942
FXHW60 PHFO 221317
AFDHFO
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
317 AM HST FRI MAY 22 2026
SYNOPSIS
BREEZY TO LOCALLY WINDY TRADES WILL WEAKEN SLIGHTLY THROUGH
MONDAY, THEN HOLD AT MODERATE STRENGTHEN THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF
THE WEEK. SHOWERS WILL FAVOR WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS, WITH
LITTLE RAINFALL OVER MOST LEEWARD SECTIONS.
DISCUSSION
WINDS HAVE REMAINED ELEVATED AT ADVISORY LEVELS THROUGH THE NIGHT
IN THE WINDIEST SPOTS OF THE MAUI COUNTY AND THE BIG ISLAND.
VARIOUS MODELS SUGGESTS WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE ELEVATED TODAY,
SO HAVE EXTENDED THE WIND ADVISORY THROUGH THE DAY. A SLIGHT
DOWNWARD TREND IS EXPECTED TODAY.
A 1033 MB HIGH REMAINS FAR NORTH OF THE ISLANDS, AND IS DRIVING
STRONG TRADE WINDS TO THE REGION. THE HIGH HAS WEAKENED A BIT
OVERNIGHT AND IS MORE WEAKENING IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
ALTHOUGH WINDS ARE A LITTLE WEAKER, THEY CONTINUE AT ADVISORY
LEVELS, AND THUS THE WIND ADVISORY WAS EXTENDED TODAY.
THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL REMAIN IN PLACE TO THE FAR
NORTH OF THE ISLANDS, BUT WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN THROUGH THE
WEEKEND. THIS IN TURN WILL CAUSE OUR LOCAL WINDS TO SLOWLY
SUBSIDE, RETURNING TO MODERATE LEVELS TUESDAY. A STABLE AIRMASS
OVER THE ISLANDS WILL LIMIT SHOWER ACTIVITY, WITH SHOWERS FOCUSED
OVER THE TYPICAL WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS, AS WELL AS OVER THE
KONA SLOPES OF THE BIG ISLAND EACH AFTERNOON. OTHER LEEWARD
SECTIONS SHOULD SEE LITTLE RAINFALL.
WINDS WILL WEAKEN A BIT MORE TUESDAY TO MODERATE LEVELS, WITH
MORE TYPICAL TRADE WIND SHOWERS RIDING IN ON THE TRADES.
AVIATION
ELEVATED TRADES WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MOST SITES TODAY, HOWEVER
SOME WEAKENING IS EXPECTED HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND. BROADLY
EXPECTING VFR CONDITIONS ACROSS MOST SITES, HOWEVER WINDWARD SITES
MAY SEE INTERMITTENT SHOWER ACTIVITY, LEADING TO LOCALIZED MVFR
AND EVEN IFR CONDITIONS AT TIMES.
AIRMET SIERRA REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION ACROSS
WINDWARD BIG ISLAND, WITH CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO IMPROVE BY LATE
THIS MORNING.
AIRMET TANGO ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL ISLANDS DUE TO LOW
LEVEL TURBULENCE OVER AND DOWNWIND OF TERRAIN, WHICH IS EXPECTED
TO REMAIN IN PLACE SO LONG AS TRADE WINDS CONTINUE TO BE
AMPLIFIED.
MARINE
A STRONG HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL REMAIN NORTH OF THE HAWAIIAN
ISLANDS MAINTAINING STRONG TO NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS THROUGH
SATURDAY. THE HIGH WILL BEGIN A WEAKENING TREND ON SATURDAY BEFORE
SHIFTING NORTHEAST OF THE STATE EARLY NEXT WEEK. TRADE WINDS WILL
CONTINUE TO BLOW ACROSS THE HAWAII REGION THROUGH THE END OF NEXT
WEEK.
THE GALE WARNINGS FOR THE PAILOLO AND ALENUIHAHA CHANNELS, AND
MAALAEA BAY WERE CANCELLED THIS MORNING AND REPLACED BY A SMALL
CRAFT ADVISORY (SCA) COVERING ALL HAWAIIAN COASTAL WATERS. THIS
SCA WAS ALSO EXTENDED IN TIME THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY MORNING WITH
ADVISORY CONDITIONS LIKELY CONTINUING FOR WINDIER WATERS INTO THE
FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK.
A HIGH SURF ADVISORY (HSA) WAS EXTENDED IN TIME FOR ALL EAST
FACING SHORES THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON DUE TO CONTINUED STRONG
TRADE WINDS BLOWING THROUGH A LONG UPSTREAM FETCH AREA. A
COMBINATION OF WIND WAVES AND EASTERLY SWELL WILL KEEP SIMILAR
SURF HEIGHTS AT LEAST THROUGH SATURDAY. THIS HSA MAY DROP JUST
BELOW ADVISORY THRESHOLDS BY SATURDAY NIGHT OR SUNDAY.
SURF ALONG NORTH FACING SHORES WILL REMAIN SMALL TODAY. THE NEXT
SMALL NORTH-NORTHWEST (330 DEGREE) SWELL WILL MOVE INTO THE
HAWAII REGION LATER TODAY, SLOWLY INCREASING SURF HEIGHTS ALONG
NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
A SERIES OF SMALL, LONG PERIOD SOUTH SWELLS WILL SUPPORT NEAR
AVERAGE SURF ALONG SOUTH FACING SHORES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL
DAYS.
HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST SATURDAY FOR BIG ISLAND EAST-
BIG ISLAND NORTH-BIG ISLAND SOUTHEAST-EAST HONOLULU-KAHOOLAWE-
KAUAI EAST-KAUAI NORTH-KIPAHULU-KOOLAU WINDWARD-MAUI WINDWARD
WEST-MOLOKAI SOUTHEAST-MOLOKAI WINDWARD-OLOMANA-SOUTH HALEAKALA-
WINDWARD HALEAKALA.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST THIS EVENING FOR BIG ISLAND NORTH-
BIG ISLAND SOUTH-BIG ISLAND SOUTHEAST-KAHOOLAWE-KOHALA-LANAI
LEEWARD-LANAI MAUKA-LANAI SOUTH-LANAI WINDWARD-MAUI CENTRAL
VALLEY NORTH-MAUI CENTRAL VALLEY SOUTH-MAUI LEEWARD WEST-MAUI
WINDWARD WEST-MOLOKAI LEEWARD SOUTH-MOLOKAI NORTH-MOLOKAI
SOUTHEAST-MOLOKAI WEST-MOLOKAI WINDWARD-SOUTH HALEAKALA.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM HST SUNDAY FOR ALENUIHAHA
CHANNEL-BIG ISLAND LEEWARD WATERS-BIG ISLAND SOUTHEAST WATERS-
BIG ISLAND WINDWARD WATERS-KAIWI CHANNEL-KAUAI CHANNEL-KAUAI
LEEWARD WATERS-KAUAI NORTHWEST WATERS-KAUAI WINDWARD WATERS-
MAALAEA BAY-MAUI COUNTY LEEWARD WATERS-MAUI COUNTY WINDWARD
WATERS-OAHU LEEWARD WATERS-OAHU WINDWARD WATERS-PAILOLO CHANNEL.
DISCUSSION...M BALLARD
AVIATION...EVANS
MARINE...BOHLIN
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page