Honolulu has been grappling with a feisty cold front that’s been marching down the island chain, bringing gusty northerly breezes and an array of showers along its path. The National Weather Service in Honolulu reports that this weather system is expected to hit a pause and linger around Maui County today through Thursday. While we batten down the hatches, residents can anticipate additional periods of wet weather, especially for those windward and higher elevation locales.
While Oahu woke up to a cold front moving overhead early this morning, it was Kauai that bore the brunt of the system’s rainfall, with an impressive 4 to 7 inches piling up on its north-western slopes in less than six hours. And Oahu wasn't spared the drama, as gusts nearing 40 mph buffeted parts of the island, according to NWS. However, weather models are showing signs of settling down, as the front is expected to take a breather when it reaches Maui later today.
If it seemed the skies were clearing, wet weather is expected to continue into the weekend. Another cold front trailed by an accompanying atmospheric disturbance is descending upon Hawaii, ratcheting up the rainfall odds from Friday onward. But there's light, or at least drier skies, at the end of the tunnel with the forecast predicting improvements from west to east during the upcoming week, as detailed by the NWS.
In the aviation sector, the weather has prompted some necessary alerts. AIRMET Tango has been enacted to signal moderate upper-level turbulence and strong northerly winds on the leeward slopes of Kauai and Oahu’s mountains. However, these advisories are expected to dissolve later in the morning as conditions stabilize, the NWS indicates.
Over on the water, mariners from Maui County to Kauai waters have been advised to heed a Small Craft Advisory in effect until noon today due to robust northern winds and the choppy seas they've whipped up. Meanwhile, surfers might find conditions less than optimal, with swells expected to dip below High Surf Advisory levels on exposed northern and western coasts for the rest of this week.
