A breezy to windy trade wind pattern will gradually wane through the rest of the week. Moisture embedded in the trades will allow showers to favor windward and mauka areas. An overall wetter pattern is possible this weekend as additional moisture is drawn over the island chain.
Issued at 319 PM HST Wed Feb 18 2026
Breezy to strong easterly trade winds are expected to ease slightly on Thursday as the strong high pressure to the north temporarily weakens. Mid level ridging will keep conditions stable, which could enhance the wind gusts, as well as keep showers relatively shallow and light. Showers will focus over mainly windward and mountain areas, and will likely be more widespread during the overnight hours. Conditions should stay mostly VFR with pockets of MVFR at night with any passing showers.
AIRMET Tango is in effect for tempo moderate turbulence below 8000 feet over leeward sides of the islands as a result of the strong low level winds. This AIRMET will likely continue through tonight.
Issued at 319 PM HST Wed Feb 18 2026
Strong high pressure will remain far northeast of the state during the next couple of days, as a slow moving front approaches from the west. The front will stall out and weaken into a trough just a few hundred miles west of the islands this weekend, with a new high building in to the distant north. A Gale Warning has been extended for the Pailolo and Alenuihaha Channels through tonight, with a Small Craft Advisory (SCA) in effect for all other waters through Thursday afternoon. The trade winds and seas are then expected to gradually lower Friday through the weekend. Some unsettled weather is expected over the weekend as an upper level trough moves over the state. Isolated thunderstorms are expected over the offshore waters and may be possible over the coastal waters as well, especially windward waters.
Surf will hold relatively steady along east facing shores during the next couple of days, and as a result the High Surf Advisory (HSA) is in effect through Thursday afternoon. As the trade winds gradually ease Thursday into the weekend, surf along east facing shores will gradually lower below HSA thresholds.
Surf along north and west facing shores will remain well below seasonal levels through the weekend, and surf along south facing shores will remain small.
Forerunners from a large, long-period north to north-northeast swell are forecast to arrive Sunday night, then rapidly build to near warning levels along north facing shores Monday through Tuesday. Also due to the northerly direction, elevated surf heights are expected along west Maui and west Big Island near Kua Bay. Surf heights are expected to reach advisory threshold for west Big Island on Monday and could reach advisory threshold for west Maui as well. Lastly, due to the large swell and northerly direction (010-030 degrees), heavy surges are expected along north facing harbors such as Kahului and Hilo harbors.
High Surf Advisory until 6 PM HST Thursday for east facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island.
Wind Advisory until 6 AM HST Thursday 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 Thursday for 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.
Gale Warning until 6 AM HST Thursday for Alenuihaha Channel- Pailolo Channel.
