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

 

The last update to this website was Wednesday evening at 512pm HST


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

0.77  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.18  Schofield East, Oahu
0.00  Molokai
0.00  Lanai City, Lanai
0.47  West Wailuaiki, Maui
1.05  Kawainui Stream, Big Island


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

23  Nawiliwili, Kauai – NE
32  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – E 
33  Molokai AP, Molokai – E 
33  Lanai 1, Lanai – NE
50  Na Kula, Maui – ESE 
38  Puuloa, 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

Lots of thunderstorms in the deeper tropics…cold fronts far northwest 

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES18/ABI/SECTOR/hi/GEOCOLOR/20261331740-20261340130-GOES18-ABI-HI-GEOCOLOR-600x600.gif

Low clouds arriving on the trade winds…high clouds arriving from the west (which will be clearing the state soon)

 

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 

 

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

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




~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

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

It was clear with a few clouds along the windward sides this morning here in Maui County, with a low temperature at my place a chilly 47.5 degrees. There are some streaky high cirrus clouds too, which lit up a very pretty pink color at sunrise!

I played pickleball in Makawao, and fortunately it wasn’t as crowded as it sometimes can be.

1215pm, we have yet another sunny to partly sunny day here in Maui County, just like the last several days this week have been…the one difference is that the high clouds are now gone.

510pm, a mix of clouds and sun, with most of the showers over along the windward sides.


>>> Highest Temperature Wednesday, May 13, 2026 – 106 degrees at Death Valley, CA
>>> Lowest Temperature Wednesday, May 13, 2026 – 22 degrees at Mount Washington, NH

 

Hawaii’s Broad Brush Weather Overview…as of Wednesday evening:  Breezy trade winds will persist into Thursday, with showers favoring windward and mountain areas. Friday into the weekend, trades will ease slightly, and a passing upper-level disturbance, along with increasing moisture, may bring an increase in trade wind shower activity, with pockets of heavy rain possible. Then a more stable, breezy trade wind pattern should redevelop by mid-week next week.

Weather Details for the Hawaiian Islands…as of Wednesday evening: Broad high pressure to the far north of the state (centered around 40 degrees N latitude) will maintain breezy trade winds across the region into Thursday, delivering clouds and scattered showers to windward and mountain areas, particularly during the overnight to early morning hours.

During this time, a weakness will develop in the ridge aloft, and a mid- to upper-level low will break away from the base of a trough, and move directly over the Hawaiian Islands by Friday evening. This upper level disturbance will induce a broad surface trough over the region, weakening the local pressure gradient, and allowing the trade winds to ease and veer slightly.

Cooler temperatures aloft and the potential weakening of the low-level inversion will help to create a more unstable environment over the state, likely enhancing trade wind showers. In addition, deep tropical moisture will move up from the south, with models showing precipitable water values climbing into the 1.5 to almost 2 inch range over the eastern end of the state.

This setup will likely bring enhanced showers to the western end of the state beginning on Friday where the greatest instability will be, then transition over the eastern end by Sunday into Monday, where the deepest moisture will be. The main limiting factor to a more organized enhanced shower setup is the lack of any strong lifting mechanism at the surface.

As such, the most likely locations to experience heavy rain are the windward and mountain areas, that are impacted by orographic lift in a trade wind pattern, though the hi-res guidance is just now reaching Friday afternoon, where they also highlight interior and leeward Oahu, as the upper-level low moves overhead and the background winds become light enough to support sea breeze development. In addition to the the potential for pockets of heavy rain this weekend, moisture around this weekend may leave us feeling muggier with lighter winds.

Beyond Monday, differences between the global models become more apparent, but for now, expecting a more stable, breezy trade wind pattern to redevelop by mid-week next week.


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 Environmental Conditions…as of Wednesday evening:  High pressure established north of the islands maintains locally strong trades until an upper disturbance causes winds to weaken by this weekend. Small, short period NW swell fades and will be replaced by a small to moderate, long period NW swell that will peak,Thursday, bringing small to moderate surf to favored exposures.

Small, medium to long period south swell maintains small surf along south shores. Meanwhile, locally strong trades maintain choppy short period conditions along east shores.

Tides peak around 2.5 feet this weekend. Combined with ongoing trades and a modest boost in south swell, water levels will peak around 3.0 feet late this weekend into early next week. Minor overwash of low lying coastal areas will be possible at high tide during this time.

 

 

Water Temperature In Oahu Hawaii: A Snorkeler's Guide | Kona Snorkel Trips


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

>>> Gulf of Mexico: There are no active tropical cyclones

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

 

>>> Eastern Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclones

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

>>> 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 cyclone

>>> 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:  Exercise: a Very Little Goes a Long Way

Don’t have time to exercise because of a busy schedule? Or are you simply not very motivated? You’ll be pleased to learn that just 10 minutes of exercise every other day is all it takes. However, you really need to exert yourself during those 10 minutes.

The onset of spring can encourage people to get outside more and exercise. We know that exercise is good for our health, but it can still be difficult to get started and maintain good habits.

The Norwegian health authorities’ recommendation is to exercise for at least 2.5 hours, and preferably 5 hours, per week. For some people, this may feel just a bit too much to take on.

However, research results from the past 20 years have shown that just 30 minutes per week is enough to improve your health. That equates to 4.5 minutes per day or 10 minutes every other day – but the intensity must be high. This means that you need to really exert yourself so you get out of breath.

Read More: Norwegian University of Science and Technology