Gentle to moderate trade winds will hold into Friday. These gentle winds will allow for a hybrid land/sea breeze and trade wind pattern to continue for the next 24 hours with clouds and showers focusing over interior and mauka areas during the afternoon with some clearing for the leeward areas overnight. Friday night into early next week a band of moisture and gradually strengthening trade winds will increase chances of precipitation primarily over windward and mauka areas.
Light to moderate trades will try to build back across the area today, resulting in clouds and showers beginning to favor windward and mauka areas. However, the background wind field should remain light enough to support sea breeze development, allowing for clouds and a few showers to form over some leeward and interior areas by the afternoon. MVFR conditions are possible in any shower activity. Otherwise, VFR conditions should prevail.
No AIRMETS are in effect. AIRMET Sierra may be needed later today as the leeward and interior clouds and showers develop.
Issued at 407 AM HST Thu May 7 2026 A weak trough residing northeast of the islands will keep trade winds light to locally moderate across all local waters today into Friday. By this weekend, a surface ridge building northwest of the state will bring a return of moderate to locally fresh trades. A Small Craft Advisory may be needed for the typical windy waters surrounding Maui and the Big Island by early next week late as the high expands eastward.
A moderate, long period, northwest swell is filling in across the local waters, as noted on the latest Hanalei buoy observations. This swell should peak later today and bring elevated surf along north and west facing beaches, just shy of advisory levels. Expect a gradual decline to swell and surf Friday into the weekend.
A small, long-period, south swell will continue to fill in today. This swell should provide a small bump in south shore surf through the end of the week.
Surf along east facing shores will remain below normal during the next several days due to the lack of strong trades over and upstream of the islands. East shore surf will gradually increase into the weekend as trades make a slow return.
None.
