As we look toward the weekend, residents in Honolulu and across the islands are bracing for a change in weather. The forecast spells out light to breezy trade winds courtesy of a surface high pressure far northeast of the state, but that’s not the full story. A weak upper low and higher moisture content are gearing up to bring increased showers, especially to parts north of the islands, so keep those umbrellas at the ready, per the National Weather Service Honolulu.
The weather shift begins today, and Oahu and Kauai seem to be in line for a wetter impact over the weekend—though the downpours will primarily affect areas north of the 21N latitude. “A pattern change developing today will increase weekend rainfall over the more western islands of Oahu and Kauai and waters generally north of 21N latitude,” says the forecast from NWS Honolulu. Looks like the rain could get heavy around Kauai, and despite low chances now, there’s even talk of isolated thunderstorms kicking in from Saturday through Monday.
For those taking to the skies, expect moderate to breezy trade winds and the odd shower in windward and mountain locales, with mostly VFR conditions in play. AIRMET warnings are out, signaling turbulence below 7,000 feet and potential mountain obscuration. Mariners aren’t in the clear either, as high pressure keeps trades going strong, leading to choppy east shore surf and the continuance of a Small Craft Advisory in select waters around Maui County and the Big Island, though this is set to scale back a bit as winds wane…