Photo Credit: Braden Jarvis

West Kaua’i

Today: Mostly sunny early in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Isolated showers. Highs around 80 near the shore to around 69 above 3000 feet. Light winds becoming west up to 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Isolated showers after midnight. Lows 65 to 72 near the shore to around 55 above 3000 feet. Northeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Friday: Mostly sunny. Isolated showers in the morning. Highs around 83 near the shore to around 71 above 3000 feet. North winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

South Kaua’i

Today: Partly sunny. Scattered showers early in the morning, then isolated showers in the late morning and afternoon. Highs around 77. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 62 to 71. Northeast winds around 15 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Friday: Partly sunny. Breezy. Scattered showers in the morning. Highs around 80. Northeast winds 15 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Kaua’i Mountains

Today: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Highs 68 to 74 in the valleys to around 60 above 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 54 to 62 in the valleys to around 50 above 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Friday: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers in the morning, then isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 70 to 77 in the valleys to around 61 above 4000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

North Kaua’i

Today: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Highs 70 to 80. Northeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 59 to 70. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph shifting to the east after midnight. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Friday: Partly sunny. Scattered showers in the morning, then isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 73 to 83. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

East Kaua’i

Today: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Highs 69 to 79. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 55 to 73. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Friday: Partly sunny. Scattered showers in the morning, then isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 73 to 82. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Detailed Forecast

Synopsis

Mostly dry and pleasant trade wind conditions will prevail through next week. Breezy northeast trade winds will briefly weaken over the weekend, then shift out of the east and return to breezy levels early next week. Clouds and brief showers will favor windward and mauka locations overnight through the mornings as areas of moisture move through periodically.

Discussion

The latest model guidance has initialized well with the current pattern and depicts mostly dry conditions prevailing through next week as high pressure builds north of the state. The low-level flow has shifted out of the northeast and will reach the breezy category through the day today. Despite the dry conditions in place, a weak upper trough moving through combined with a remnant low-level moisture boundary settling south into the smaller islands this morning supports scattered light showers, mostly over windward areas of Oahu and Kauai. This band of moisture will linger into tonight, then diminish.
The breezy trades will hold Friday, but ease into the light to moderate range over the weekend as a weakness forms in the ridge due to a system passing far to the north. The southern extent of a mid- to upper-level trough associated with this system will pass nearby to the north through this time, which could support a slight increase in windward shower coverage through the overnight/morning periods. Rising upper heights along with a strengthening surface ridge to the north will support the dry conditions prevailing early next week with breezy easterly trades returning.

Aviation

Surface high pressure northwest of the state will continue to drift eastward during the forecast period and maintain light to moderate northeasterly trades across the state. Thus, scattered shower activity will mainly affect windward locations. Expect brief periods of MVFR ceilings and visibility to be associated with this activity today, especially for Kauai and Oahu. VFR conditions elsewhere.
AIRMET SIERRA has been issued above 2000 feet for north through east sections of Kauai for tempo mountain obscuration from low clouds and showers.

Marine

Moderate northeast trades will persist through the forecast period possibly strengthening slightly during the weekend.
Small surf along south facing shores will hold as overlapping south swells maintain elevated surf through the end of the week. The current northwest swell will become increasingly north as it gradually subsides through today. A small north swell will bring a modest bump to exposed shorelines during the latter half of the weekend. Surf along east facing shores will remain small.

HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories

None.

Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov