Locally breezy trade winds will remain through the weekend, easing a bit early next week. An area of moisture moving through on the trades will enhance showers overnight for windward Big Island and windward Maui. Drier air will ride in on the trades later Saturday into Sunday for more sunshine and very few windward showers. Typical trade wind showers will return early next week.
Moderate trades will continue through the weekend. Passing clouds and showers will be focused over windward and mauka locations. VFR conditions are expected to prevail, with some passing MVFR conditions over windward and mauka areas in clouds and showers.
AIRMET Sierra for mountain obscuration on the Big Island was recently cancelled. Otherwise no AIRMETs in effect, and not anticipating any overnight.
Issued at 318 PM HST Fri Jul 17 2026
As high pressure far north of the islands edges slightly south and east through this weekend and interacts with a couple of lows and troughs passing to the south and southwest of Hawaii, trades will remain fresh to locally strong. A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) is in effect for the windier waters and channels around Maui County and the Big Island through Saturday afternoon. Winds will begin to diminish again late this weekend as high pressure to the north starts to weaken, which should eliminate the need for a SCA Sunday into early next week.
A small, medium-period west-northwest swell will gradually fade today into the weekend, causing surf along north-facing shores to drop to flat/tiny by the weekend. Surf along south facing shores will remain elevated keeping levels near average through Saturday. A larger, moderate south swell is expected to build Sunday through early next week, bringing potentially High Surf Advisory level conditions Monday and Tuesday. As this swell slowly fades into the middle of next week, another moderate south swell is expected next Thursday.
East facing shores will remain choppy through Saturday and will gradually drop as trade winds ease. Energy from Tropical Storm Elida may reach the islands during the middle of next week bringing a slight boost for east facing shores.
Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM HST Saturday for Alenuihaha Channel-Big Island Leeward Waters-Big Island Southeast Waters- Maalaea Bay-Pailolo Channel.
