West Kaua’i

Today: Partly sunny. Slight chance of showers in the morning, then chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs 80 to 86 near the shore to around 73 above 3000 feet. West winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy in the evening then becoming partly cloudy. Lows around 69 near the shore to around 60 above 3000 feet. Light winds.

Friday: Cloudy. Slight chance of showers in the morning, then chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs around 84 near the shore to around 73 above 3000 feet. Light winds becoming south up to 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 40 percent.

South Kaua’i

Today: Partly sunny. Slight chance of showers in the morning, then chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs 80 to 86. Northeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers. Lows around 70. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph.

Friday: Cloudy. Slight chance of showers in the morning, then chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs 79 to 85. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Kaua’i Mountains

Today: Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers. Highs 75 to 81 in the valleys to around 67 above 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers in the evening, then slight chance of showers after midnight. Lows 62 to 69 in the valleys to around 59 above 4000 feet. Light winds becoming east up to 10 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Friday: Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers. Highs 75 to 80 in the valleys to around 66 above 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph.

North Kaua’i

Today: Partly sunny. Slight chance of showers in the morning, then chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs 75 to 82. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of showers in the evening. Lows 64 to 71. Southeast winds up to 10 mph.

Friday: Cloudy. Slight chance of showers in the morning, then chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs 76 to 84. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

East Kaua’i

Today: Partly sunny. Slight chance of showers in the morning, then chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs 74 to 83. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers. Lows 64 to 73. Northeast winds up to 10 mph.

Friday: Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers. Highs 74 to 83. East winds up to 10 mph.

Detailed Forecast

Synopsis

A low pressure system lingers far to the north of Hawaii this morning, supporting continued light and variable winds with chances for light to moderate showers today. A passing high pressure system will bring a brief return to easterly trade winds with subtle drying trends from tonight into Saturday. A series of low pressure systems passing just north of the state will produce light to moderate southeasterly winds from Sunday into the middle of next week along with enhanced shower trends over the western islands on Monday and Tuesday.

Short term update

Issued at 939 AM HST Thu Apr 16 2026
No major changes to the forecast this morning, as relatively benign weather with broken to overcast high clouds (especially across the eastern half of the state) continues. Winds today are transitioning back to a more easterly trade wind regime, but will remain light enough to support sea breeze development in sheltered areas this afternoon. Kauai and Oahu may have slightly more shower activity versus the other islands today due to less overcast cloud cover and increased daytime heating. However, not anticipating much more than brief showers statewide.

Prev discussion

Looking into the water vapor satellite imagery this morning we continue to see a divergent Sub Tropical Jet stream over the Hawaiian Islands producing extensive high level cirrus and middle level alto-cumulus clouds. These cloudy skies will linger into early next week with enough instability in the atmosphere to support brief chances for passing showers each day.
A high pressure system will pass by just north of the state later tonight into Saturday, briefly building in easterly trade winds across the region. Wind speeds will become strong enough to limit sea breezes to terrain sheltered leeward western slopes of each island. Subtle drying trends will develop during this time period due to a slight increase in subsidence, downward vertical motions creating warming and drying effects, making the atmosphere a bit more stable.
However, the return to easterly trade winds will be fleeting and vanish quickly by Sunday as a series of low pressure systems develop and break down the ridge north of the state. These passing lows appear to track far enough north to limit any heavy rainfall or flooding issues for the islands. A passing upper level trough may increase cloud and shower trends over the western islands of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu and Molokai from Monday through Tuesday. A weak ridge will settle in over the eastern islands producing a fairly stable southeasterly wind pattern across the region. Any additional enhanced showers in this wind driven pattern will favor southeast slopes of Maui and the Big Island with modest additional rainfall amounts. Elsewhere rainfall will be limited as the passing cloud bands will move more parallel to island mountains and the Big Island will produce a leeside rain shadow across much of the islands in Maui County.
The long range forecast guidance shows another round of returning easterly trade winds from next week Thursday into the following weekend. A building upper level ridge will keep shower activity to a minimum, with brief passing showers favoring the typical windward and mountain areas in the overnight to early morning hours.

Aviation

Issued at 939 AM HST Thu Apr 16 2026
A light background easterly trade wind flow should take place today. Land and sea breezes are expected for terrain sheltered areas due to the light winds. It is also possible for afternoon showers to occur over island interiors, providing isolated MVFR conditions for the afternoon hours, before dissipating by the evening. Windward and mountain areas could also see brief and isolated MVFR conditions from passing showers. VFR will prevail elsewhere.
No AIRMETs are in effect.

Marine

Issued at 939 AM HST Thu Apr 16 2026
Trough to the NW maintains gentle to moderate easterly trades through today. The strongest breezes will occur through the typical windy channels surrounding Maui and the Big Island. Building high pressure then supports moderate to locally fresh easterly trades across the waters Friday into Saturday. Winds may briefly reach the Small Craft Advisory threshold on Saturday. Low pressure to our NW on Sunday will cause trades to weaken slightly and veer to ESE. Gentle to moderate ESE winds are expected Sunday into early next week.
A small, short-period, NNW swell fades this afternoon into tonight. Small background energy from the W this weekend into next week from Typhoon Sinlaku, but confidence remains low. A much larger NW to WNW swell is possible towards the end of next week as Typhoon Sinlaku transitions to extratropical early next week.
A small to moderate, medium-period, SSE swell boosts surf along S shores through Friday then lowers over the weekend. Surf along E shores remains below the seasonal average as trades remain light. However, increasing trades by week's end should brings a slight bump to surf. Low pressure advancing S along the W coast of the US next week then sends a small, medium period NE swell toward the islands by midweek.

HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories

None.

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Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov