381  
FXHW60 PHFO 191351  
AFDHFO  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI  
351 AM HST SAT APR 19 2025  
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
A SOMEWHAT WET WEATHER PATTERN TODAY AS THE STATE REMAINS UNDER  
THE INFLUENCE OF UPPER LEVEL TROUGHING. THE RETURN OF STRONGER  
TRADES THIS WEEKEND, ALONG WITH DAYTIME INTERIOR WARMTH WITHIN  
UNSEASONABLY HIGHER MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY, WILL LIKELY CREATE  
YET ANOTHER DAY OF ISLAND-WIDE SHOWERS. THE HIGHEST RAINFALL  
AMOUNTS WILL AGAIN BE ANTICIPATED WITHIN HIGHER TERRAIN AND OVER  
WINDWARD MAUKA COMMUNITIES. A STORM LOW WILL DROP DOWN NORTHWEST  
OF THE STATE THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL AGAIN  
DISRUPT TRADE FLOW AND INTRODUCE HIGHER CHANCES FOR ISLAND-WIDE  
HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORM EPISODES.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
WIDESPREAD LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS ACROSS THE ENTIRE HAWAIIAN  
ISLAND ARCHIPELAGO THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS WHERE MANY OBSERVATION  
SITES, ESPECIALLY THOSE WINDWARD AND ALONG HIGHER ELEVATION MAUKA  
EXPOSURES, MEASURED AT LEAST A QUARTER (TO OVER A HALF) OF AN  
INCH OF PRECIPITATION. THE MAJORITY OF THE HIGHEST DAILY RAINFALL  
FELL OVER WINDWARD KAUAI WHERE THE USUAL SUSPECTS SUCH AS MOUNT  
WAIALEALE AND THE WAILUA AREA PICKED UP MUCH MORE THAN THEIR  
NEIGHBORS. MANY WINDWARD KO'OLAU SITES ON OAHU RECEIVED A GOOD  
SHOT OF RAIN, A QUARTER TO AROUND AN INCH, SINCE LAST NIGHT. DUE  
TO THE WEAKER NATURE OF BETTER SHADOWED LEEWARD WINDS, MANY  
INTERIOR WIND-SHELTERED LOCALES WILL EXPERIENCE RETURN SHOWERS AS  
PARTIAL CLEARING WILL ALLOW LATE MORNING HEATING TO MORE  
EFFICIENTLY KICK IN.  
 
OTHER THAN THE COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF MEASURED WIDESPREAD RAIN THIS  
PAST 48 HOURS, 19/12Z DATA IS STILL VERIFYING THAT HAWAII IS  
LOCATED WITHIN AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AXIS AND STILL RESIDES  
WITHIN A RELATIVELY UNSTABLE AND MOIST AIR MASS. UPPER TROUGHING  
WILL CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY FILL IN AS RIDGING EXPANDS IN FROM THE  
WEST, TROUGHING LIFTING NORTHEAST THIS WEEKEND. THIS MORNING'S 12Z  
SOUNDINGS HAVE DISPLAYED THIS INCREASING STABILITY IN RELATION TO  
YESTERDAY'S INDICES (E.G., LOWER CAPE VALUES, LESSENED LOWER  
LEVEL LAPSE RATES) WITHIN STEADY COLUMN MOISTURE (1.5 INCH  
PRECIPITABLE WATERS). ANOTHER SIGN THAT STABILITY IS BEGINNING TO  
TAKE OVER IS THE NEAR 6K FT INVERSION DEVELOPING OVER HILO; A  
DEMARCATION BETWEEN LOWER SOUTHEASTERLIES AND MID LAYER  
SOUTHWESTERLIES. WHILE WE WILL REMAIN IN A SOMEWHAT UNSTABLE  
SITUATION THIS WEEKEND, SUBTLE WARMING OF THE MID TO UPPER LAYERS  
WILL DECREASE THE PROBABILITY OF EXPERIENCING REPEAT (SIGNIFICANT)  
RAIN EVENTS EACH SUBSEQUENT DAY THROUGH MONDAY. THERE IS STILL  
AMPLE INSTABILITY WITHIN HIGH MOISTURE TO HAVE TODAY'S FORECAST  
CALLING FOR MODERATE TO HIGH PROBABILITIES OF RETURN SHOWERS, SOME  
PRODUCING LOCALLY HIGH RAINFALL, WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IN  
THE WINDWARD WATERS. HIGH RESOLUTION MODELS INDICATE THAT VERY  
SMALL POCKETS OF HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT THE  
ISLANDS THROUGH THE DAY. LAST NIGHT'S WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY  
WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE THIS MORNING AS TEMPERATURES WILL WARM  
ABOVE FREEZING SHORTLY AFTER 0900 HST. MOISTURE SHOULD STILL BE  
DEEP ENOUGH THAT, WITH BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES ON BIG ISLAND  
SUMMITS TONIGHT, ICE ACCUMULATIONS AND OCCASIONAL LIGHT SNOW MAY  
RETURN OVERNIGHT SUNDAY MORNING.  
 
STRONG HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM FAR NORTH OF THE ISLANDS AND A  
WEAKENING SURFACE TROUGH RETREATING TO THE WEST WILL MAINTAIN  
LIGHT TO MODERATE EAST TO SOUTHEAST WINDS THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THIS  
RELATIVELY WEAKER FLOW PATTERN MAY ALLOW OVERNIGHT DRAINAGE  
(LAND) BREEZES TO HELP TO PUSH ANY DEVELOPING SHOWER AND/OR STORM  
ACTIVITY OFFSHORE. SHOWERS CAUGHT UP THIS EAST TO SOUTHEASTERLY  
STEERING FLOW WILL PERIODICALLY MOVE INTO AND ACROSS WINDWARD  
EXPOSURES, PARTICULARLY DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. MORE ORGANIZED  
CELLS WILL OCCASIONALLY HANG TOGETHER ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN  
AND MAKE IT INTO LEEWARD AREAS. MODERATE EASTERLY TRADES WILL  
RETURN AS THE SURFACE TROUGH PUSHES FURTHER AWAY AND DISSIPATES  
AND ALLOWS HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH TO EXERT MORE CONTROL OF THE  
LOCAL WIND BEHAVIOR.  
 
THE NEXT WEATHER MAKER WILL COME IN THE FORM OF AN CLOSED-OFF UPPER  
LOW THAT WILL SINK DOWN ALONG AND NEAR 170W LONGITUDE AND COME  
WITHIN 600 MILES NORTHWEST OF KAUAI. THE WEST NORTHWEST POSITIONING  
OF THIS LOW WILL PULL UP A MORE MOISTURE-RICH AIR OVER THE STATE  
FROM THE SOUTHWEST. AS HEIGHTS BEGIN TO LOWER AND MID TO UPPER  
LAYERS COOL FROM THE WEST, ENHANCED INSTABILITY WITHIN A MOISTENED  
AIR MASS WILL LIKELY INDUCE ANOTHER ROUND OR THREE OF WIDESPREAD  
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE PLACES THE HIGHER  
PROBABILITY FOR MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION ALONG THE UPPER TROUGH  
AXIS (CENTERED ON MAUI COUNTY AND POINTS NORTHEASTWARD) AND ON  
WINDWARD SLOPES THIS WEEK. WITH THE APPROACH OF EITHER A BROAD  
OPEN WAVE TROUGH OR A CLOSED LOW NORTHWEST OF THE ISLANDS NEXT  
WEEK, THE HIGHEST RAIN PROBABILITIES (OR AREAS TO RECEIVE MORE  
FREQUENT RAIN EPISODES) WILL BE ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE  
STATE. FLOODING CONCERNS MAY BE RE-AWAKENED NEXT TUESDAY THROUGH  
THURSDAY AS LOCALLY HEAVY PRECIPITATION FALLS UPON SATURATED  
SOILS.  
 
 
   
AVIATION  
 
LAND BREEZES TONIGHT WILL ACCELERATE CLEARING WITH A FEW SHRA  
OVER WINDWARD AND MAUKA LOCATIONS. MVFR CONDS POSSIBLE IN ANY SHRA  
OTHERWISE VFR SHOULD PREVAIL. MODERATE TRADES RETURN TODAY BUT  
WILL NOT BE STRONG ENOUGH TO ELIMINATE THE INLAND SHOWER THREAT.  
THE RESULTING HYBRID SEA BREEZE PATTERN WILL FOCUS MODERATE TO  
LOCALLY HEAVY SHRA AND ISOL TSRA OVER WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE  
SMALLER ISLANDS.  
 
AIRMET SIERRA IS IN EFFECT FOR MTN OBSC FOR MAUI AND OAHU.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
HIGH PRESSURE FAR NORTHEAST OF THE STATE WILL HOLD STEADY  
PRODUCING GENTLE TO MODERATE TRADEWINDS. AN UPPER LEVEL  
DISTURBANCE THAT BROUGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE STATE  
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY HAS MOVED EAST OF THE STATE AND IS PRODUCING  
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS NEAR THE EASTERN COASTAL WATERS AND OVER  
THE EASTERN OFFSHORE WATERS. THE POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL  
TAPER OFF OVER THE EASTERN COASTAL WATERS LATER TODAY AND LINGER  
OVER THE OFFSHORE WATERS THROUGH SUNDAY. A DEEP LOW IS EXPECTED TO  
DEVELOP NORTHWEST OF THE STATE MONDAY THAT WILL WEAKEN THE WINDS  
TO LIGHT TO GENTLE STRENGTH AND SHIFT WINDS OUT OF A MORE SOUTHERLY  
DIRECTION LATE MONDAY INTO TUESDAY. THE LOW IS EXPECTED TO  
CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND APPROACH THE FAR NORTHWEST OFFSHORE  
WATERS WEDNESDAY WHICH COULD STRENGTHEN THE SOUTHERLY FLOW AROUND  
THE STATE TO MORE MODERATE SPEEDS INTO THURSDAY AND INCREASE THE  
POTENTIAL OF THUNDERSTORMS.  
 
A MODERATE, MEDIUM PERIOD NORTH-NORTHWEST SWELL HAS SHIFTED MORE  
NORTHERLY AND WILL CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY TREND DOWN THROUGH  
SUNDAY, PRODUCING BELOW AVERAGE SURF ALONG NORTH AND WEST FACING  
SHORES. A TINY, LONG PERIOD NORTHWEST SWELL MAY FILL IN MONDAY  
INTO TUESDAY BEFORE SUBSIDING WEDNESDAY, KEEPING SURF FROM GOING  
FLAT. IN THE LONG RANGE, GUIDANCE DOES DEPICT A GALE FORMING  
MONDAY NEAR THE KURILS, THEN TRACKING NORTHEAST TO THE WESTERN  
ALEUTIANS BY WEDNESDAY. IF THIS MATERIALIZES, HAWAII COULD  
EXPERIENCE AN UPTICK IN THE NORTHWEST SWELL NEXT WEEKEND.  
 
SURF ALONG EAST FACING SHORES WILL REMAIN BELOW THE APRIL AVERAGE  
THROUGH THE WEEKEND. EAST SHORE SURF COULD TREND DOWN TO TINY  
LEVELS BY MID WEEK AS SOUTHERLY WINDS TAKE OVER.  
 
A TINY, LONG PERIOD SOUTH SWELL WILL MOVE THROUGH THIS WEEKEND THAT  
WILL PROVIDE A SMALL BOOST IN SURF ALONG SOUTH FACING SHORES. A  
LARGER, LONG PERIOD SOUTH-SOUTHWEST SWELL IS EXPECTED TO FILL IN  
MONDAY INTO TUESDAY THAT COULD PRODUCE NEAR TO ABOVE AVERAGE SURF  
ALONG SOUTH FACING SHOWERS.  
 
 
   
HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...BLOOD  
AVIATION...WALSH  
MARINE...ALMANZA  
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