Photo Credit: Brendan Stephen

West Kaua’i

Rest Of Today: Mostly cloudy with showers likely. Highs around 87 near the shore to around 75 above 3000 feet. Southeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then isolated showers after midnight. Lows 68 to 73 near the shore to around 59 above 3000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Saturday: Mostly sunny with isolated showers. Highs around 87 near the shore to around 75 above 3000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph shifting to the southeast in the afternoon. Chance of rain 20 percent.

South Kaua’i

Rest Of Today: Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs around 84. South winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Partly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 66 to 72. Light winds becoming northeast up to 10 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Saturday: Mostly sunny. Scattered showers in the morning, then isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs around 84. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.

Kaua’i Mountains

Rest Of Today: Mostly cloudy with showers. Highs 74 to 81 in the valleys to around 65 above 4000 feet. South winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80 percent.

Tonight: Partly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 59 to 64 in the valleys to around 54 above 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph in the evening becoming light. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Saturday: Mostly sunny with scattered showers. Highs 74 to 81 in the valleys to around 65 above 4000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

North Kaua’i

Rest Of Today: Mostly cloudy with showers likely. Highs 77 to 86. South winds up to 15 mph shifting to the southeast in the afternoon. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then isolated showers after midnight. Lows 62 to 72. Southeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.

Saturday: Mostly sunny. Scattered showers in the morning, then isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 77 to 86. Southeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.

East Kaua’i

Rest Of Today: Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs 77 to 85. South winds 10 to 15 mph decreasing to up to 15 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Partly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 60 to 74. Southwest winds up to 10 mph in the evening becoming light. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Saturday: Mostly sunny with scattered showers. Highs 77 to 85. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Detailed Forecast

Synopsis

Showery cloud band remnants will move across Kauai today. Trade winds will push over the eastern end of the state late this afternoon and will bring a band of moisture along with it. This moisture will spread westward as the trades fill in across the rest of the state tonight and Saturday. A typical trade wind weather pattern is expected for the weekend and into next week.

Discussion

A ragged showery cloud band lingers across Kauai this morning and will bring light to moderate showers to that island through today. Elsewhere, overnight land breezes cut off shower activity and cleared skies over land. Cloud cover will likely increase once again over mauka areas as daytime heating sets in. Expect trade winds to gradually return beginning this afternoon as high pressure strengthens northeast of the state. Models show increasing showers as the trades spread westward, starting with windward areas of the Big Island this afternoon. By Saturday afternoon, trade winds will spread statewide.
Models show a moderate to locally breezy trade wind pattern across the state for next week, with showers riding in with the trade winds each day. Ridging aloft will keep our airmass stable, limiting total rainfall amounts. However, an increase in cloud and shower coverage is possible towards the middle of next week.

Aviation

A dissipating stationary front near Kauai will bring enhanced shower activity to areas west of Oahu this morning. This may allow for brief periods of MVFR ceilings and visibility. Elsewhere across the island chain, expect mainly dry conditions with partly cloudy skies and isolated showers.
This evening into tonight, southeasterly winds will back to a more easterly direction and bring a return of windward showers, especially over eastern portions of the Big Island.
AIRMET SIERRA remains in effect for Oahu and Kauai above 2500 feet due to reduced visibility from low clouds and showers.

Marine

A weakening boundary is over the western part of the state, near Kauai this early morning, and is heading west. Winds with a southerly component across the area will back toward the east over the next day or two and strengthen as high pressure builds far north and northeast of the islands. Moderate to strong trade winds will then continue through the middle of next week.
The current north swell remains elevated, though it has peaked. It will gradually lower through tonight. The High Surf Advisory was cancelled with the declining swell, but surf heights will remain near the 15-foot advisory threshold through the morning hours. No other significant northwest or north swells are likely through the middle of next week. And the Small Craft Advisory was also cancelled as combined seas have fallen below 10 feet.
Small, long-period south swells will maintain current south shore surf through Saturday. With no significant trade winds over and upstream of the state, most eastern shore surf will be from north swell wrap. However, strengthening trade winds this weekend will create rising, choppy surf along east facing shores.

HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories

None.

Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov