HONOLULU (KHON2) — Tonight through Friday, a cold front will traverse the island chain, bringing with it a period of cloudy skies and showers across the islands. Following the front’s passage, brisk north to northeast winds will usher in a cooler air mass over the weekend, accompanied by sporadic windward showers. A warming trend is anticipated early next week as trade winds subside.
An approximately 200-mile-wide band of clouds, oriented northeast to southwest, signals the approach of the cold front. The leading edge, presently lies approximately 100 miles northwest of Kauai’s Na Pali coast, moving southeastward at around 15 mph. Additional showers are developing between the front and Kauai, seen on radar over Kauai’s northwest waters. Forecasts indicate the front will reach Kauai this evening, Oahu near midnight, Maui County by Thursday morning, and the Big Island by Thursday night before tracking southeast of the islands by Saturday.
Following the front’s passage, high pressure centered northwest of the islands will trigger locally brisk north to northeast winds, with a cooler and drier air mass. Cloud cover and sporadic light showers will predominantly favor the north and east shores throughout the weekend as the air mass warms up. Early next week, the high pressure system will shift north of the islands and weaken to the northeast by midweek, resulting in a gradual easing of the trade winds while maintaining limited windward showers.