http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/pages/AFD.php Area Forecast Discussion for Hawaii en-us W-HFO.Webmaster@noaa.gov (Honolulu Webmaster) W-HFO.Webmaster@noaa.gov (Honolulu Webmaster) 04 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT http://weather.gov/images/xml_logo.gif http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/pages/AFD.php http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/pages/AFD.php Trade winds will gradually increase across the state through the weekend as high pressure strengthens to our north. Clouds and showers will favor windward and mauka areas, with only light total rainfall amounts expected. 04 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/pages/AFD.php#Synopsis http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/pages/AFD.php Water vapor imagery shows an upper low northeast of the islands, with a trough extending south southwestward across the eastern half of the state. This though has helped to weaken inversion heights, but 00Z soundings from Hilo and Lihue show the area remains capped. The poes amsu total precipitable water sensor shows increasing areas of drier air upstream to the northeast of the state. It also shows a larger area of high pw' s moving toward the Big Island from the southeast, which appears to be from high-level moisture' clouds associated with upper trough. The GFS and ECMWF are pretty similar showing the upper trough over the state moving west, as an upper level high builds in from the east. As heights builds, the surface high far north of the state will strengthen and become more of a dominant feature across the central Pacific. By tuesday' wednesday, it takes on a position northeast of the state that is more typical of the summertime season. Trade winds will continue to increase through early next week, and remain at moderate to fresh levels through the end of the week. The GFS shows an increasing amount of low-level moisture getting picked up in the trade flow. However, inversion heights will strengthen and lower under the building mid' upper level ridge, keeping rainfall amounts limited. 04 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/pages/AFD.php#Discussion http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/pages/AFD.php Limited rainfall from the drier trade wind pattern will continue over the holiday weekend. Minimum relative humidity values on Saturday will be slightly lower than today, getting down toward the 45 percent red flag threshold across leeward sections. However, wind speeds and the kbdi remain below critical values. 04 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/pages/AFD.php#Fire http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/pages/AFD.php Wave heights at the kilo nalu buoy have continued to slowly diminish through the day, and the dominant wave period has also begun to drop. 00Z wavewatch iii shows this slow trend continuing through the weekend. Surf along south facing shores will remain just below advisory levels on Saturday, and diminish further Sunday and Monday. As the surface high builds across the eastern Pacific through early next week, the broad fetch of stronger winds will generate a moderate short period easterly trade swell. This swell will be greatest mid' late week. With the stronger pressure gradient, winds will also approach small craft levels by mid-week, initially across the windier channels. 04 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/pages/AFD.php#Marine http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/pages/AFD.php Vfr conditions will again be the rule for tonight. Showers may drop ceilings down to mvfr across windward sections, but they will be brief and passing. A more typical trade wind cloud' shower pattern is expected for Saturday. Ceilings across the state will be generally vfr, with the typical exception of mvfr at phny due to its higher elevation. 04 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/pages/AFD.php#Aviation http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/pages/AFD.php None. 04 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/pages/AFD.php#HFO http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/pages/AFD.php BRAVENDER 04 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/pages/AFD.php#footer