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

 

The latest update to this website was at 825pm Saturday evening HST


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

0.52  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.39  Moanalua RG, Oahu
0.15  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.61  Puu Kukui, Maui
0.95  Glenwood, Big Island


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

27  Port Allen, Kauai – NE
31  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – NE
31  Makapulapai, Molokai – E
40  Lanai 1, Lanai – NE
43  Kealaloloa Rg  , Maui – NNE 
33  Kawaihae Rd, 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 (out of operation). 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

  Tropical Cyclone 05E (Elida) and Tropical Cyclone 06E far east and east-southeast…thunderstorms south of Hawaii

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES18/ABI/SECTOR/hi/14/20261992150-20262000540-GOES18-ABI-HI-14-600x600.gif

Variable low clouds…high clouds in the vicinity

 

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 Saturday comments:  I’m at home here in upper Kula, Maui, Hawaii

518am, it’s mostly clear to partly cloudy here in upper Kula with calm winds, and a low temperature at my place of 59 degrees…with the relative humidity 82%

215pm, it was a pickleball morning in Haiku, and I had so much fun! It was unusual that all the players were women, which made me the only man obviously. I played with three women that happen to be at the top of their game, and are very good. It was definitely a rousing series of games, which I didn’t mind at all.

415pm, here in Maui County it is sunnier than sunny this afternoon, I think you can interpret that.

612pm, one of the sunnier late afternoons that I’ve seen in some time…what clouds!?

824pm, a warm evening for sure, as the temperature is 66.2 degrees here at my place.

 

>>> Highest Temperature Saturday, July 18, 2026 – 117 at Stovepipe Wells, CA
>>> Lowest Temperature Saturday, July 18, 2026 – 35 degrees near McCloud, CA

 

Interesting Weather Blog…Mauka Showers – The Most Common Wind Direction at Hilo is from the West-Southwest?!

 

Hawaii’s Weather Highlights…as of Saturday evening: Locally breezy trade winds will continue but ease a bit early next week. A trend toward fewer windward and mountain showers, and more sunshine, is expected Sunday as drier air pushes in on the trades. At this time, there aren’t any significant areas of enhanced moisture moving toward the state, so relatively dry trades should continue through late next week.

Short Term Update: Latest water vapor imagery depicts the Hawaiian Islands engulfed in a drier air mass, evident by the lack of moisture portrayed on the radar. The most recent One-Hour Rainfall Summary for the state supports this, with most locations receiving no rainfall, where the only exception being right along the Kona slopes of the Big Island, with a couple tenths of an inch falling. This trend is expected to continue through at least Sunday, followed by the more typical windward and mountain trade showers thereafter.

Weather Commentary…as of Saturday evening: Radar shows only isolated light showers as an area of higher moisture has now moved west of the state. Winds were moderate to breezy, with sustained winds averaging 10 to 20 mph and gusts blowing 20 to 30 mph (30-35 at the usual windy spots). A strong surface high well to the north will keep moderate to occasionally breezy trade winds blowing for the next week (at least), with only slight variations in speed.

Showers should be relatively light because moisture will be limited, with precipitable water values coming in around a quarter inch below normal. Models are not displaying any significant areas of increased moisture headed toward the state over the next 5-7 days.

We may need to keep an eye on the developing tropical disturbance several hundred miles off the Mexico coast. Various models have been showing a small potential for this system to bring us some tropical conditions in about a week and a half or so. It`s much too early to forecast any details, and please note that may models don`t bring it near the state.

 

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 Saturday evening: Fresh to locally strong trade winds will continue tonight and slowly begin subsiding tomorrow afternoon into Monday. As a result, the SCA will be scaled back to the typical areas around Big Island and Maui tonight before dropping off completely tomorrow night. Winds will then be moderate Monday and Tuesday as the high pressure to the north weakens. High pressure will then rebuild and restrengthen trade winds during the second half of next week.

Surf along south facing shores will remain near the summertime average through the afternoon and tonight. A larger, moderate south swell is expected to build Sunday through early next week, bringing potentially High Surf Advisory level conditions Monday and Tuesday. As this swell slowly fades into the middle of next week, another moderate south- southwest swell is expected to arrive on Thursday, keeping surf elevated into next weekend.

A small, medium-period west-northwest swell will gradually fade through the weekend, causing surf along north-facing shores to drop to flat/tiny levels.

East facing shores will remain choppy tonight and then will gradually drop through the rest of the weekend into early next week as trade winds ease. Energy from Tropical Storm Elida may reach the islands during the middle of next week and bring a slight boost for east facing shores. Additionally, as the trades ramp up during the later half of next week, surf will also increase.

 

Hawaiian Islands | Hawaii Landscape Photography | Scott Smorra


World-wide Tropical Cyclone Activity


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


>>> 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 America: There are no active tropical cyclones

Northern Gulf of America and near Florida:

Invest 91A

Recent satellite-wind data and nearby surface observations indicate that an area of low pressure located over the northeastern Gulf of America is slowly becoming better defined. However, its associated shower and thunderstorm activity remains disorganized. Regardless, gradual development of this system is forecast, and a tropical depression could form over the next couple of days as the system moves slowly northward or northwestward. Interests along the northern Gulf coast from Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, to Louisiana should monitor the progress of this system as it is expected to bring heavy rain to portions of that region during the next several days. An Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft is scheduled to investigate the system later today, if necessary.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…medium…60 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…medium…60 percent

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES19/ABI/SECTOR/ga/13/GOES19-GA-13-1000x1000.gif

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

 

Northeast Pacific:

Tropical cyclone 05E (Elida)…is located about 935 miles west of the southern tip of Baja California

NO CHANGE TO ELIDA’S INTENSITY

According to the NHC Advisory number 17

Elida is moving toward the north-northwest near 12 mph, and this motion with some increase in forward speed is expected through much of the weekend. An eventual turn to the north is forecast to occur by late Sunday. Maximum sustained winds are near 70 mph with higher gusts. The system is expected to begin weakening later tonight with that weakening trend forecast to continue over the next few days as the storm moves over cooler waters. Elida is likely to become a post-tropical cyclone on Monday. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 195 miles from the center.

 

Tropical cyclone 06E…is located about 805 miles south of the southern tip of Baja California

SIXTH TROPICAL DEPRESSION OF THE EAST PACIFIC SEASON FORMS WELL SOUTH OF THE SOUTHERN TIP OF THE BAJA CALIFORNIA PENINSULA…FORECAST TO QUICKLY STRENGTHEN

According to the NHC Advisory number 1 

The depression is moving toward the west-northwest near 12 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue for the next two to three days. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts. Steady to rapid strengthening is forecast during the next few days. The depression is forecast to become a tropical storm on Sunday and become a hurricane by Monday night or Tuesday.

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES19/ABI/SECTOR/eep/13/GOES19-EEP-13-900x540.gif

 

>>> Eastern and Central east Pacific:

A broad area of low pressure is forecast to develop well to the south of Mexico during the middle to latter part of next week. Some gradual development of this system is possible thereafter while it moves westward to west-northwestward across the eastern and central portions of the eastern Pacific.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…medium…40 percent

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

 

Central Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclone

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

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

 

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

>>> Southwest Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

>>> North and South Indian Oceans / Arabian Sea: There are no active tropical cyclones

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



Interesting:  Massive Calving Episode in Greenland May Foreshadow More Rapid Ice Sheet Loss

Last November, a study led by Adrien Wehrlé, a researcher in the department of geography at the University of Zürich, Switzerland, looked at the massive calving response of one of West Greenland’s active glaciers, Sermeq Kujalleq in the Kangia icefjord (SKK), to the drainage of two surface lakes. Called supraglacial lakes, these are temporary meltwater ponds that form and accumulate in the depressions or holes on the surface of glaciers and ice sheets. Using satellite and terrestrial radar observations, the researchers studied the response of SKK to the drainage of two supraglacial lakes in July 2022.

SKK, also known as the Jakobshavn glacier, is a large and rapidly retreating outlet glacier on the Greenland ice sheet. As one of the world’s fastest moving and most active ice streams located in West Greenland, it discharges more than 50 gigatons of ice into the ocean each year. Rising temperatures and increased melting will cause larger lakes that may increase the frequency and magnitude of drainage events, further degrading glaciers and contributing to sea level rise.

Between July 21 and 24, two supraglacial lakes located 13 km south of SKK and 25 km from the glacier’s edge released a catastrophic surge of fast-flowing meltwater that propagated all the way to the glacier’s lowest depths.

Read More: Columbia Climate School