p.m. Dec. 9: The high wind warning for Big Island summits was canceled and replaced with a wind advisory that will remain in effect until 6 a.m. Tuesday morning as warning level winds were brief this afternoon.

National Weather Service forecasters in Honolulu expect northeast winds of 35 to 45 mph, with gusts of up to 60 mph, atop Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa through early tomorrow morning.

Winds this strong will still continue to make travel to and at the summits difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles, so the public is advised to consider postponing any planned trips to the mountaintops until conditions improve.

If you must travel to the summits, use extra caution walking and driving, and especially be careful opening and closing doors.

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park reported earlier this afternoon in a Facebook post that the Mauna Loa summit is closed to overnight and day use because of predicted damaging winds during the first half of this week.

Park staff will monitor weather conditions for opportunities to re-open later during the week.

Puʻuʻulaʻula Cabin, also known as Red Hill Cabin, however, is open. The cabin is located at the 10,035-foot-elevation level and 7.5 miles above the end of Mauna Loa Road just off the Mauna Loa Trail.

While warning level winds were brief today at the summits as a strong upper level jet stream moved overhead, another round is possible Wednesday as high pressure strengthens north of the state.

The National Weather Service forecast office in Honolulu said in its 10:10 a.m. area forecast discussion today that winds in some of the windier areas of the Big Island and Maui County could approach wind advisory levels as early as Tuesday afternoon as the high to the northeast of the islands gets stronger.

It’s more likely Wednesday, with that day and Thursday looking like the windiest days of the week, when places such as Kohala on the Big Island and parts of west Maui could see wind gusts of up to 50 mph.

Wind advisories will be possible later this week for rest of the state, too, but confidence remains highest for the windier areas of Maui County and Hawai’i Island.

With the strong trades and relative humidity levels possibly falling to critical levels over some of the windier leeward areas of the state by Wednesday afternoon, fire weather concerns have also increased.

Forecasters in Honolulu said red flag warnings are a possibility Wednesday and Thursday, with the only limiting factor for issuing a fire weather watch now being minimum humidities.

“Watching the humidities on Tuesday should give us a good idea for the potential of red flag warnings on Wednesday,” said the area forecast discussion.

Original story at 3 a.m. Dec. 9: A high wind warning goes into effect this morning for the summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island as easterly trade winds strengthen.

The National Weather Service forecast office in Honolulu issued the warning for the island’s tallest summits from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. today.

Sustained northeast winds of 50 to 60 mph are forecast atop the mountaintops throughout the day, with gusts of up to 75 mph expected.

Winds that strong can cause damage to roofs and power outages. Travel also will be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.

The National Weather Service advises precautions should be taken to protect property and travel to the summit areas should be postponed until winds subside.

Trade winds, which started to strengthen Sunday, are expected to gradually continue to get stronger through today.

The National Weather Service area forecast discussion for the state as of 9:50 a.m. Sunday said high pressure began building late Sunday north of the state as another front approaching the islands dissipated.

Building high pressure along with an upper level jet stream expected to dive down over the area today are causing the warning level winds at the summits.

Northeast winds at the summits were blowing up to 15 mph Sunday, with gusts up to 25 mph, most of the day, according to the 12:30 p.m. forecast, and were expected already to increase to a sustained 45 mph and gusts up to 55 mph overnight.

A high wind warning means winds at the summits are expected to be at least 56 mph with gusts stronger than 66 mph.

Winds are forecast out of the east by Monday night at up to 55 mph and gusts of 65 mph, falling back to just under warning levels but still very strong.

They will weaken slightly again by Tuesday, blowing from the northeast at up to 50 mph, with maximum gusts of 60 mph, and then out of the east at up to 45 mph by Tuesday night and through Wednesday with gusts of up to 55 mph.

The latest model guidance early Sunday afternoon from the National Weather Service in Honolulu suggested trades will also continue to strengthen elsewhere in the state through early this week as high pressure to the north builds.

Trade winds will become breezy to strong, with possible wind advisory conditions in typically windier areas of the state, by midweek, with the strongest winds reaching those places by Wednesday through Thursday and trades peaking by sometime Wednesday.

Check the National Weather Service Honolulu forecast office website for the latest forecast updates and any advisories, watches or warnings in effect.