Menu of Text Products for the Hawaiian Islands and the Tropical Pacific/Atlantic Oceans: Select a text product: Hawaiian Islands Synoptic Discussion and Guidance Hawaiian Islands 7-day Zone Forecast Terminal Aerodome Foreasts (TAFS) Area Forecast for Hawaii and Adjacent Coastal Waters AIRMETs for IFR Conditions, Turbulence, and Icing Hawaiian Islands Satellite Interpetation Message Oahu Surf Observation and Forecast/Coastal Forecast for Hawaiian Waters Offshore Forecast for Hawaiian Waters North Pacific High Seas Forecast South Pacific High Seas Forecast Hawaiian Islands Automated Surface Observation System Hourly Weather Roundup Hawaiian Islands Wind Data Hawaiian Islands Rainfall Summary East Pacific Tropical Cyclone Discussion East Pacific Tropical Weather Outlook Narrow the Menu List Select Time Limit: 12 hours | 24 hours | 48 hours | 72 hours | No time limit Select Product Type: All | Routine Bulletins/FCSTS | Warnings/Watches/Advisories | HAWN Weather | Tropical | Marine | Aviation | Daily Obs | Special Hawaiian Islands Synoptic Discussion and Guidance 474 FXHW60 PHFO 161951 AFDHFO AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 951 AM HST WED MAY 16 2012 .SYNOPSIS... TRADE WINDS WILL STRENGTHEN THROUGH THE DAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS TO THE NORTH. GUSTY TRADE WINDS WILL PREVAIL TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY BEFORE DROPPING TO MODERATE LEVELS OVER THE WEEKEND. CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL FOCUS OVER WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS...WITH THE KONA SLOPES SEEING AFTERNOON CLOUDS. && .DISCUSSION... THE REMNANTS OF A FRONTAL BOUNDARY HAVE PUSHED WEST OF KAUAI AS A HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH BRINGS THE TRADE WINDS BACK TO THE ISLANDS. PRESSURES ACROSS THE STATE ARE RISING GRADUALLY AND THE PRESSURE DIFFERENCE FROM NORTH TO SOUTH HAS INCREASED OVER THE PAST 12 HOURS. THE PRESSURE DIFFERENCE IS WHAT MAKES THE WIND GO...AND WE HAVE SEEN THE TRADE WINDS ON THE RISE OVERNIGHT. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE TODAY AS THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE TO THE NORTH STRENGTHENS. WINDS SPEEDS WILL REACH MODERATE TO FRESH LEVELS TONIGHT...AND CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY. THE RIDGE WILL PUSH SOUTH OVER THE WEEKEND AS A COLD FRONT PASSES BY ACROSS THE NORTH PACIFIC. OUR TRADE WINDS WILL DROP TO LIGHT TO MODERATE SPEEDS AS THE RIDGE EDGES CLOSER SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. TRADES WILL INCREASE AGAIN EARLY NEXT WEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE AGAIN BUILDS TO THE NORTH. DURING THE FORECAST PERIOD...CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL FOCUS OVER WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS...WHILE THE KONA AND KAU COASTS AND LOWER SLOPES WILL SEE AFTERNOON CLOUDS AND ISOLATED SHOWERS. THE SMALLER ISLAND/S LEEWARD LOCATIONS WILL EXPERIENCE DRY CONDITIONS WITH MOSTLY CLEAR TO PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES. && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL WITH ISOL MVFR OVER WINDWARD AND MT AREAS DUE TO CLD AND SHRA. TRADE WINDS WILL INCREASE TODAY BRINGING THE POSSIBILITY OF MOD LL TURB LEE OF THE ISLANDS TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. && .MARINE... AS THE TRADE WINDS INCREASE BY TONIGHT...SPEEDS IN THE TYPICALLY WINDIER AREAS AROUND MAUI AND THE BIG ISLAND MAY APPROACH 25 KNOTS...POSSIBLY REQUIRING A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY. && .HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ MORRISON Bulletins, Forecasts and Observations are courtesy of Honolulu National Weather Service Forecast Office This page is maintained voluntarily by the MKWC and the UHMET faculty, staff, and students. It was last modified on: Thu, Feb 16 2012 - 0235 UTC Send comments to: Ryan Lyman