Ridging aloft will bring us a couple days of weak sea-breeze winds and limited showers. A weak front is forecast to slowly cross the state from Thursday night through Saturday night, increasing showers from west to east. Sunday will become more humid as southerly winds increase ahead of yet another front. This one will move in Monday through Monday night, and has the potential to bring strong winds and heavy rain.
Issued at 912 AM HST Tue Jan 27 2026
VFR conditions will prevail today. Isolated showers can be expected over windward and interior areas with light land and sea breeze development this afternoon which could temporarily lower ceilings and visibilities to MVFR.
Issued at 311 AM HST Tue Jan 27 2026
Light winds will prevail through Thursday as the surface ridge settles southward over the islands. The background flow will remain out of the southeast for Maui and the Big Island waters and out of the south to southwest over the Kauai and Oahu waters. While most coastal areas will experience typical overnight land breezes and afternoon sea breezes, terrain-induced accelerations will lead to brief periods of locally enhanced winds where the flow parallels to the coast, particularly through the afternoon hours. Moderate to fresh northerly winds will gradually fill in on Friday as a cold front moves into the area.
Surf along north- and west-facing shores will trend up through the day as a medium-period northwest swell builds down the island chain. Heights could near the advisory levels by tonight before gradually easing Wednesday into Thursday.
A larger northwest swell is expected later this week from a broad and complex low over the far northwest Pacific. Latest analysis and satellite imagery show a 966 mb low centered east of the Kurils, with a large area of gale- to storm-force winds focused at the islands within the 290 to 320 degree directional bands. This swell will begin building down the island chain Thursday and could become a long-duration event, with a peak centered around the Friday through Saturday time frame. Heights will exceed advisory levels by late Thursday afternoon, then exceed warning levels Friday into Saturday.
Surf along east-facing shores will remain small each day due to a combination of the local winds shifting southerly and the lack of trades upstream of the state.
Surf along south-facing shores will trend up slightly today as a background, long-period south swell arrives. Offshore buoys to the south have started showing this pulse within the 15 to 17 second bands. This swell will ease by mid week.
None.
