Photo Credit: Sebastien Gabriel

West Kaua’i

Today: Sunny. Highs around 82 near the shore to around 70 above 3000 feet. Northeast winds up to 10 mph shifting to the south in the afternoon.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows around 66 near the shore to around 55 above 3000 feet. Light winds.

Friday: Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Isolated showers. Highs around 83 near the shore to around 71 above 3000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph shifting to the south in the afternoon. Chance of rain 20 percent.

South Kaua’i

Today: Mostly sunny. Highs around 81. West winds around 10 mph shifting to the southwest in the afternoon.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows 62 to 67. West winds around 10 mph in the evening becoming light.

Friday: Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Isolated showers. Highs around 82. West winds up to 10 mph shifting to the south in the afternoon. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Kaua’i Mountains

Today: Sunny. Highs 69 to 77 in the valleys to around 64 above 4000 feet. West winds up to 10 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows 55 to 60 in the valleys to around 49 above 4000 feet. Southwest winds up to 10 mph.

Friday: Partly sunny with isolated showers. Highs 70 to 78 in the valleys to around 65 above 4000 feet. Southwest winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

North Kaua’i

Today: Sunny. Highs 74 to 81. South winds up to 10 mph shifting to the north in the afternoon.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows 58 to 67. South winds up to 10 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny with isolated showers. Highs 75 to 82. South winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

East Kaua’i

Today: Sunny. Highs 74 to 81. Southwest winds up to 15 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows 56 to 68. Southwest winds up to 10 mph.

Friday: Partly sunny with isolated showers. Highs 75 to 82. Southwest winds up to 15 mph shifting to the south in the afternoon. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Detailed Forecast

Synopsis

Weak high pressure over the island chain will bring mostly dry conditions with sea breezes today and land breezes tonight. Little change is expected Friday through early next week, with rather dry weather continuing and winds shifting southerly at light to moderate speeds ahead of a couple slowly approaching cold fronts. A stronger front could bring some more unsettled weather and windy conditions back to the island chain around the middle of next week.

Discussion

Currently at the surface, a surface ridge axis is located over the state early this morning, with land breezes dominant across the entire island chain. Infrared satellite imagery shows mostly clear to partly cloudy conditions across the state. Radar imagery shows dry conditions over the smaller islands, with a couple showers over windward and southeast sections of the Big Island.
The high pressure ridge with gradually shift eastward today through Friday as a front approaches from the northwest. Light and variable winds will lead to land and sea breezes today, with winds shifting southerly and increasing to light to moderate speeds for Friday. The front will stall out and gradually dissipate over the weekend, with moderate southerlies on Saturday dropping ever so slightly for Sunday. Winds will pick back up to moderate and locally breezy levels again early next week in advance of the next cold front, potentially getting very windy again as the front moves through the state around the middle of next week.
As for the remaining weather details, rather dry conditions are expected statewide through early next week, with rain chances remaining very low. As the southerly flow picks up Monday night and Tuesday in advance of the next cold front, we should see showers increase, particularly over the western islands. Another round of locally heavy showers and potentially a few thunderstorms then appear to move through the islands from west to east around the middle of next week.

Aviation

Light and variable flow will prevail today. Thus, expect sea breezes to develop along the coastal regions by the afternoon. Aside from some isolated showers near the Big Island, conditions will be VFR and dry.
No AIRMETs are currently in effect.

Marine

Light and variable winds will persist over the state today as a weak high has developed over the island chain. This high will migrate eastward with a trailing ridge of high pressure to remain over the state for the next several days. A new front move just north of the state Friday and stall through the weekend, generating gentle to moderate south to southwest winds.
Offshore and near shore buoys show the large north-northwest (300-310 degree) swell has peaked and will steadily subside today. A High Surf Warning remains for most north and west facing shores through today but may dip down to advisory levels later this morning depending on how fast this swell declines. The next large, long period west-northwest (300 deg) swell will build Saturday and produce surf around warning levels Saturday night into Sunday.
Surf along east facing shores will remain small into next week due to a lack of easterly trade winds locally and upstream of the islands. Surf along south facing shores will trend down the next couple of days as southwesterly wind waves and a small, long period south swell fades.

HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories

High Surf Warning until 6 PM HST this evening for Niihau, Kauai Leeward, Waianae Coast, Oahu North Shore, Maui Windward West, Kona, Kohala, Kauai North, Molokai Windward, Molokai North, Molokai West, Maui Central Valley North, Windward Haleakala.
High Wind Warning until 6 PM HST this evening for Big Island Summits.
Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM HST this evening for Kauai Northwest Waters, Kauai Windward Waters, Kauai Leeward Waters, Kauai Channel, Oahu Windward Waters, Kaiwi Channel, Maui County Windward Waters, Alenuihaha Channel, Big Island Windward Waters.

Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov