Hilo

Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then numerous showers after midnight. Lows 58 to 67 near the shore to 49 to 56 at 4000 feet. West winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Scattered showers in the morning, then isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs around 78 near the shore to around 64 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph shifting to the east in the afternoon. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 58 to 67 near the shore to 48 to 55 at 4000 feet. Northwest winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Kona

Tonight: Partly cloudy with scattered showers. Haze. Lows 68 to 73 near the shore to 47 to 52 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny with isolated showers. Haze. Highs around 83 near the shore to around 65 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Haze through the night. Lows 67 to 72 near the shore to 46 to 51 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Waimea

Tonight: Breezy. Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Lows 60 to 70 near the shore to 51 to 60 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Breezy. Highs around 78 near the shore to 67 to 76 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 68 near the shore to 51 to 59 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Kohala

Tonight: Breezy. Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Lows 60 to 70 near the shore to 51 to 60 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Breezy. Highs around 78 near the shore to 67 to 76 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 68 near the shore to 51 to 59 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

South Big Island

Tonight: Breezy. Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Haze. Lows around 72 near the shore to around 53 near 5000 feet. Northeast winds up to 20 mph increasing to 10 to 20 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tuesday: Breezy. Mostly sunny with isolated showers. Haze. Highs around 82 near the shore to around 63 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy. Haze through the night. Lows around 72 near the shore to around 52 near 5000 feet. East winds 10 to 15 mph.

Puna

Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then numerous showers after midnight. Lows 58 to 67 near the shore to 49 to 56 at 4000 feet. West winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Scattered showers in the morning, then isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs around 78 near the shore to around 64 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph shifting to the east in the afternoon. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 58 to 67 near the shore to 48 to 55 at 4000 feet. Northwest winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Waikoloa

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows around 71 near the shore to 48 to 53 above 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 15 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny…breezy and haze. Highs around 83 near the shore to 63 to 69 above 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 20 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear. Lows 67 to 73 near the shore to 48 to 53 above 4000 feet. Light winds becoming east up to 10 mph after midnight.

Detailed Forecast

Synopsis

A front lifting north of the islands will allow the ridge to lift northward, resulting in the southeast winds increasing and becoming more easterly. Moderate to locally breezy trades will ring in the new year. Frontal moisture being carried in on the trades for the first weekend of the new year will result in an increase in trade wind showers.

Discussion

A stationary front northeast of the islands will dissipate and lift the north, allowing the surface ridge near the islands to lift northward. This is turn will allow the light southeasterly winds over the islands to increase and turn to the east over the next day or two. A new ridge building in north of the islands midweek will help trade winds to rebound further. As the frontal boundary moves far northeast of the islands, the southern end will linger northeast of the islands and approach the state Friday, enhancing trade winds showers for the start of the first weekend of 2026.
Mid-level ridging over the islands through the week will help to provide a stable airmass overhead, limiting rainfall amounts. The returning trades will focus showers over the typical windward and mauka areas. The mid-level ridging will also help to maintain typical trade wind inversion heights, but the moderate trade winds New Year's Eve should help to disperse firework smoke from the anticipated New Year's Eve celebrations statewide.
As the above mentioned frontal band reaches the islands Friday, we can expect enhanced shower activity, predominately over windward and mauka locations, with potential for isolated showers spilling into leeward and interior areas. Thereafter, a noticeably cooler and drier air mass is expected, that will result in dewpoints falling into the upper-50s and lower-60s this weekend.

Aviation

East-southeast winds will gradually strengthen to moderate to breezy speeds through the next 24 hours and shift out of a more easterly direction. Expect mostly VFR conditions through Tuesday. The exception to this could come overnight into tomorrow morning as a batch of showery low clouds moves through the island chain. AIRMET Sierra for mountain obscurations may be needed over windward areas from Big Island to Oahu late tonight into early Tuesday morning as these showers move through.

Marine

Moderate to locally strong easterly trade winds will continue through the week as high pressure builds north of the islands. A Small Craft Advisory has been issued for the windier waters around Maui County and the Big Island through Tuesday night.
A large, medium period northwest (320-340 degree) swell will continue to fill in this evening keeping surf along north and west facing shores above advisory levels. Recent buoy observations show this swell continues to run around 0.5 ft above guidance. A High Surf Advisory (HSA) remains in effect for north and west facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and north facing shores of Maui. An overlapping long period north-northwest (350 degree) swell will build tonight and will likely push surf to slightly higher HSA heights on Tuesday. Seas near 10 feet remain possible across exposed waters during the peak of the swell. This swell will gradually decline through the remainder of the week.
A slight increase in choppy east shore surf is expected tonight though mid-week as trade winds strengthen. Surf along south facing shores will remain tiny to small through the forecast period.

HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories

High Surf Advisory until 6 AM HST Wednesday for Niihau, Kauai Leeward, Waianae Coast, Oahu North Shore, Maui Windward West, Kauai North, Molokai Windward, Molokai North, Molokai West, Maui Central Valley North, Windward Haleakala.
Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM HST Wednesday for Pailolo Channel, Alenuihaha Channel, Big Island Windward Waters, Big Island Leeward Waters.

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