Drought in Hawaii, February 23 to 28, 2010

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
400 AM HST TUE FEB 23 2010

.SYNOPSIS...
A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL REMAIN IN THE ISLAND VICINITY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY...KEEPING WINDS LIGHT WITH LAND AND SEA BREEZES. A
SHEARLINE IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE NORTHERN ISLANDS LATE
WEDNESDAY...BRINGING NORTHERLY WINDS. NORTHEASTERLY TRADE WINDS WILL
RETURN THURSDAY...BUT WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SWITCH TO SOUTHEAST
FRIDAY AS ANOTHER FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST. THIS FRONT
IS EXPECTED TO ADVANCE ACROSS THE ISLANDS OVER THE WEEKEND. MODERATE
TO STRONG TRADE WINDS WILL DEVELOP BEHIND THE FRONT BY EARLY NEXT
WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
MOSTLY CLEAR CONDITIONS PREVAIL OVER THE ISLAND EARLY THIS MORNING.
THERE ARE SOME CLOUDS IN THE AREA...THOUGH MOST OF THESE STAYED
OFFSHORE OVERNIGHT. PASSING HIGH CLOUDS FROM THE NORTHWEST ARE
AFFECTING THE AREA AT TIMES...AND WILL FILTER THE SUNLIGHT DURING
THE DAYLIGHT HOURS. WINDS REMAIN QUITE LIGHT ACROSS THE STATE THIS
MORNING...WITH LAND BREEZES REPORTED BY COASTAL STATIONS. A SURFACE
HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE IN THE ISLAND VICINITY IS KEEPING WINDS
LIGHT...ALLOWING LAND AND SEA BREEZES TO DEVELOP. LITTLE CHANGE IN
THE WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED THROUGH WEDNESDAY. HENCE EXPECT
CONVECTIVE TYPE WEATHER REGIME TO CONTINUE...WITH CLOUDS AND SHOWERS
DEVELOPING UNDER DAY TIME HEATING WHILE CLEARING OCCUR OVERNIGHT
ACROSS THE ISLANDS UNDER NIGHT TIME COOLING. AIR MASS REMAINS STABLE
WITH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE EXTENDING TO ABOUT 5K FEET AS REVEALED BY
HILO SOUNDING. WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO BE UNFAVORABLE
FOR HEAVIER PRECIPITATION TO DEVELOP.

A SHEARLINE IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE NORTHERN ISLANDS LATE
WEDNESDAY AND WILL BRING LIGHT TO MODERATE NORTHERLY WINDS TO THE
AREA. LATEST FORECAST CHARTS STILL INDICATE NOT MUCH MOISTURE WILL
BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SHEARLINE...THOUGH IT MAY STILL BRING A
LITTLE MORE CLOUDS AND SOME SHOWERS TO THE ISLANDS. A HIGH
PRESSURE SYSTEM BEHIND THIS SHEARLINE WILL PASS NORTH OF THE STATE
THURSDAY...WITH A BRIEF RETURN OF TRADE WINDS TO THE AREA.

LATEST FORECAST CHARTS CONTINUE TO INDICATE ANOTHER FRONT WILL
APPROACH THE ISLANDS BY THE WEEKEND. LOOK FOR WINDS SHIFTING TO
SOUTHEAST BY FRIDAY...THEN TURNING LIGHT ACROSS THE SMALLER ISLANDS
SATURDAY. THE FRONT IS STILL EXPECTED TO REACH THE ISLANDS LATE
SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY...AND MAY EVEN ADVANCE TO THE BIG ISLAND BY
MONDAY. WINDS WILL TURN NORTHEAST BEHIND THE FRONT AND
STRENGTHEN...AS A STRONG HIGH PRESSURE MOVES TO FAR NORTH OF THE
ISLANDS. LOOK FOR A RETURN OF MODERATE TO STRONG TRADE WINDS BY
EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE ISLANDS MAY SEE MORE CLOUDS AND SHOWERS UNTIL
THE TRADE WIND WEATHER THEN.

&&

.MARINE...
SURF WILL PEAK OVER NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF THE SMALLER
ISLANDS LATER THIS MORNING AS THE LARGE NORTHWEST SWELL CONTINUES
TO MOVE ACROSS THE STATE. BUOY DATA INDICATE THIS SWELL IS LARGE
ENOUGH TO BRING ADVISORY LEVEL SURF TO WEST FACING SHORES OF BIG
ISLAND. THUS A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS POSTED FOR WEST FACING SHORES
OF BIG ISLAND UNTIL THIS EVENING WHILE A HIGH SURF WARNING CONTINUES
FOR THE EXPOSED SHORES OF THE SMALLER ISLANDS. A SMALL CRAFT
ADVISORY IS ALSO POSTED FOR EXPOSED COASTAL WATERS DUE TO THE LARGE
SWELL. THE SURF IS STILL EXPECTED TO SLOWLY SUBSIDE TONIGHT.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF WARNING UNTIL 8 PM HST TONIGHT FOR NIIHAU-KAUAI
WINDWARD-KAUAI LEEWARD-WAIANAE COAST-OAHU NORTH SHORE-OAHU
KOOLAU-MOLOKAI-MAUI WINDWARD WEST-MAUI CENTRAL VALLEY-WINDWARD
HALEAKALA.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM HST TONIGHT FOR KAUAI NORTHWEST
WATERS-KAUAI WINDWARD WATERS-KAUAI LEEWARD WATERS-KAUAI CHANNEL-
OAHU WINDWARD WATERS-OAHU LEEWARD WATERS-KAIWI CHANNEL-MAUI
COUNTY WINDWARD WATERS-BIG ISLAND WINDWARD WATERS.

&&

HUI