Honolulu's weather this week remains mostly stable, with occasional showers expected. According to the National Weather Service, while today welcomes some rather dry and stable conditions, southerly winds are beefing up, and the Big Island should anticipate scattered showers mainly over its southeast slopes this morning. By this afternoon, sporadic showers might just make an appearance over the island interiors. Tonight, a weakening front from the west will bring increased showers, with heavier rainfall expected over the western islands.
For those keeping an eye on the skies, a cold front about 600 miles west-northwest of Kauai is expected to move in late tonight into Friday before weakening near Kauai. Winds across the islands will shift to lighter trades, bringing a familiar mix of sea and land breezes. These lighter winds are expected to persist briefly before another front arrives on Sunday. By Monday, light and variable winds could create changing conditions, with normal trade winds likely returning by midweek.
Weather-wise, it's business as usual today with a prediction of only a few isolated showers come afternoon along the eastern end of the state. Come Friday, though, Kauai might be in for downpours as the forecast teases an uptick in shower activity with deeper moisture hitchhiking along the decaying front. Unlike western counterparts, the smaller islands should bask in dry conditions on Saturday. As for Sunday through early next week, the western islands may need to prepare for rain and possible thunderstorms, while the eastern islands are likely to enjoy calmer skies, as detailed by the NWS.
Aviation alerts remain minimal, with no AIRMETs currently issued or expected. The high-pressure ridge hanging around is ensuring general stability in the weather, which should keep pilots and passengers alike fairly content. A southerly drift catching wind over the western half of the state is ballooning into moderate breezes as a cold front prepares to make a grand entrance from the northwest. On the marine front, sailors and water enthusiasts should be aware that stronger southerly winds around Kauai's waters have prompted a Small Craft Advisory, in effect from noon today through early Friday.
For beachgoers and surfers, the high surf advisory has been lifted for most west-facing shores, except for the west side of the Big Island, where the surf remains elevated. The National Weather Service indicates that north shores may also see a decline in swell through the day, which could result in the High Surf Advisory sunsetting early if the conditions mellow out as projected. Surfers, take note: another solid west-northwest swell is expected to roll in by Friday night, offering great conditions to catch some waves.
