The skies over Honolulu are set to offer a mix of weather patterns in the coming days as an upper-level low hovers near the islands. Forecasters are predicting strengthening easterly trade winds from a high-pressure system arriving from the north, which should bring about more stable conditions for the region through the week. Wind speeds, on the other hand, will likely to start to decrease by the weekend, giving way to variability on Sunday prior to another cold front's approach from the northwest, according to the National Weather Service.
For those traveling by sea, it's important to take extra caution. The National Weather Service has issued a Small Craft Advisory valid through 6 PM HST Thursday for areas including Maalaea Bay, Pailolo Channel, and waters around the Big Island due to the strong winds expected. "Easterly trades will become moderate to locally strong in magnitude as high pressure establishes itself north northeast of the state Wednesday," the National Weather Service stated, as mariners should prepare for more turbulent conditions.
Surfers can expect to ride small to medium northwest swells through midweek, with surf maintaining near head-high on north-facing shores. The east shore surf will likely to experience a slight increase as the easterly winds intensify over the state. On the flip side, south shore surfers will see more modest waves with south swells anticipated to hold at waist high for the rest of the week, as reported by the National Weather Service.
As the weekend approaches, a notable change in weather will occur when the high-pressure ridge to the state's north starts to erode, letting in a cold front that will bring showers and a shift in wind from the north to northeast as it moves across the islands. "The latest forecast guidance shows the shallow front moving into Kauai and Oahu by early Monday morning with widespread showers and north to northeast winds developing along and behind the front as it passes through each island," the National Weather Service detailed. This transition heralds an active start to the following week, especially for those situated on the north and east slopes exposed to the northeasterly trades.
