Trade winds will steadily strengthen through Thursday and could produce advisory level winds by Thursday afternoon, especially over Maui County and the Big Island. Passing showers will continue to ride in with the breezy to windy trade winds through early next week, primarily during the nights and early morning hours across windward and mauka areas.
Fresh to strong trades will increase over the next 24 hours, becoming locally windy by Thursday as the atmosphere stabilizes. AIRMET Sierra is in effect for mountain obscuration across most windward areas due to MVFR conditions produced by a narrow band of showers moving across the state this morning. Expect improvement this afternoon. AIRMET Tango is in place for low level turbulence over and downwind of terrain. With winds building and stability increasing, this AIRMET will remain in place for at least the next couple of days.
The high pressure ridge north of the Hawaiian Islands will strengthen over the next few days, resulting in trade winds increasing into the strong to gale range from Thursday into early Friday morning. A Gale Watch remains in effect for the Alenuihaha and Pailolo Channels. A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) remains in effect and will expand to all island waters by Thursday. Expect SCA to continue into the first half of next week.
Small, short- to medium-period north-northwest (330 degree) swell energy will decline through Thursday. The next small north- northwest (330 degree) swell will move into the Hawaii region on Saturday increasing surf heights along north- and west-facing shores through the weekend.
A series of small, long-period south swell energy supports near- average surf along south-facing shores over the next seven days. Meanwhile, strengthening trades maintain elevated surf along east-facing shores into next week.
Small Craft Advisory from 6 PM this evening to 6 AM HST Friday for Kauai Channel-Kauai Leeward Waters-Kauai Northwest Waters- Kauai Windward Waters-Oahu Windward Waters.
Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM HST Friday for Big Island Leeward Waters-Big Island Southeast Waters-Big Island Windward Waters-Kaiwi Channel-Maalaea Bay-Maui County Leeward Waters-Maui County Windward Waters-Oahu Leeward Waters.
Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM HST Thursday for Alenuihaha Channel-Pailolo Channel.
Gale Watch from Thursday morning through late Thursday night for Alenuihaha Channel-Pailolo Channel.
