West Kaua’i

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Isolated showers after midnight. Lows 61 to 66 near the shore to around 53 above 3000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Thursday: Mostly sunny with isolated showers. Highs 77 to 82 near the shore to around 68 above 3000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows around 66 near the shore to around 56 above 3000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

South Kaua’i

Tonight: Partly cloudy with isolated showers in the evening, then mostly cloudy with scattered showers after midnight. Lows around 64. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Thursday: Partly sunny. Scattered showers in the morning, then isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 74 to 80. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows around 66. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Kaua’i Mountains

Tonight: Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. Scattered showers. Lows 55 to 62 in the valleys to around 51 above 4000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Thursday: Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs 68 to 75 in the valleys to around 60 above 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening. Lows 57 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 30 percent.

North Kaua’i

Tonight: Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. Scattered showers. Lows 57 to 66. Southeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Thursday: Mostly sunny. Scattered showers in the morning, then isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 70 to 79. Southeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy with isolated showers in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Lows 59 to 68. Southeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

East Kaua’i

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 57 to 69. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Thursday: Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs 67 to 78. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 70. East winds up to 10 mph shifting to the south after midnight. Chance of rain 30 percent.

Detailed Forecast

Update

Currently at the surface, a 1026 mb high is centered about 1300 miles north of Honolulu, and is driving moderate trade winds across the island chain this evening. Infrared satellite imagery shows mostly cloudy conditions in most windward areas, with partly cloudy skies prevailing in leeward locales. Radar imagery a few light showers being carried into windward area on the trades, with dry conditions in leeward communities. The current forecast looks on track, with little change expected through the night. Rather dry trade wind weather will persist, with light showers limited to mainly windward and mauka locales.

Synopsis

One more day of trades is on tap for Thursday before an approaching upper level system and surface front take us into southeast surface flow and increasing moisture. A weak upper low may form near the state early next week, and this may bring wetter weather Sunday through Tuesday. Strong trades are possible around the middle of next week.

Aviation

Issued at 338 PM HST Wed Feb 25 2026
VFR conditions will prevail tonight into Thursday morning as a mostly dry moderate to breezy trade wind pattern takes hold. Isolated MVFR conditions are possible in windward areas where lower visibilities and ceilings can be expected in any isolated evening or overnight showers.
AIRMET Sierra for mountain obscuration may be needed later tonight for mainly windward areas but could expand if showers start to spill over into leeward areas.

Marine

Issued at 338 PM HST Wed Feb 25 2026
Strong high pressure far north of the islands will maintain fresh to strong trade winds into Thursday. Winds and waves have diminished below Small Craft Advisory criteria for the majority of the coastal waters this afternoon, though 25 to 30 kt winds are expected to continue tonight into Thursday for the waters and channels around Big Island and Maui County, where higher winds are typically encountered. Winds ease over all waters Thursday night and Friday, gradually veering southeasterly around Kauai and Oahu as a surface ridge is displaced toward the islands by an advancing front. The front will stall and weaken over the weekend, possibly bringing increased chances for heavy showers by Sunday.
A large north-northeast (010-030 deg) swell will continue to fade over the next few days, allowing surf along north- and east- facing shores to decline in tandem. Surf along north-facing shores has been observed to fall just below High Surf Advisory (HSA) criteria this afternoon, but still remains above 10 ft for favored east-facing shores. As a result, the HSA for north-facing shores has been allowed to expire, but has been extended for east-facing shores through tonight. In addition, a Marine Weather Statement continues for moderate to heavy surges in north facing harbors, mainly in Hilo and Kahului. As east shore surf continues to decline this weekend, a small northwest swell will arrive. This swell will linger into early next week.
Surf along south facing shores will remain tiny through the week.

Prev discussion

/ISSUED 338 PM HST Wed Feb 25 2026/ Issued at 338 PM HST Wed Feb 25 2026
As of mid-afternoon, radar and satellite showed fewer showers and more sunshine than yesterday this time. Winds were averaging 10 to 20 mph, with gusts to 30 mph in a few locations.
An approaching upper level ridge axis will pass over the region Thursday night, and the impact of that ridge is helping us have a relatively shower-free and mostly sunny day today. Northeast to east trade winds will become mostly southeast Friday, and remain that way into Sunday. A upper level trough will move in from the west Sunday afternoon, then a part of the trough will break off from the upper flow and form a weak closed low near the state Monday into Tuesday. Despite the proximity of this upper low and the cooler temperatures aloft that come with it, along with increased low-level moisture along a front that may move into the state Sunday through Monday, the latest guidance is noticeably drier than previous runs. We have trended slightly drier with this afternoon's forecast, but not too much. The ingredients will still be there for a potentially wet couple of days (late Sunday through late Tuesday), so we've decided to stay a little wetter with our forecast than the latest NBM guidance.
Models are fairly consistent in the longer term, showing trades returning Wednesday of next week. A strong pressure gradient is forecast to set up across the area in the middle of next week, and this means that moderate to strong winds are possible.
AVIATION… Issued at 338 PM HST Wed Feb 25 2026
VFR conditions will prevail tonight into Thursday morning as a mostly dry moderate to breezy trade wind pattern takes hold. Isolated MVFR conditions are possible in windward areas where lower visibilities and ceilings can be expected in any isolated evening or overnight showers.
AIRMET Sierra for mountain obscuration may be needed later tonight for mainly windward areas but could expand if showers start to spill over into leeward areas.
MARINE… Issued at 338 PM HST Wed Feb 25 2026
Strong high pressure far north of the islands will maintain fresh to strong trade winds into Thursday. Winds and waves have diminished below Small Craft Advisory criteria for the majority of the coastal waters this afternoon, though 25 to 30 kt winds are expected to continue tonight into Thursday for the waters and channels around Big Island and Maui County, where higher winds are typically encountered. Winds ease over all waters Thursday night and Friday, gradually veering southeasterly around Kauai and Oahu as a surface ridge is displaced toward the islands by an advancing front. The front will stall and weaken over the weekend, possibly bringing increased chances for heavy showers by Sunday.
A large north-northeast (010-030 deg) swell will continue to fade over the next few days, allowing surf along north- and east- facing shores to decline in tandem. Surf along north-facing shores has been observed to fall just below High Surf Advisory (HSA) criteria this afternoon, but still remains above 10 ft for favored east-facing shores. As a result, the HSA for north-facing shores has been allowed to expire, but has been extended for east-facing shores through tonight. In addition, a Marine Weather Statement continues for moderate to heavy surges in north facing harbors, mainly in Hilo and Kahului. As east shore surf continues to decline this weekend, a small northwest swell will arrive. This swell will linger into early next week.
Surf along south facing shores will remain tiny through the week.

HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories

High Surf Advisory until 6 AM HST Thursday for Olomana, Maui Windward West, Kauai East, Koolau Windward, Molokai Windward, Molokai North, Windward Haleakala, Big Island East, Big Island North.
Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM HST Thursday for Maalaea Bay, Pailolo Channel, Alenuihaha Channel, Big Island Leeward Waters, Big Island Southeast Waters.

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Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov