Glenn James
Hawaii Weather Today
Founder and maintainer for 30 years 

 

The latest update to this website was at 438am Friday (HST)

 

Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands as of Friday morning:

0.35  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.27  Tunnel RG, Oahu
0.49  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.63  Puu Kukui, Maui
0.41  Kawainui Stream, Big Island

The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph) as of Friday morning:

13  Lawai, Kauai – E
24  Kuaokala, Oahu – NE
22  Molokai AP, Molokai – NE
23  Lanai 1,  Lanai – NE
27  Kealaloloa Rg, Maui – NNE
30  Puuloa, Big Island – NE

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live webcams on the summit of our tallest mountain Mauna Kea (~13,800 feet high) on the Big Island of Hawaii, and atop the Haleakala Crater (~10,023 feet) on Maui. These webcams are available during the daylight hours here in the islands, and at night whenever there’s a big moon shining down. Also, at night you will be able to see the stars, and the sunrise and sunset too…depending upon weather conditions.

 

https://weather.gc.ca/data/satellite/goes_gwdisk11_1070_100.jpg

Big Blue…click twice for largest version

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES18/ABI/SECTOR/tpw/13/GOES18-TPW-13-900x540.gif

The high clouds clipping the islands 

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES18/ABI/SECTOR/hi/GEOCOLOR/20260930540-20260931330-GOES18-ABI-HI-GEOCOLOR-600x600.gif

Low clouds arriving along the windward sides / higher level clouds arriving from the west

 

https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/HAWAII_loop.gif

https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/PHKI_loop.gif

https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/PHKM_loop.gif

  Showers locally…very few 

 

Please open this link to see details on the current Watches, Warnings and Advisories noted above

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

Glenn’s Aloha Friday comments:  I’m here in Corte Madera, Marin County, California on a working vacation.

432am Hawaii time, I’m here at my friend Linda’s house. It’s clear, with a chilly 34.5 degree low. BTW, when I say Hawaii time, it is 3-hours later here in California.

 

>>> Highest Temperature Thursday, April 2, 2026 – 99 degrees La Puerta, TX
>>> Lowest Temperature Friday, April 3, 2026 – 1 degree near Manila, UT

 

Hawaii’s Broad Brush Weather Overview…as of 342am Friday: Moderate trade winds will persist through this weekend, bringing scattered showers to mainly windward and mountain locations. By early next week, a trough deepening west of the islands will act to weaken trade wind flow. By mid-week, this trough will approach the islands and bring gusty southerly kona winds and rounds of moderate to heavy rain.

 

>>> Please note: the latest models continue to show the potential for a heavy rain event beginning in the middle of next week extending into the weekend. A new round of flooding may occur if these models are accurate. Details (which island(s) may be hit hardest, exact timing, etc) are not available this far out, due to the reality of model accuracy in the tropics. Please stay aware of the evolving forecast because this system may become a serious problem.

Confidence is beginning to increase that an upper level trough will approach from the northwest, with an associated surface low and cold front developing and moving into the region beginning around the middle of next week. This is expected to bring unsettled conditions from mid- to late next week. Gusty southerly (kona) winds are possible with this system, bringing tropical moisture northward across the Hawaiian Islands. Should this scenario materialize, it would increase our chances for moderate to heavy rain, with flooding once again becoming a concern across the state.

The extent of any potential flooding threat will depend upon how the system evolves, and how quickly it moves through the region. Also note that this weather system, and its southerly winds, also coincide with the window for the next potential episode of the Kilauea eruption (April 6-14) provided by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

 

Weather Details for the Hawaiian Islands…as of 342am Friday: Satellite imagery shows a layer of high clouds associated with a sub-tropical jet streaming west to east over most islands, thickest between Molokai and the Big Island. Scattered low clouds and embedded light showers, caught in the trade flow, have managed to squeeze out a few hundredths of an inch of accumulation overnight at several windward sites on each island.

The atmospheric sounding at Hilo clearly indicated a boundary layer temperature inversion at around 6,000 feet, a dry and stable layer in the mid levels, and sharp increase of moisture in the upper levels (base of high clouds) at around 25,000 feet. Latest guidance has these high clouds exiting the region by late tonight.

A transient surface high well northeast of the state is forecast to move eastward this weekend, but will be reinforced by yet another surface high building in from the northwest. All in all, this should keep moderate trade winds in place for the next several days. Low cloud cover with embedded light showers will continue to favor windward and mountain sections of the islands, especially during the nights and early mornings.

Monday into Tuesday, a large broad trough of low pressure begins to sag southward, west of the state. In response, background wind flow weakens and shifts easterly, then southeasterly. A slight increase in moisture, along afternoon sea breeze development, could spark a few showers over island interiors and on mountain slopes.

Tuesday night through late next week, a very unsettled weather pattern appears to be taking shape. Model solutions have been consistent in deepening the aforementioned trough west of the islands and eventually inducing a surface low and associated cold front. Ahead of these features, a deep layer south or southwesterly kona wind flow will draw tropical moisture northward over the state.

Southerly winds may become gusty at times, especially on the lee sides of any terrain. Various areas of energy rotating around the trough will act to destabilize the atmosphere and provide lift. Rounds of heavier rain, unfortunately, will be possible and may lead to more flooding concerns. However, it is still too early to accurately determine amounts and which islands would be most affected. Please keep yourself updated through the weekend for the latest forecasts.

 

Here’s a near real-time Wind Profile of the Pacific Ocean – Zoom Earth – along with a Closer View of the islands / Vog map animation / 8-Day Precipitation model

https://www.weather.gov/images/hfo/graphics/npac.gif 

 

Hawaii’s Marine Environment…as of 345am Friday: Weakening high pressure north of the islands will shift eastward over the next few days, leading to a weakening of the trade winds into the moderate to fresh range. Winds begin to veer east to southeast early next week, ahead of a front approaching from the northwest. A Small Craft Advisory remains in effect for the typically windier waters around Maui County and the Big Island. Periods of locally strong winds are possible for the windier waters through at least Saturday.

The short period northeast swell will continue a gradual decrease through the weekend, as the northeast trade winds slowly diminish. As a result, surf along north- and east-facing shores surf will gradually decline through the rest of the week, but will still retain a little size and chop due to the moderate to locally breezy trades. A small, medium period northeast swell is also possible mid-next week.

North- and west-facing shore surf will remain small to tiny until the arrival of a small, medium-period, west-northwest (310 degree) swell Friday night and a second small, medium-period, northwest (340 degree) swell late Saturday. A small to moderate medium-period west- northwest swell looks to arrive early next week and fills in by mid-week. Along south facing shores, expect small reinforcements to provide periods of small surf through the weekend until a slightly larger long period, south swell fills in early next week. However, veering local winds may lead to increasingly choppy conditions through the week.

 

May include: A paved road winds through a lush green tropical forest, leading towards a mountain range in the distance. The sky is blue with white clouds.



World-wide Tropical Cyclone Activity

 

Atlantic Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Caribbean Sea:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Gulf of America:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Here’s the link to the National Hurricane Center (NHC)

 

Northeastern Pacific:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Here’s the link to the National Hurricane Center (NHC)

North Central Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclones

Here’s the link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC)

 

Northwest Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

Southwest Pacific Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

North Indian Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

South Indian Ocean: 

Tropical Cyclone 29S (Indusa)…is located approximately 335 NM south of Diego Garcia

https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/29S_021800sair.jpg

 

Arabian Sea:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Here’s a link to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)

 

>>> Here’s a link to the Pacific Disaster Center’s (PDC Global) Weather Wall website

 

Interesting:  Studying Bird Flu in the Air to Protect People, Agricultural Operations in Michigan and Beyond

Discovering how the bird flu virus degrades in the air around livestock and how engineering solutions can effect that degradation quickly and efficiently are core aims of a new University of Michigan Engineering-led project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This work could help prevent or mitigate future outbreaks.

Detection of bird flu infection within flocks and herds leads to the mass culling of animals, which disrupts food supply chains. The ongoing outbreak of HPAI H5N1 that began in 2022 in the U.S. has led to the loss of 175 million birds and, as of late 2024, has cost the industry roughly $1.4 billion.

The $2 million grant from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service aims to answer two fundamental questions about bird flu:

Read more at: University of Michigan