NOTE: Some of the data on this page has not been verified and should be used with that in mind. It may and occasionally will, be wrong. The tide reports are by xtide and are NOT FOR NAVIGATION. Privacy and Cookie policy

PHZ111 Kauai Windward Waters- 309 Am Hst Sat Dec 9 2023
.small craft advisory in effect through late this afternoon...
Today..Southeast winds 10 knots. Wind waves to 4 feet. Northwest swell 9 feet. Scattered showers.
Tonight..East winds 15 knots. Wind waves to 4 feet. North swell 8 feet. Isolated showers.
Sunday..East winds 15 knots. Wind waves to 4 feet. North swell 7 feet. Scattered showers, mainly in the morning.
Sunday night..East winds 15 knots. Wind waves to 4 feet. North swell 6 feet. Isolated showers in the evening, then scattered showers after midnight.
Monday..East winds 15 knots. Wind waves to 4 feet. North swell 5 feet. Scattered showers, mainly in the morning.
Monday night..Northeast winds 15 knots. Wind waves to 5 feet. Northwest swell 7 feet. Isolated showers in the evening, then scattered showers after midnight.
Tuesday..Northeast winds 20 knots. Wind waves 6 to 7 feet. Northwest swell 12 to 13 feet. Scattered showers.
Wednesday..Northeast winds 20 knots. Wind waves around 6 feet. North swell 10 to 12 feet. Scattered showers.

PHZ100 309 Am Hst Sat Dec 9 2023
Synopsis for hawaiian coastal waters.. High pressure passing well north of the islands will bring gradually strengthening trade winds this weekend as a front near kauai dissipates. A strong high will build northwest of the islands Tuesday and Wednesday.

FXHW60 PHFO 091346 AFDHFO

Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Honolulu HI 346 AM HST Sat Dec 9 2023

SYNOPSIS
Mostly dry weather will persist for the next day or so, with the exception of a few light showers around Kauai today from a dissipating front. Light and variable winds will continue today, with moderate to locally breezy trade winds returning tonight into early next week.
Strong northeast trade winds may develop on Tuesday, with a potential increase in windward showers through Wednesday through the rest of the week.

DISCUSSION
Overnight satellite imagery shows mostly clear skies over the majority of the state, with the exception of some lingering high clouds streaming northeastward over the Big Island at the leading edge of an upper trough advancing eastward through the islands.
Recent GOES-West CIRA ProxyVis satellite imagery and radar are showing some showery low clouds over the far eastern coastal waters, moving toward windward areas of the Big Island. These showers are likely the leading edge of the trade winds returning.
Elsewhere at the surface, a dissipating stationary front is located just northwest of Kauai, resulting in scattered low clouds and a few showers over and around Kauai. The 12Z sounding from Hilo is still quite dry, while precipitable waters is somewhat higher on the Lihue sounding from the proximity of the fading frontal boundary. Due to the presence of the dissipating front near Kauai, a land and sea breeze pattern will prevail through much of today. Moderate trades will return from east to west later this afternoon into early next week as weak ridging rebuilds north of the state.

A progressive mid-latitude pattern will ensure the next front reaches (or nearly reaches) the western portion of the island chain by later in the day Monday before dissipating Monday night. Post-frontal high pressure will then strengthen northwest of the state beneath building ridging aloft prior to moving into the local area. This will bring a period of breezy to locally strong northeast trades from Tuesday through middle portion of next week. During this period, both the GFS and ECMWF show varying degrees of remnant moisture from the former front converging over the state, while also disagreeing on exactly where this moisture sets up and if/how far it progresses down the island chain. For now, the forecast reflects a blend of the two solutions, with a modest increase in mainly windward showers for the middle and latter part of next week.

AVIATION
A decaying stationary front near Kauai has increased clouds and showers near the Garden Isle early this morning. Elsewhere, light background winds have allowed land breezes to clear skies over the islands. High clouds that have been streaming over the Big Island for much of the night are now moving southeast away from the state.

Showers and clouds will remain most common near Kauai today as the decaying front stalls and then dissipates. Sea breezes will develop from late morning into the afternoon, increasing cloud cover and perhaps introducing a few showers over island interiors.
However, moisture will be limited, so showers will remain mostly isolated from Oahu to the Big Island. VFR flight conditions are expected to prevail across the central and eastern islands today.

AIRMET Sierra for tempo mountain obscuration remains in effect for Kauai early this morning, but this AIRMET will likely be dropped later today as the front dissipates and clouds and showers diminish. Additionally, AIRMET Tango remains in effect for moderate upper level turbulence statewide as an upper trough moves over the state. This area of turbulence is quickly moving east, however, so this AIRMET may be dropped later this morning.

MARINE
A new, medium-period NW (320 degrees) swell will peak today, with swell heights ranging from 6 to 10 feet along the most exposed N and W facing shores, where a High Surf Advisory (HSA) is posted.
The swell will gradually become more northerly (360 degrees) as it slowly diminishes Sunday into Monday. Combined seas will peak over 10 feet in windward waters from Kauai to Maui today, prompting an expansion and extension of the existing Small Craft Advisory (SCA).

A stalling front near Kauai will dissipate today as a weak high passes well N of the islands. A surface ridge near the islands will move N and strengthen in response. Today's (very) light to moderate trade winds will become moderate to locally fresh Sunday, potentially requiring a SCA for typical windier waters near Maui County and the Big Island. Another front approaching from the NW may lead to a brief weakening of the trade winds on Monday, but high pressure building NW of the islands will support strong to near-gale NE trade winds Tuesday and Wednesday. These increased trade winds will lead to elevated short-period surf along E facing shores.

A powerful low in the NW Pacific is generating a long-period NW (310 degrees) swell that is expected to arrive Tuesday and Wednesday, with peak surf heights approaching High Surf Warning levels along exposed shores. This long-lived swell will become more northerly (360 degrees) later in the week. With the strong trades and large swell, a SCA will likely be required for all waters.

HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
High Surf Advisory until 4 AM HST Sunday for north and west facing shores of Niihau and Kauai and north facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui.

Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM HST this evening for Kauai Northwest Waters-Kauai Windward Waters-Oahu Windward Waters- Kaiwi Channel-Maui County Windward Waters.

toggle option: (graph/table)

Hanalei Bay
Click for Map
Sat -- 12:36 AM HST     1.93 feet High Tide
Sat -- 04:01 AM HST     Moonrise
Sat -- 07:02 AM HST     0.60 feet Low Tide
Sat -- 07:05 AM HST     Sunrise
Sat -- 11:37 AM HST     0.96 feet High Tide
Sat -- 03:29 PM HST     Moonset
Sat -- 05:23 PM HST     -0.05 feet Low Tide
Sat -- 05:54 PM HST     Sunset
Tide / Current data from XTide NOT FOR NAVIGATION

Hanalei Bay, Kauai Island, Hawaii, Tide feet

Hanamaulu Bay
Click for Map
Sat -- 01:47 AM HST     1.83 feet High Tide
Sat -- 04:00 AM HST     Moonrise
Sat -- 07:04 AM HST     Sunrise
Sat -- 08:28 AM HST     0.60 feet Low Tide
Sat -- 12:48 PM HST     0.86 feet High Tide
Sat -- 03:29 PM HST     Moonset
Sat -- 05:54 PM HST     Sunset
Sat -- 06:49 PM HST     -0.05 feet Low Tide
Tide / Current data from XTide NOT FOR NAVIGATION

Hanamaulu Bay, Kauai Island, Hawaii, Tide feet

Full Color Weather Map

Link to Loop


Other links: GEOS-West     Contential US     Full GOES-East

South,Kauai/Honolulu,HI