Waimea, Kauai Weather
- Change Towns
- Anahola
- Lihue
- Princeville
- Waimea
Today
Tonight
Sunday
Sunday Night
M.L. King Jr. Day
Monday Night
Tuesday
Tuesday Night
Wednesday
Wednesday Night
Thursday
Thursday Night
Friday
Friday Night
Weather RadarRegional Kauai Weather Forecast January 17, 2026
West Kaua’i
Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows around 62 near the shore to around 52 above 3000 feet. Northeast winds up to 10 mph.
Saturday: Sunny. Highs around 78 near the shore to around 67 above 3000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph shifting to the south in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear. Lows 62 to 67 near the shore to around 54 above 3000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph.
South Kaua’i
Tonight: Breezy. Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Lows around 62. Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Saturday: Breezy. Mostly sunny with isolated showers. Highs 73 to 80. Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. Isolated showers. Lows around 65. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Kaua’i Mountains
Tonight: Breezy. Partly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 53 to 60 in the valleys to around 50 above 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. Scattered showers in the morning, then isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 67 to 74 in the valleys to around 58 above 4000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy. Breezy. Scattered showers in the evening, then isolated showers after midnight. Lows 56 to 63 in the valleys to around 53 above 4000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.
North Kaua’i
Tonight: Mostly cloudy in the evening then becoming partly cloudy. Scattered showers. Lows 55 to 65. East winds up to 15 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 30 percent.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. Scattered showers in the morning, then isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 69 to 78. Southeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then isolated showers after midnight. Lows 58 to 67. Southeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.
East Kaua’i
Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening, then scattered showers after midnight. Lows 55 to 68. North winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. Scattered showers in the morning, then isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 66 to 78. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then isolated showers after midnight. Lows 58 to 70. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.
Detailed Forecast
Update
Small craft advisory now goes through 6 AM HST for all zones and continues to 6 PM HST for zones around Big Island and Maui County.
Synopsis
The dry and cool air most of us woke up to this morning will become “modified” (warmer and more moist) through the weekend as trade winds continue. Southeast winds will build in late Sunday through Tuesday, further increasing warmth and relative humidity values. A front looks likely to pass through much (or all) of the state Wednesday/Thursday next week, bringing an increase in the chance of moderate to potentially heavy rain. But confidence is not high yet on exactly how far it will get.
Aviation
Breezy to locally gusty trade winds will persist through the evening. Winds have transitioned to a NE direction in most areas this afternoon, and is expected to become ENE tomorrow, maintaining moderate to breezy wind speeds. This shift should alleviate the uncommon gusty N-NNE winds at PHKO and PHTO. Dry air continues to limit showers across the state through tomorrow. Sparse showers that do come across will be over windward and mauka areas. VFR conditions are expected statewide.
AIRMET Tango remains in effect for low level turbulence downwind of terrain across the state.
Marine
A high pressure system to the northwest will gradually move east over the next few days and bring stable breezy to locally strong trade winds. The northeasterly winds currently in place over the region will veer east through Sunday. By late Sunday into early next week, winds are expected to weaken and veer southerly again ahead of the next cold front. Current long range guidance shows this next cold front could approach the western coastal waters by the middle of next week.
An extra large northwest swell that brought large seas to exposed waters today will gradually fade overnight, with seas gradually improving. A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) remains in effect for all Hawaiian waters through 6 PM HST this evening for combined seas above 10 feet, and winds to 25 kt. After tonight, the SCA will remain in effect over the eastern half of the islands for trade winds strengthening above 25 kt heading into the weekend.
An extra large, medium to long period northwest (320-340 degrees) swell which peaked early this morning will gradually decline overnight, but is now expected to hold above warning levels through the evening before dropping rapidly on Saturday. The High Surf Warning has been extended through 4 AM HST Saturday for exposed north and west facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and north facing shores of Maui. Additionally, a High Surf Advisory for west facing shores of the Big Island has also been extended through the same time. This swell will gradually transition to become more northerly (350-010 degrees) as it fades through the weekend. Surf along north and west facing shores will then linger near advisory levels Saturday before another reinforcing northwest swell arrives Sunday into Sunday night. This swell looks to briefly bring surf heights above advisory levels. The swell will then gradually decrease through Monday before a WNW swell arrives Tuesday and peaks near advisory levels.
Surf along east facing shores will remain small, though will increase slightly tonight into the weekend as trades become re- established across the area. Additionally, some east facing shores sensitive to northerly swells may experience a slight uptick in surf heights this weekend as the fading northwesterly swell becomes more northerly. No noteworthy swells are expected for the next few days for south facing shores.
Prev discussion
/ISSUED 409 PM HST Fri Jan 16 2026/
Trades (10-20 mph with gusts 20-30 mph) have become re- established and will remain over the islands into Sunday. Very light showers have developed this afternoon, mainly in windward locations. Skies were partly to mostly cloudy windward and mostly sunny leeward.
An long wave upper level ridge axis to our northwest will gradually move east and pass over the state through Monday afternoon. This will keep the atmosphere relatively stable, allowing for weak mainly windward and mauka showers through the weekend. Winds will become southeast Sunday and remain that way through Tuesday. This will bring enhanced moisture and a slight increase in showers, along with warmer temperatures. Late Tuesday, winds will become weak and mainly southerly as a cold front moves in from the northwest. The front should reach the western half of the state Tuesday night, then slow down, finally reaching the Big Island late Wednesday night or Thursday (model spread is pretty large on the exact timing).
Unlike the system we just had Wednesday night into yesterday which was followed by strong northerly winds and drier air, next week's front is not expected to as strong. In fact, there is significant model spread on whether or not it actually makes it past Big Island and heads away to the east, or stalls and moves back over the state from east to west. That makes this a low confidence forecast in the extended (Wed-next Fri).
AVIATION… Breezy to locally gusty trade winds will persist through the evening. Winds have transitioned to a NE direction in most areas this afternoon, and is expected to become ENE tomorrow, maintaining moderate to breezy wind speeds. This shift should alleviate the uncommon gusty N-NNE winds at PHKO and PHTO. Dry air continues to limit showers across the state through tomorrow. Sparse showers that do come across will be over windward and mauka areas. VFR conditions are expected statewide.
AIRMET Tango remains in effect for low level turbulence downwind of terrain across the state.
MARINE… A high pressure system to the northwest will gradually move east over the next few days and bring stable breezy to locally strong trade winds. The northeasterly winds currently in place over the region will veer east through Sunday. By late Sunday into early next week, winds are expected to weaken and veer southerly again ahead of the next cold front. Current long range guidance shows this next cold front could approach the western coastal waters by the middle of next week.
An extra large northwest swell that brought large seas to exposed waters today will gradually fade overnight, with seas gradually improving. A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) remains in effect for all Hawaiian waters through 6 PM HST this evening for combined seas above 10 feet, and winds to 25 kt. After tonight, the SCA will remain in effect over the eastern half of the islands for trade winds strengthening above 25 kt heading into the weekend.
An extra large, medium to long period northwest (320-340 degrees) swell which peaked early this morning will gradually decline overnight, but is now expected to hold above warning levels through the evening before dropping rapidly on Saturday. The High Surf Warning has been extended through 4 AM HST Saturday for exposed north and west facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and north facing shores of Maui. Additionally, a High Surf Advisory for west facing shores of the Big Island has also been extended through the same time. This swell will gradually transition to become more northerly (350-010 degrees) as it fades through the weekend. Surf along north and west facing shores will then linger near advisory levels Saturday before another reinforcing northwest swell arrives Sunday into Sunday night. This swell looks to briefly bring surf heights above advisory levels. The swell will then gradually decrease through Monday before a WNW swell arrives Tuesday and peaks near advisory levels.
Surf along east facing shores will remain small, though will increase slightly tonight into the weekend as trades become re- established across the area. Additionally, some east facing shores sensitive to northerly swells may experience a slight uptick in surf heights this weekend as the fading northwesterly swell becomes more northerly. No noteworthy swells are expected for the next few days for south facing shores.
HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories
High Surf Warning until 4 AM HST Saturday for Niihau, Kauai Leeward, Waianae Coast, Oahu North Shore, Maui Windward West, Kauai North, Molokai Windward, Molokai North, Molokai West, Maui Central Valley North, Windward Haleakala.
High Surf Advisory until 4 AM HST Saturday for Kona, Kohala.
Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM HST Saturday for Kauai Northwest Waters, Kauai Windward Waters, Kauai Leeward Waters, Kauai Channel, Oahu Windward Waters, Oahu Leeward Waters.
Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM HST Saturday for Kaiwi Channel, Maui County Windward Waters, Maui County Leeward Waters, Maalaea Bay, Pailolo Channel, Alenuihaha Channel, Big Island Windward Waters, Big Island Leeward Waters, Big Island Southeast Waters.
Kauai Now Weather is brought to you by Blue Hawaiian Helicopters.
Check out their Kaua‘i Helicopter Tours today!
Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov

