textproduct: Honolulu

SYNOPSIS

Locally breezy trade winds will remain through the weekend, easing a bit early next week. Typical trade wind showers will favor windward and mauka areas.

DISCUSSION

No significant changes to the forecast this morning.

High pressure remains anchored far northeast of the islands. The pressure gradient over the islands supports the light to moderate trade wind flow we have been experiencing recently. The high is expected to weaken and lift to the north, and the weaken. The resultant pressure gradient over the islands should weaken, leading winds easing a bit more to start the next week. As a new high builds north of the islands by midweek, the pressure gradient over the islands will tighten, leading to an uptick in the trades. High pressure aloft will maintain a stable atmosphere, limiting clouds and showers, mostly to the windward and mauka areas.

AVIATION

Moderate trades will continue through the weekend. Passing clouds and showers will be focused over the typical windward and mauka locations. VFR conditions are expected to prevail, with some MVFR conditions in clouds and showers.

No AIRMETs in effect this morning, and none expected.

MARINE

As high pressure far north of the islands edges slightly south and east through this weekend and interacts with a couple of lows and troughs passing to the south and southwest of Hawaii, trades will remain fresh to strong. A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) is in effect for the windier channels and waters around Maui County and the Big Island through Saturday afternoon. Winds will begin to diminish again late this weekend as high pressure to the north starts to weaken, which should eliminate the need for a SCA Sunday into early next week.

A small, medium-period west-northwest swell will gradually fade today into the weekend, causing surf along north-facing shores to drop to flat/tiny by the weekend.

Meanwhile, south-facing shores remain slightly below average as old southwest and west-northwest swells fade. However, a fresh south- southwest swell building today will briefly boost surf back to near average through early Saturday. This will maintain small surf along west-facing shores as well. A larger, moderate south swell is expected to build Sunday through early next week, bringing potentially above-average (though sub-advisory) waves to south shores.

On east-facing shores, strengthening trade winds will make surf slightly bigger and choppy this weekend, with a potential small-to- moderate swell arriving early-to-mid next week from Tropical Storm Elida.

HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM HST Saturday for Alenuihaha Channel-Big Island Leeward Waters-Big Island Southeast Waters- Maalaea Bay-Pailolo Channel.