083  
FXHW60 PHFO 070649  
AFDHFO  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI  
849 PM HST MON MAY 6 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING INTO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC BASIN NORTH  
OF HAWAII WILL WEAKEN THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE AND KEEP LIGHT TO  
MODERATE TRADE WINDS IN THE FORECAST THIS WEEK. AN UNSTABLE  
ENVIRONMENT WILL ENHANCE SHOWER ACTIVITY ACROSS THE HAWAII REGION  
THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH THE HIGHEST RAINFALL AMOUNTS FAVORING THE  
WINDWARD AND MOUNTAIN AREAS. A DEVELOPING UPPER LEVEL LOW MAY  
PRODUCE HEAVY SHOWERS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS OVER  
SOME ISLANDS FROM FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
THE UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL CONTINUE TO DRIFT EAST AWAY FROM THE  
ISLANDS THIS EVENING. ENOUGH UPPER LEVEL TROUGHING WILL CONTINUE  
TO PRODUCE ENHANCED TRADE WIND SHOWERS THROUGH TUESDAY. A LOW  
LEVEL CLOUD BAND, THE REMNANTS OF AN OLD EAST PACIFIC COLD FRONT,  
WILL DRIFT THROUGH THE ISLANDS ON THURSDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL  
TROUGH MOVES IN FROM THE NORTH. THE SURFACE CLOUD BAND AND THE  
UPPER LEVEL FORCING FROM THE APPROACHING TROUGH WILL PRODUCE  
INCREASING WET WEATHER TRENDS ACROSS THE STATE FROM THURSDAY  
ONWARD.  
 
A WEAKENING SUBTROPICAL RIDGE NORTH OF THE ISLANDS THIS WEEK WILL  
KEEP LIGHT TO MODERATE TRADE WINDS IN THE FORECAST THROUGH AT  
LEAST SUNDAY. A HYBRID SEA BREEZE AND TRADE WIND PATTERN WILL  
DEVELOP ALONG TERRAIN SHELTERED LEEWARD AREAS. THE WIND PATTERN  
CHANGES AGAIN BY THIS WEEKEND AS AN UPPER LEVEL LOW SETS UP  
DIRECTLY OVER THE ISLANDS PRODUCING A SURFACE TROUGH AND LIGHT TO  
MODERATE SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS.  
 
AN UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTERN DEVELOPS OVER THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS  
IN THE LATEST MODEL GUIDANCE FROM FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY AS AN  
UPPER LOW DEEPENS AND STALLS OVER THE STATE. THIS PATTERN CHANGE  
MAY BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOME  
ISLANDS IN THE STATE. THE POTENTIAL HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORM  
IMPACTS WILL VARY GREATLY DEPENDING UPON THE PRECISE LOCATION  
WHERE THIS UPPER LOW SETS UP RELATIVE TO EACH ISLAND. IF THE  
UPPER LOW MOVES IN NORTH AND WEST OF THE ISLAND CHAIN THEN THE  
NORTHWEST ISLANDS OF KAUAI AND OAHU WOULD BE UNDER A HIGHER  
RAINFALL THREAT LEVELS. IF THE UPPER LOW SETS UP MORE OVER THE  
SOUTH AND EAST SECTION OF THE STATE, THEN MAUI COUNTY AND THE BIG  
ISLAND WILL SEE HIGHER THREATS FOR HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS.  
MORE ISLAND BY ISLAND IMPACTS WILL BE REVEALED AS THE TIME PERIOD  
GETS CLOSER, AND THE UPPER LOW TRACK WITH WEATHER IMPACTS EVOLVES  
OVER TIME. STAY TUNED.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
 
THE TRADES WILL GRADUALLY EASE TONIGHT, WITH MODERATE TRADE WINDS  
EXPECTED ACROSS THE ISLAND CHAIN ON TUESDAY. CLOUDS AND SHOWERS  
WILL CONTINUE TO FAVOR WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS, WITH MVFR  
CIGS/VSBYS POSSIBLE AS SHOWERS MOVE THROUGH. A STRAY SHOWER MAY  
SPILL LEEWARD AT TIMES, BUT PREDOMINANTLY VFR CONDITIONS ARE  
EXPECTED HERE.  
 
AIRMET SIERRA REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MOST WINDWARD AREAS AND WILL  
LIKELY CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
FRESH TO STRONG TRADE WINDS WILL SLOWLY EASE THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS  
A 1030 MB HIGH 1000 NM NORTH NORTHEAST OF THE ISLANDS MOVES OFF  
TO THE NORTHEAST. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY (SCA) REMAINS IN EFFECT  
FOR THE TYPICALLY WINDY WATERS AROUND THE BIG ISLAND AND MAUI  
COUNTY, AND MAY BE DROPPED LATE TUESDAY AS WINDS EASE TO MODERATE  
TO LOCALLY STRONG. A SURFACE TROUGH WILL FORM NORTH OF THE STATE  
WEDNESDAY. AS THIS FEATURE DRIFTS SOUTHWARD NEAR OR OVER THE  
ISLANDS THURSDAY INTO SATURDAY, THE TRADE WINDS COULD EASE  
FURTHER, AND CHANCES FOR HEAVY SHOWERS WILL LIKELY INCREASE.  
 
BUOYS SOUTH OF THE STATE AND GUIDANCE CONTINUE TO SUGGEST THAT  
THE CURRENT SOUTH SWELL WILL REMAIN LESS THAN 2 FEET AT 15 TO 17  
SECONDS IN THE SHORT TERM, KEEPING SOUTH SHORE SURF BELOW SEASONAL  
AVERAGE THROUGH TUESDAY. FORERUNNERS FROM A LARGER AND LONGER  
LIVED SOUTH-SOUTHWEST SWELL WILL ARRIVE WEDNESDAY, AND SURF IS  
EXPECTED RISE NEAR, OR TO, THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY LEVEL DURING  
THE PEAK OF THE SWELL THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. THIS SWELL WILL  
GRADUALLY DECLINE THROUGH THE WEEKEND.  
 
A SMALL NORTHWEST SWELL OF AROUND 3 FEET WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD  
THROUGH TONIGHT, PEAK TUESDAY, THEN DECLINE WEDNESDAY. WIND-  
DRIVEN WAVES OF 6 TO 7 FEET AT 8 TO 9 SECONDS WILL MAINTAIN ROUGH  
EAST SHORE SURF ABOVE THE MAY AVERAGE TONIGHT. AS TRADE WINDS  
DECLINE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS, THESE SEAS WILL GRADUALLY DECLINE  
TO AROUND MAY AVERAGE BY TUESDAY, THEN DROP TO BELOW AVERAGE FOR  
THE REST OF THE WEEK.  
 

 
   
HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM HST TUESDAY FOR BIG ISLAND SUMMITS.  
 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST TUESDAY FOR MAALAEA BAY-  
PAILOLO CHANNEL-ALENUIHAHA CHANNEL-BIG ISLAND LEEWARD WATERS-BIG  
ISLAND SOUTHEAST WATERS.  
 

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...BOHLIN  
AVIATION...  
MARINE...  
 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.

The Nexlab HI Page Main Text Page