The latest update to this website was at 855am Friday (HST)

 

Here are the highest temperatures Thursday…and the lowest Friday morning:

82 – 76  Lihue AP, Kauai
84 – 72  Molokai AP, Molokai
86 – 73  Kahului AP, Maui
83 – 72  Kona AP, Big Island
81 – 70  Hilo, AP, Big Island

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

1.57  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.08  Poamoho RG 1, Oahu
0.02  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.01  Lanai AP, Lanai
0.50  Puu Kukui, Maui
0.55  Kealakekua, Big Island

>>> There are lots of new locations that measure rainfall and winds now, here’s a map of all areas for your reference (the map is clickable to zoom in closer)

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

17  Port Allen, Kauai
31  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
25  Makapulapai, Molokai
27  Lanai 1, Lanai
31  Kealaloloa Rg, Maui
32  Puuloa, Big Island

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/GOES17/ABI/SECTOR/tpw/13/GOES17-TPW-13-900x540.gif 

 Cold front northwest…low to the west


https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES17/ABI/SECTOR/hi/GEOCOLOR/GOES17-HI-GEOCOLOR-600x600.gif

Low clouds being carried our way on the trade winds…higher clouds moving away to the northeast

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES17/ABI/SECTOR/hi/13/GOES17-HI-13-600x600.gif

Variable clouds

 

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

Localized showers

 

https://www.weather.gov/images/hfo/satellite/Kauai_VIS_loop.gif

Kauai and Oahu (Satellite)

 

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

Kauai and Oahu (Radar)

 

https://www.weather.gov/images/hfo/satellite/Oahu-Maui_VIS_loop.gif

Oahu and Maui County (Satellite)

 

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

Oahu and Maui County (Radar)

 

https://www.weather.gov/images/hfo/satellite/Hawaii_VIS_loop.gif

 Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai, and the Big Island (Satellite)

 

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

Maui County and the Big Island (Radar)

 

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

Big Island (Radar)

 

Model showing precipitation through 8-days (you can slow this animation down)

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

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

Glenn’s Aloha Friday comments:  I’m home here in upper Kula, Maui, Hawaii.

It’s clear to partly cloudy here in Maui County this morning, with low clouds along the windward sides…and a bit hazy. The low temperature here at my place was 55 degrees.

Monthly Precipitation Summary / State of Hawaii / May 2025

May was dominated by moderate to breezy trade wind conditions with a couple of upper-level disturbances that helped to enhance rainfall around the middle to latter portion of the month. The first week of May was marked by typical moderate to breezy easterly trade winds with scattered windward and mountain showers and limited rainfall across leeward areas. Weak troughing aloft helped provide modest instability to pockets of moisture moving in on the trades to enhance showers, mainly over windward areas on the 8th and 9th, though a few showers did make it over to select leeward areas. The Puu Kukui and West Wailuaiki Stream U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) rain gauges on Maui recorded their highest daily totals for the month on the 8th at 2.56 inches and 1.13 inches, respectively. The modestly-enhanced rainfall was not enough to prevent a wildfire near Waimea Canyon (Kauai) on the 7th and one near Honokaa in the Big Island’s Hamakua district on the 11th.

Moderate to breezy easterly trade winds continued through the 16th, easing slightly and shifting out of the east-southeast through the 19th. As the winds weakened a bit, a complex upper-level disturbance developed over the state and lingered through 19th, for a weakening of the temperature inversion and enhancement to shower activity. The east-southeast direction of the wind allowed for afternoon sea breezes to develop in the wind-sheltered leeward and interior areas and gave them some much needed rainfall, especially on the Big Island. Flood Advisories were issued for the Kona districts of the Big Island on the 16th and 18th, and interior/leeward Oahu on the 17th. No significant flooding impacts were observed. The USGS’s Mt. Waialeale gauge recorded its (and the state’s) highest daily rainfall total of 8.48 inches on the 18th. Another upper-level low moved over the area from the northwest on the 22nd and 23rd, enhancing trade wind showers mainly over windward and mountain areas.

Moderate to locally breezy trade winds and drier conditions prevailed over the Memorial Day weekend due to increasing atmospheric stability and decreasing moisture. Mostly dry trade wind conditions continued through the end of the month, with wind speeds decreasing slightly as high pressure north of the state shifted southward and weakened. A notable exception to the dry conditions was the USGS Kilohana Rain Gage #1 on the northern slopes of interior Kauai which recorded its highest daily rainfall total for the month at 2.44 inches, likely due to sea breeze enhancement under weaker trade winds.

Weather Wit of the day:  Mean Wind – If it causes your kite to land in a tree

 

Hawaii’s Broad Brush Weather Overview:  A weak upper low just north of the Hawaiian Islands will slowly weaken, as it drifts northeastward away from our area. Enough instability aloft will linger for brief periods of showers lasting through the weekend, favoring the overnight to early morning hours.

More stable conditions with drier trends will return from next week Monday through Friday as high pressure builds in over the island chain. Moderate easterly trade winds will develop each day through much of next week.

Hawaii’s Weather Details:  Satellite imagery shows a weak upper level low just north of the island chain, providing enough divergence aloft, for brief periods of showers mainly along windward and mountain areas. This low will continue to weaken as it slowly drifts towards the northeast direction over the next few days. Satellite pictures show fairly stable clouds riding in on the easterly trade winds, and a few showers will develop as these clouds are driven up windward mountain slopes.

A general troughing pattern remains in place in the upper levels, which will keep brief passing showers falling in the overnight to early morning hours for the windward and mountain areas, and brief showers over island interior sections during the days through the weekend.

On Monday this upper level pattern changes to a more stable environment lasting through much of next week, as an upper level ridge moves over the state, and the temperature inversion heights drop to around 5,000 to 6,000 feet.

Look for light to moderate easterly trades to continue into next week, as the high pressure ridge north of the state weakens, in response to a migrating low pressure system slowly drifting across the North Pacific. Some expansion of daytime sea breezes along terrain sheltered western island slopes should be expected during this time period.

This in turn means a hybrid trade wind/sea breeze weather regime will take hold over each island, with brief afternoon showers possible over island interior sections this weekend, due to the lingering troughing environment, and low level wind convergence bands forming along trade wind and sea breeze boundaries.

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

Weather Analysis and Forecasts

Hawaii’s Marine Environment:  Trades will gradually ease, becoming gentle to fresh as high pressure northeast of the state weakens. Thus, the Small Craft Advisory for typical wind prone areas around Maui and the Big Island has been allowed to expire.

East-northeast trades will remain gentle to fresh through this weekend, then restrengthen early next week as high pressure rebuilds to the north. In addition, a surface trough may develop west of the islands which would act to veer winds slightly east-southeast.

Long period forerunners from a moderate south-southwest (200-220) swell are already beginning to show up on some of the near shore buoys. This swell is expected to gradually fill, then peak early Saturday through early Sunday near High Surf Advisory criteria, then slowly fade by early next week.

Choppy surf along east facing shores will persist as a moderate, medium period northeast swell peaks then slowly fades through this weekend. Surf along north facing shores will remain small through early next week.

 



World-wide Tropical Cyclone Activity

 

Atlantic Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Caribbean Sea:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 7-days.

Gulf of Mexico:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 7-days.

Northeastern Pacific:   There are no active tropical cyclones

South of Southern Mexico

>>> Showers and thunderstorms have increased a little on the eastern side of a broad trough of low pressure located a couple of hundred miles south of southern Mexico. Environmental conditions appear conducive for additional development, and a short-lived tropical depression is likely to form over the weekend while the system moves generally west-northwestward just off the coast of Mexico. Interests in southern and southwestern Mexico should monitor the progress of this system.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…medium…50 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…high…70 percent

Offshore of Southwestern Mexico

>>> A broad area of low pressure has formed along the western side of the elongated trough south of Mexico. Continued gradual development of this system is expected, and a tropical depression is likely to form over the weekend or early next week while the system moves generally west-northwestward.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…medium…50 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…high…80 percent

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

North Central Pacific:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 7-days.

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 and South Indian Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

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:  Amphibian Road Mortality Drops by Over 80% with Wildlife Underpasses, Study Shows

New UVM research highlights cost-effective solution for protecting salamanders, frogs, and other vulnerable species by restoring habitat connections across roads.

A new UVM-led study shows that wildlife underpass tunnels dramatically reduce deaths of frog, salamanders and other amphibians migrating across roads.

Frogs, salamanders, and other amphibians around the world face mounting threats from a devastating fungus, climate change, habitat loss—and road mortality. Among these, roads pose a uniquely immediate danger by cutting through critical migration corridors, allowing vehicles to crush millions of animals each year.

Now, a new, first-of-its-kind study offers powerful evidence that a simple intervention—wildlife underpass tunnels—can dramatically reduce these amphibian deaths and help preserve ecosystems.

Read more at University of Vermont

Image: Frog attempting to cross road in Monkton, Vermont.