Breezy to locally windy trade wind pattern persists through the week. Moisture embedded in the trades will periodically deliver clouds and showers to windward and mauka reas with an uptick in shower activity possible this weekend.
Issued at 824 PM HST Mon Feb 16 2026 Strong trade winds will prevail with winds beginning to veer east southeast by the end of the day Tuesday. The breezy trades will bring in a band of low clouds and showers, with windward sides favored and showers occasionally reaching leeward sides of the smaller islands. AIRMET Sierra is posted for tempo mountain obscurations above 2500 feet for windward sides of Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Big Island.
AIRMET Tango is also in effect for tempo moderate turbulence below 7000 feet over leeward sides of the islands.
Issued at 334 PM HST Mon Feb 16 2026 A strong high pressure system far north of the Hawaiian Islands will continue to drift farther south through midweek. This closer proximity to the islands will keep strong and gusty trade winds in the regional forecast through at least Wednesday. As a result, the Small Craft Advisory (SCA) for all of the main Hawaiian waters has been extended through Wednesday afternoon and will likely need to be extended further for at least portions of the coastal waters. A slight decrease in trade wind speeds may develop from Thursday into Friday as the high weakens briefly, before another strong high develops far north of the state this weekend.
Surf heights along east facing shorelines will remain solidly within High Surf Advisory (HSA) criteria through Wednesday, driven primarily by a large and persistent fetch of fresh to strong trade winds upstream of the islands. The HSA has been extended through Tuesday night and an extension through Wednesday is looking likely as strong upstream trades are expected to persist.
Surf will remain small along north, west and south facing shores through Saturday, as no significant swell-producing systems are evident in the medium range forecast.
In the extended range forecast, forerunners from the next moderate to large, long period north (010-020 degree) swell appear to arrive by late Sunday night, building swiftly to advisory levels through next week Monday, and then slowly declining into the middle of next week.
High Surf Advisory until 6 AM HST Wednesday for Big Island East- Big Island North-Big Island Southeast-East Honolulu-Kauai East- Kauai South-Kipahulu-Koolau Windward-Maui Windward West-Molokai Southeast-Molokai Windward-Olomana-Windward Haleakala.
Wind Advisory until 6 PM HST Tuesday for Big Island Interior-Big Island North-Big Island South-Big Island Southeast-Kahoolawe- Kohala-Koolau Leeward-Lanai Leeward-Lanai Mauka-Lanai South- Lanai Windward-Maui Central Valley North-Maui Central Valley South-Maui Windward West-Molokai North-Molokai Southeast-Molokai West-Molokai Windward-South Haleakala-Waianae Mountains-Windward Haleakala.
Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM HST Wednesday for Alenuihaha Channel-Big Island Leeward Waters-Big Island Southeast Waters- Big Island Windward Waters-Kaiwi Channel-Kauai Channel-Kauai Leeward Waters-Kauai Northwest Waters-Kauai Windward Waters- Maalaea Bay-Maui County Leeward Waters-Maui County Windward Waters-Oahu Leeward Waters-Oahu Windward Waters-Pailolo Channel.
