Breezy trades become moderate late this week through the weekend. Scattered showers focus windward and mauka into next week.
Breezy trade winds will continue with a chance of windward showers through tonight. Brief mountain obscurations will be possible along the windward slopes.
AIRMET Tango is posted for leeward moderate turbulance below 8000 feet.
Issued at 330 AM HST Wed May 27 2026 A surface ridge north of the state will maintain breezy to strong trade winds across the Hawaiian coastal waters through at least tonight before a weakness develops in the ridge, allowing trade wind speeds to ease slightly during the latter part of the week into the weekend. The Small Craft Advisory (SCA), which currently encompasses all Hawaiian coastal waters remains in effect through tonight, then will likely be scaled back in area later in the week to the typically windier waters around the Big Island and Maui County. A more significant weakening of the trade winds is likely this weekend into early next week as a large North Pacific low pressure system far north of the islands breaks the ridge down even further.
Offshore buoy observations suggest that a small, long-period northwest swell will peak this morning for Kauai and Oahu, and later this afternoon/tonight for Maui and the Big Island as it moves down the island chain. North and west facing shores will see moderate surf at the peak before gradually subsiding into the weekend.
A medium-period south swell will continue to bring small surf to south facing shores through Thursday. A more significant long-period south swell is expected to begin filling in Thursday night and will likely bring above-advisory-level surf to south-facing shores through the weekend. This swell originated from a storm-force low that passed south and east of New Zealand over the weekend, generating seas of 35 to 40 feet or greater within Hawaii’s swell window, though the peak of the energy may pass just east of the state. Elevated surf will likely continue into the first week of June due to a continued active weather pattern near New Zealand sending swells toward Hawaii.
Surf along east-facing shores will remain rough through Thursday, then gradually lower Friday into the weekend as trade winds ease.
Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM HST Thursday for all Hawaiian waters.
