High pressure far to the north of the state will maintain moderate to breezy trade winds through Thursday, with the trades then easing Friday and Saturday as a front approaches from the west. Fairly dry conditions will prevail, with light trade wind showers limited primarily to windward and mauka areas through the period. A weakening front may bring an increase in rain chances Sunday and Monday, as it moves into the western islands. A more typical trade wind pattern then looks to return Tuesday into the middle of next week.
Issued at 300 AM HST Wed Feb 25 2026
Moderate NE trades should veer more easterly today. Low cigs and SHRA are possible along windward and mauka areas, with some isol spillover into leeward areas. MVFR conds possible within SHRA, otherwise VFR prevails.
AIRMET Sierra for mtn obsc is in effect for Oahu, Molokai, Maui and the Big Island. Conds should improve in the mid morning hours.
Issued at 300 AM HST Wed Feb 25 2026
Strong high pressure far north of the islands will maintain fresh to strong trade winds into Thursday. A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) has been extended through this afternoon for all waters due to a combination of these winds and elevated seas from a declining north-northeast swell, and the SCA has been pushed through Thursday for portions of the waters around Big Island and Maui County, where higher winds are typically encountered. Winds will ease over all waters and will gradually veer southeasterly around Kauai and Oahu Thursday night and Friday as a surface ridge is displaced toward the islands by an advancing front. The SCA will likely be dropped at this time. The front will stall and degrade into a trough over the weekend, possibly bringing increased chances for heavy showers by Sunday.
A large north-northeast (010-030 deg) swell will gradually decline during the next few days but will maintain elevated surf today. During the last few hours, NOAA buoy 51000 continued to show the swell above guidance at 10 to 11 feet 14 seconds, while the nearshore PacIOOS buoys have been measuring the swell at 9 to 10 feet. Given these observations, the High Surf Advisory for north and east facing shores of most islands has been extended through the afternoon, and the Marine Weather Statement continues for moderate to heavy surges in north facing harbors, mainly in Hilo and Kahului. Surf should fall below advisory levels by evening and continue a gradual decline through Friday. As east shore surf continues to decline this weekend, a small northwest swell will arrive. This swell will linger into early next week.
Surf along south facing shores will remain tiny through the week.
High Surf Advisory until 6 PM HST this evening for Big Island East-Big Island North-Kauai East-Kauai North-Koolau Windward- Maui Central Valley North-Maui Windward West-Molokai North- Molokai Windward-Niihau-Oahu North Shore-Olomana-Windward Haleakala.
Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM HST this evening for Big Island Windward Waters-Kaiwi Channel-Kauai Channel-Kauai Leeward Waters- Kauai Northwest Waters-Kauai Windward Waters-Maui County Leeward Waters-Maui County Windward Waters-Oahu Leeward Waters-Oahu Windward Waters.
Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM HST Thursday for Alenuihaha Channel-Big Island Leeward Waters-Big Island Southeast Waters- Maalaea Bay-Pailolo Channel.
