Glenn James
Hawaii Weather Today
Creator, Author, and Administrator for over 30 years+

 

>>> I’m flying from Kahului, Maui to Portland, Oregon today, and from there down to Bend, Oregon…beginning my Autumn working vacation. Thus, I won’t be able to do my next updates until I get to my friend Bob’s place in Bend, which should be around 830pm HST this evening. I will continue doing my regular daily updates beginning Friday morning.

 

The latest update to this website was at 923pm Thursday evening HST


Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands Thursday evening: 

1.32  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.42   Manoa Lyon Arboretum, Oahu
0.12  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.63  Puu Kukui , Maui
1.13  Kulaimano, Big Island


The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph) Thursday evening:

10  Puu Lua, Kauai – NE
23  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – NE
20  Anapuka, Molokai – NE
20  Lanai 1, Lanai – NE
20  Honolua, Maui – SE
18  Pali 2, Big Island – NE


Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live webcam on the summit of our tallest mountain Mauna Kea (~13,800 feet high) on the Big Island of Hawaii. Here’s the webcam for the (~10,023 feet high) Haleakala Crater 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

 Cold front far northwest…thunderstorms in the deeper tropics

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES18/ABI/SECTOR/hi/14/GOES18-HI-14-600x600.gif

 

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

Localized Showers 

 

https://www.weather.gov/wwamap/png/hfo.png

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




~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

Glenn’s Thursday comments:  I’m at home here in upper Kula, Maui, Hawaii

433am, it’s mostly clear here at my place, the low temperature was 53.5 degrees, relative humidity is 80%…with calm winds

851pm, I made it to Bend, Oregon! I’m at my friend Bob’s, and have my laptop set up, and I’m back in business.

 

Here’s the NOAA Climate Prediction Center’s Hawaii seasonal outlook: Hilo, Kahului, Honolulu and Lihue each a 75% probability of below-normal three-month rainfall totals for December 2026–February 2027

 

Hawaii’s Weather Highlights…as of Thursday evening: Light to moderate trade winds will produce a hybrid trade wind and sea breeze wind flow each day lasting into early next week. Brief passing showers will drift into the islands on the easterly trade winds, favoring windward mountain areas during the overnight to early morning hours.

A more significant change to our weather pattern continues to evolve for early next week beginning sometime Monday night or Tuesday. Deeply unstable tropical moisture moving across the state will bring the potential for heavy rain and thunderstorms affecting all islands.

Weather Narrative…as of Thursday evening: Satellite and radar imagery show isolated to scattered showers moving into windward and mauka areas on the light to moderate trade wind flow, with the best coverage over the central part of the state. In addition, showers have also developed over some leeward areas due to sea breeze activity in the lighter trade wind flow, particularly across Oahu.

The trade winds have eased to become light to moderate in response to the weakening pressure gradient as the surface high gets pushed farther northeast of the state, while a low pressure system sets up to the north. These light to moderate trade winds will more or less persist through the weekend, allowing for a hybrid trade wind and land/sea breeze pattern to commence. However, with high clouds expected to move in from the west-southwest Friday through most of the weekend, sea breeze activity might be somewhat suppressed.

With the weakening mid to upper level low over the state, the instability associated with this feature has helped to support the development of afternoon showers over some leeward and interior areas as sea breezes form. However, limited available moisture and weak lifting mechanisms at the surface will continue to keep the shower activity rather limited.

This mid to upper level low will lift northeastward into Friday, and ridging will try to nudge in from the south, limiting shower activity even further. However, deeper moisture will move over the Big Island and maybe Maui from the southeast, increasing the potential for showers along the lower south- and east-facing slopes.

Remnants of a dissipating frontal boundary extending from the low to the north may move in Saturday through Saturday night, as the low dips south-southeast, bringing a slight boost in the east-northeast trade wind speeds and trade wind showers over the western end of the state, as ridging tries to build in from the north.

The upper level trough supporting the surface low will form a cutoff low to the northeast of the state over the weekend, driving the surface low over the same area. Meanwhile, to the west of the state, a low will try to develop somewhere well west-southwest, with the National Hurricane Center giving this feature a low (30 percent) chance of developing into a tropical cyclone over the next 7 days.

Regardless of the potential tropical development, the main threat for Hawaii is the potential for heavy rain and possibly isolated thunderstorms next week, as this potential low and a large convergent band of deep tropical moisture to its east get swept eastward by a passing trough and drawn across Hawaii, beginning sometime Monday night or Tuesday.

The threat for heavy rain may persist through much of the week, as this band of deep tropical moisture lingers over the area. However, its important to note that forecast uncertainty remains moderate to high, as there continues to be a fairly wide spread among the model solutions.

Fire Weather: Trade wind speeds will continue to be suppressed through Monday, as the high is pushed farther northeast, while a low sets up north of the state. Passing showers will move into mainly windward and mauka areas on the trade wind flow, and some showers may also be expected over leeward areas as seas breezes develop in the most wind-protected areas. Then ample tropical moisture and will move in from the west sometime beginning Monday night or Tuesday, brining a threat for heavy rain through Thursday. As a result, fire weather concerns will be low through the next several days. Inversion heights will range from 6,000 to 8,000 feet Friday.

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


Here’s a near real-time Wind Profile of the Pacific Ocean – along with a Closer View of the islands / Here’s the latest Weather Map / Looping Surface Precipitation…through the next 8-days / Vog Map

 

Marine Conditions…as of Thursday evening: Easterly trade winds will be at gentle to moderate strength through Friday as surface low pressure far north of Hawaii, and a nearby surface trough weaken the local pressure gradient. Trades are expected to hold at current strength and shift out of the northeast this weekend, as high pressure far northwest of Hawaii pushes to low eastward. The weaker trade winds should persist Monday, but uncertainty increases on Tuesday, hinging on the potential development of a low southwest of the islands.

A small, medium-period northwest swell will arrive overnight and provide a small boost to surf along north-facing shores on Friday. A moderate, medium-period north-northwest swell will build late Saturday and peak around seasonal average on Sunday. As this swell declines on Monday, a long-period west-northwest swell will arrive, maintaining small to moderate surf into the middle of next week.

Small background level surf will prevail along south-facing shores through Friday. A small to moderate south-southwest swell is expected to boost surf to around seasonal average this weekend into early next week. Along east-facing shores, trade-wind swell will continue to decrease through Friday, though a small, medium-period northeast swell may maintain small surf through Saturday. Aside from wrapping north-northwest swell in exposed areas, east shore surf should remain below seasonal average much of next week.

 

>>> Highest Temperature Thursday, October 22, 2026 – 92 degrees at Seguin, TX


>>> Lowest Temperature Thursday, October 22, 2026 – 17 degrees Davis, WV

 

Big Island Nature Photography Tips from CJ Kale


World-wide Tropical Cyclone Activity

 



>>> Here’s a link to the latest Pacific Disaster Center’s Weather Wall



Atlantic Ocean

>>> Subtropical Central Atlantic:

A trough of low pressure located several hundred miles east of Bermuda is producing a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Further development of this system is not expected as it moves north-northeastward into increasingly unfavorable environmental conditions during the next day or so.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…low…near percent


Caribbean Sea: There are no active tropical cyclones


Gulf of America: There are no active tropical cyclones

 

Northeast Pacific:

Tropical Cyclone 22E (Vance)…is located 610 miles south-southeast of Manzanillo, Mexico

VANCE STRENGTHENING AS IT MOVES NORTHWESTWARD…RAPID INTENSIFICATION EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT DAY OR SO

According to the NHC advisory number 7

Vance is moving toward the northwest near 6 mph. A gradual turn toward the north-northwest is expected over the next day or so. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 70 mph with higher gusts. Rapid intensification is forecast during the next 24 hours, and Vance is forecast to become a major hurricane by early Saturday. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 991 mb (29.27 inches).

cone graphic

 

Central North Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclones

>>> Western Central Pacific:

An area of low pressure is forecast to form near the International Date Line, several hundred miles west of Johnston Atoll late this weekend or early next week. Environmental conditions could support some slow development thereafter while the system moves generally eastward to east-northeastward.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…low…20 percent

 

Northwest Pacific Ocean:

Tropical Cyclone 29W (Champi)…is located approximately 316 NM southwest of Kadena AB

https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/wp2926.gif

 

Southwest Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

 

North and South Indian Oceans / Arabian Sea: 

South Indian Ocean

Tropical Cyclone 02S (Agueda)…is located approximately 620 NM east of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania 

 

https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/abpwsair.jpg

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



Interesting:  Microplastics Concentrations in the Truckee River Surge During High Spring Flows, New Study Finds

The ubiquitous plastics of modern life are degrading into tiny fragments and littering Earth’s landscapes and waterways. Scientists are starting to examine and measure this phenomenon to better understand how microplastics move through the environment and ultimately impact human and environmental health.

A new study focuses on the Truckee River, which stems from the clear blue waters of Lake Tahoe and traverses through Reno and Sparks, Nevada, before reaching Pyramid Lake. The research sought to illuminate the concentrations and types of plastics accumulating throughout the river — which supplies drinking water to nearly half a million people.

Published September 15th in ACS EST Water, the research was led by Hannah Lukasik, former master’s student at DRI and the University of Nevada Reno. She was mentored by Monica Arienzo, Director of DRI’s Microplastics and Environmental Chemistry Lab.

The group sampled microplastics at several sites upstream and downstream of Reno, Nevada, in fall 2022 and spring 2023. Microplastic concentrations were nearly ten-fold higher in spring (mean 3.7 microplastics/liter) than in fall (mean 0.4 microplastics/liter), when higher spring flows are likely flushing them from the landscape and river bottom.

Polyethylene (used for things like plastic shopping bags, milk jugs, and plastic wrap) and polypropylene (a sturdier plastic used for things like medical equipment, storage totes, and automotive parts) were the dominant plastics identified. The research demonstrates that reducing single-use plastic throughout the Truckee River Basin is critical for protecting the river’s water quality.

Read More: Desert Research Institute

Microplastic sampling along the Truckee River.