Wildfire in Hawaii, April 8 to 9, 2015

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
402 PM HST WED APR 8 2015

.SYNOPSIS...
A STRONG HIGH NORTH OF THE AREA WILL MAINTAIN LOCALLY BREEZY TRADE
WINDS THROUGH FRIDAY. THE TRADES WILL BRING PASSING SHOWERS TO
WINDWARD AREAS WITH A FEW REACHING LEEWARD LOCATIONS ON THE
SMALLER ISLANDS. THE LEEWARD BIG ISLAND WILL SEE AFTERNOON CLOUDS
AND FLEETING SHOWERS. THE HIGH WILL WEAKEN BY FRIDAY NIGHT AND
THE TRADE WINDS WILL DROP TO MODERATE LEVELS OVER THE WEEKEND. AN
OLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL MOVE SOUTH OVER THE ISLANDS DURING THE
WEEKEND AND BRING INCREASING SHOWERS.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

WINDWARD SHOWERS HAVE MAINLY AFFECTED THE BIG ISLAND TODAY WITH
THE SMALLER ISLANDS ONLY SEEING LIGHT SHOWERS. IN GENERAL...
WINDWARD AREAS WILL SEE THE BULK OF SHOWERS AND CLOUDY SKIES THROUGH
THE WEEK AS TRADE WINDS PUSH UPSTREAM MOISTURE INTO WINDWARD
SLOPES. LEEWARD AREAS OF THE SMALLER ISLANDS WILL RECEIVE MINIMAL
PASSING SHOWERS... MAINLY OVERNIGHT. THE LOWER LEEWARD SLOPES OF
THE BIG ISLAND WILL SEE A DIURNAL PATTERN OF CLOUDS AND LIMITED
RAINFALL IN THE AFTERNOONS WITH PARTIALLY CLEARING SKIES OVERNIGHT.

HIGH PRESSURE NORTH OF THE STATE IS BRINGING GUSTY WINDS TO THE
ISLANDS. PRESSURE READINGS ACROSS THE STATE HAVE INCREASED 1 TO 2
MB OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS IN RESPONSE TO THE BUILDING HIGH
PRESSURE AND EXPOSED OBSERVATION SITES ARE REPORTING SUSTAINED
WINDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH. THE GUSTY TRADE WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
FRIDAY AS THE HIGH REMAINS PARKED TO THE NORTH. ISLAND TERRAIN
WILL ACCELERATE WINDS FURTHER OVER AND AROUND MOUNTAINS AND
THROUGH VALLEYS ALIGNED WITH THE WIND DIRECTION. TRADES WILL
DIMINISH TO MODERATE LEVELS OVER THE WEEKEND AS THE HIGH WEAKENS.

AN OLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY SAGGING DOWN FROM THE NORTH IS EXPECTED TO
REACH THE STATE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. TRADE WINDS WILL PUSH THE
BOUNDARY INTO THE WINDWARD SLOPES BRINGING INCREASED SHOWERS TO
BOTH WINDWARD AND LEEWARD AREAS. HOWEVER... THE MAJORITY OF
RAINFALL WILL REMAIN OVER WINDWARD AREAS WITH PASSING SHOWERS OVER
LEEWARD LOCATIONS.

&&

.AVIATION...
AIRMET TANGO IS IN EFFECT FOR TEMPO MODERATE LOW LEVEL TURBULENCE
LEEWARD OF ALL ISLANDS DUE TO THE STRONG TRADE WINDS. THE WINDS ARE
EXPECTED TO WEAKEN SLIGHTLY BY FRIDAY.

AIRMET SIERRA IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR MTN OBSC ACROSS THE WINDWARD
PORTIONS OF THE BIG ISLAND. EXPECT THE AIRMET TO CONTINUE THROUGH
THE EVENING AND WILL LIKELY BE DROPPED OVERNIGHT OR THURSDAY MORNING
AS DRIER AND SUBSIDENCE MOVES IN. ELSEWHERE...VFR CONDITIONS WILL
PREVAIL.

&&

.MARINE...
THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...SCA... HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO INCLUDE
MOST WATERS AROUND KAUAI AND OAHU... IN ADDITION TO THE WINDIER
AREAS AROUND MAUI COUNTY AND THE BIG ISLAND. SEE THE MARINE
WEATHER MESSAGE PRODUCT FOR MORE DETAILS.

THE STRONG TRADES WILL LEAD TO HIGHER WIND WAVES BUT THE FETCH IS
EXPECTED TO BE TOO SHORT TO SUPPORT A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN SURF.
SURF ALONG EAST FACING SHORES WILL BE ROUGH...BUT WILL REMAIN BELOW
ADVISORY LEVELS. OTHERWISE...A SMALL NORTHWEST SWELL IS EXPECTED
THURSDAY AND REMAIN INTO THE WEEKEND. VERY SMALL SOUTH SWELLS
WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM HST FRIDAY FOR MAALAEA BAY-
PAILOLO CHANNEL-ALENUIHAHA CHANNEL-BIG ISLAND LEEWARD WATERS-BIG
ISLAND SOUTHEAST WATERS.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 8 PM HST THURSDAY
FOR KAUAI NORTHWEST WATERS-KAUAI LEEWARD WATERS-KAUAI CHANNEL-
OAHU WINDWARD WATERS-OAHU LEEWARD WATERS-KAIWI CHANNEL.

&&

MORRISON...DISCUSSION AND MARINE
FOSTER...AVIATION