Honolulu Braces for Stable Trade Winds and Passing Showers, NWS Advises Vigilance on Land and Sea

Honolulu's weather is set to feature stable trade winds and occasional showers through next week, favoring windward areas.

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Residents and visitors in Honolulu can expect stable, breezy trade winds to dominate the weather scene through late next week, with occasional passing showers that will favor windward slopes and coasts, especially at night and during early morning hours, according to the latest Honolulu Weather Forecast from the National Weather Service (NWS). For those venturing leeward, a few of these showers may make their way over, creating a typical rainy pattern for the region. The central Pacific high-pressure system is cruising in at 1027 mb northwest of Kauai, prompting moderate to strong trade winds across the Hawaiian islands, with the strongest gusts anticipated later in the week as the high migrates southward closer to the island chain.

Meanwhile, infrared satellite imagery shows a checkerboard of cloudy conditions with the most coverage over windward and mauka areas, and radar imagery reveals that scattered to numerous showers are making a play for the windward areas, with some spillover into leeward communities, as per the NWS . Aviation reports indicate that breezy trade winds are set to persist throughout the weekend, bringing intermittent showers over windward and mountain areas. A ridge aloft maintains inversion heights between 7,000 and 8,000 feet, creating conditions favorable for shower activity in the local forecast.



An AIRMET Sierra for mountain obscuration is in effect for Kauai until lifted by the sun’s advance. Elsewhere, pockets of MVFR conditions will linger around windward areas, while VFR remains predominant over leeward airstrips. The nautical forecast calls for caution as a high-pressure area holds steady to the northwest before intensifying.

An advisory is in effect for the choppy waters around Maui County and the Big Island, urging all hands to stay vigilant, as the strong northeast Pacific high raises the possibility of gales in certain channels. Meanwhile, the seasoned NNW swell is expected to subside by Monday as a subsequent moderate swell approaches, nudging advisory-level surf on the north and west shores by midweek. Syracuse's east-facing shores will brace for a rough, choppy stretch into the following week, driven by persistent breezy trade winds, while the south shores will hold steady with a small seasonal average and diminutive long-period pulses creeping in over the horizon.

With peak monthly tides expected to crest later next week, from November 14 to 18, coastal areas could face early morning inundation impacts. The NWS cautions that the conjunction of substantial windswell with peak tides may impose greater impacts along windward shores, meriting a vigilant eye on local conditions. For safe water navigation, there is a standing Small Craft Advisory effective until Tuesday evening for several regions, including Maalaea Bay and the turbulent waters surrounding the Big Island.

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