Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for Hanalei, HI

SYNOPSIS
A strong high pressure ridge north of the Hawaiian Islands will continue to produce breezy to windy trade winds through this evening, with the strongest winds focused across Maui County and the Big Island. Dry weather conditions will combine with these strong gusty winds to keep elevated fire danger across the state through this evening, mainly over the drier leeward slopes. Winds will ease starting Wednesday, with a ridge aloft confining brief passing showers to mainly windward and mauka areas.

DISCUSSION
Strong high pressure north of the Hawaiian Islands will maintain breezy to windy easterly trade winds across the state. A Wind Advisory remains in effect through this evening for the windier areas of Maui and Hawaii Counties; including the summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island. Given the latest trends and model guidance will likely let the Wind Advisory expire at 6 PM this evening, but would not be surprised to see isolated advisory gusts continue into tonight.

In addition, the relatively dry humidity levels will combine with the strong winds to keep elevated fire weather conditions across the state, mainly over drier and windier leeward areas. Please refer to the Fire Weather section below for more details.

Satellite imagery this afternoon continue to show bands of fairly stable clouds moving into windward and mauka areas, with radar imagery showing light passing showers moving across the islands.
The ridge aloft continue to keep inversion heights around 5,000 to 6,000 feet this afternoon based on soundings at Hilo and Lihue.

The pattern will begin to change tonight into Wednesday as high pressure north of the state weakens. This will allow our strong winds to gradually weaken overnight, with moderate to breezy trades expected for the rest of the week. As the high weakens will also see the inversion lift back to around 7,000 to 8,000 feet.
This will allow clouds to grow higher, with a return towards typical summer time trade wind weather expected. An upper level low just southwest of the islands will help to enhance sunrise and sunsets as cirrus clouds stream across the region.

AVIATION
Strong and gusty trades continue through this afternoon and then ease on Wednesday. High stability favors continued scattered light showers with a high coverage of overnight cloud cover windward and mauka where the occasional MVFR condition will be possible.
Otherwise, VFR prevails.

AIRMET Tango remains for lee turb remains in effect.

MARINE
High pressure far northeast of the islands will support fresh to strong trades across the area. A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) is now in effect for all Hawaiian coastal waters through 6 AM HST Wednesday.
The surface high will move eastward and weaken slightly during the second half of the week, but winds are likely to remain breezy to locally strong in the windier channels and waters of Maui County and the Big Island through the rest of the week.

A small mid-period south swell will continue through Thursday. A slight boost to the period expected on Saturday. Another small, long- period swell expected next Sunday night into Monday. Surf along south facing shores will boost along with the arrival of the mentioned swells. Surf along east-facing shores will be rough and choppy due to the breezy trade winds that will persist the rest of the week.

HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM HST Wednesday for all Hawaiian waters-