Photo Credit: Sebastien Gabriel

West Kaua’i

Rest Of Today: Sunny early in the morning then becoming mostly sunny. Highs around 79 near the shore to around 68 above 3000 feet. Light winds becoming west up to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows around 63 near the shore to around 53 above 3000 feet. Northwest winds up to 10 mph shifting to the northeast after midnight.

Martin Luther King Jr Day: Sunny. Highs around 80 near the shore to around 68 above 3000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph shifting to the south around 10 mph in the afternoon.

South Kaua’i

Rest Of Today: Mostly clear. Highs around 79. Light winds becoming northwest up to 10 mph in the morning, then shifting to the southwest around 10 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows around 62. Northwest winds up to 10 mph in the evening becoming light.

Martin Luther King Jr Day: Sunny. Highs 77 to 82. Light winds becoming southwest 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon.

Kaua’i Mountains

Rest Of Today: Sunny early in the morning then becoming mostly sunny. Highs 70 to 76 in the valleys to around 62 above 4000 feet. Light winds.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows 55 to 61 in the valleys to around 52 above 4000 feet. Light winds.

Martin Luther King Jr Day: Sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Highs 71 to 78 in the valleys to around 63 above 4000 feet. South winds up to 15 mph.

North Kaua’i

Rest Of Today: Sunny early in the morning then becoming mostly sunny. Highs 69 to 78. Light winds becoming northwest up to 15 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows 57 to 64. West winds up to 15 mph in the evening becoming light.

Martin Luther King Jr Day: Sunny. Highs 71 to 80. Light winds becoming southwest up to 15 mph in the afternoon.

East Kaua’i

Rest Of Today: Sunny early in the morning then becoming mostly sunny. Highs 71 to 81. Light winds becoming southeast up to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows 55 to 66. Northwest winds up to 10 mph in the evening becoming light.

Martin Luther King Jr Day: Sunny. Highs 72 to 81. Southwest winds up to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon.

Detailed Forecast

Synopsis

Cool and dry weather will continue into Monday as northerly winds diminish and become light and variable. An approaching front will bring increasing south to southwest winds later Monday into Tuesday, bringing warmer conditions, and increasing rainfall chances, especially to leeward areas. The front will move through the islands on Wednesday. Light winds and mostly dry weather will return for the second half of the week.

Discussion

Cloud free skies and cool temperatures in the 50s to low 60s prevail over the islands as land breezes have scoured out low-level moisture and active subsidence pushes the inversion per this morning's upper- air sounding. The dry land/sea breeze pattern will continue into Monday morning, with sea breezes likely struggling to produce much in the way of clouds, let alone showers. An approaching front will bring increasing S to SW winds, rebounding dewpoints into the 60s, and increasing showers to leeward zones Monday night through Tuesday. The SW winds may become locally strong on Tuesday, especially over typically windward areas as the winds accelerate over island terrain. The front will likely move over the island chain late Tuesday/Wednesday, and could also bring a return of strong winds to the Big Island Summits as well. The front will weaken as it moves E of the area late Wednesday, and a surface ridge moving over the islands through Friday will bring a return of a light wind regime that will be mostly dry. Another front may approach by next weekend.

Aviation

Weak northerly winds will persist through the forecast period. This flow will spread a relatively dry airmass over the region and bring partly cloudy skies and VFR conditions.
There are currently no AIRMETs in effect.

Marine

A series of low pressure systems, and their associated fronts, will continue to impact the weather over the coastal and offshore waters through the week. Light to locally moderate northerly winds continue across the region, with a general trend downwards expected through today. Another front will approach the islands Monday night, and Tuesday with increasing strong to near- gale south to southwest winds ahead of the front. A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) is likely for winds likely on Tuesday over mainly northern coastal waters.
North facing shores continues to decline today as the north- northeast swell fades. The SCA also has been cancelled although borderline, over the eastern end of the state, for all waters due to the declining trend on the nearshore buoys happening through the early morning hours. Seas are expected to then remain below SCA levels until Tuesday when a new northwest swell arrives. East facing shores will remain small except for areas exposed to the north swell.
The northwest Pacific continues to remain fairly active and continue to generate additional northwest swells that are expected to reach the islands this week. A moderate medium period swell will fill in Monday and Tuesday which could bring surf back up to near High Surf Advisory levels. Models are showing dominant swell direction from the west-northwest with the potential for High Surf Warning level surf on Wednesday through Thursday.

HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories

Wind Advisory until 8 AM HST this morning for Big Island Summits.

Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov