The latest update to this website was at 448am Wednesday (HST)

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

3.80  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.75  Punaluu Pump, Oahu
0.01  Kamalo, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.01  Hanaula, Maui
0.14  Piihonua, Big Island

The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph) as of Tuesday evening:

28  Barking Sands, Kauai – SE
18  Palehua, Oahu – E
15  Keopukaloa, Molokai – SE
10  Lanai 1,  Lanai – SE
27  Nene Nest, Maui – SW
23  Hilo AP, Big Island – E

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live webcams on the summit of our tallest mountain Mauna Kea (~13,800 feet high) on the Big Island of Hawaii, and atop the Haleakala Crater (~10,023 feet) 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

A deepening trough of low pressure northwest of the state

 

https://www.weather.gov/images/hfo/satellite/Hawaii_IR_loop.gif

Increasing clouds moving into the state from the northwest

 

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, especially near Kauai and Oahu…some are heavy 

 

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

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

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

It’s partly cloudy early this morning here at my location, with a chilly low temperature of 47.5 degrees, and the relative humidity is 58%.

1259pm, partly to mostly cloudy here in Maui County

325pm, mostly cloudy with a mix of low, medium, and high level clouds. Heavy rains have reached Kauai and are heading towards Oahu this afternoon…with one smaller area of showers being carried towards Maui County.

625pm it’s cloudy, although they are all middle level clouds, whose bases are above both the West Maui Mountains and the Haleakala summit elevation. I can see a few light showers between here upper Kula and the top of Haleakala…although it’s still dry here at the moment, despite what the radar shows.

903pm, it’s totally calm here in upper Kula with partly cloudy skies and no rain. The temperature has dropped to 58.4 degrees with the relative humidity 65%

 

NWS Weather Prediction Center as of Tuesday morning: 

Prolonged and Powerful Kona Storm To Bring Numerous Impacts Across Hawaii This Week into the Weekend

A high-impact and potentially life-threatening weather pattern will unfold across Hawaii this week, as a powerful and slow-moving Kona Low develops northwest of the state. This system is forecast to bring a prolonged period of torrential rainfall, areas of flash flooding, damaging “Kona” winds, and potentially severe thunderstorms. Global guidance, particularly the ECMWF and GFS models, continue to show good consensus on the evolution of this system.

The combination of a deep upper-level trough and a plume of deep tropical moisture will result in statewide impacts beginning Tuesday across the western islands, spreading eastward and persisting through the upcoming weekend and into early next week. Tropical moisture (PWAT values 1.75-2.00″ will surge northward across the western islands starting Tuesday. Kauai will experience the initial arrival of heavy rain and embedded thunderstorms, with the activity spreading eastward to Oahu and Maui by Wednesday. Friday into Saturday, PWAT values peak above 2.0″, with the moisture plume/maximum PWAT axis shifting across the central and eastern islands on Saturday, then lingering along the Big Island Sunday into early next week.

By the weekend, the concern will be with the likely additional heavy rainfall overtop already saturated soils, and therefore the risk of significant flash flooding statewide. Meanwhile the potential for strong to severe thunderstorms peaks Friday into Saturday.

Lastly, the latest model output continues to indicate an extreme to climatologically rare event for the month of March in Hawaii. This as PWAT values are forecast to exceed the 99th percentile of climatology for March across the entire island chain. Several ensemble members are forecasting an ‘extreme’ event well outside the model’s historical distribution, which provides high confidence in the potential for considerable flash flooding.

 

Weather Wit of the day:  Weekend Forecast – “Rain followed by scattered complaints”

 

>>> Highest Temperature Tuesday, March 10, 2026 – 97 degrees near Rio Grande Village, TX
>>> Lowest Temperature Tuesday, March 10, 2026 – minus 2 degrees at Cut Bank, MT

 

>>> I’m going to keep my cell phone and other devices charged up as much as possible, between now and when the worst of this upcoming storm activity is finished with us.

>>> If or when my power goes off, or I lose connectivity, I obviously won’t be able to continue the updating of this website! However, once one or the other returns, rest assured that I’ll immediately begin the normal updating procedures.

 

> Flood Watch entire state through Saturday
> Prolonged heavy rain event through the weekend could lead to significant flooding especially over the leeward sides of the islands.
> Western half: Strong South winds/gusts to 45 mph and possible severe thunderstorms Wednesday
> An even stronger disturbance statewide is expected Friday into Saturday with major flooding and damaging winds expected.

 

NWS: Weather and Flood Watch for Maui County specifically

• Flood watch in effect statewide from Wednesday morning through Saturday (possibly extending to Sunday).

• Expect south-to-south-southwest winds enhancing rainfall on south-facing slopes and leeward areas.

• Forecast split into two phases: heavy rain Wed, lull Thu, renewed intensity Fri–Sat.

• Impacts: overflowing streams, flooded roads, property damage, landslides, boulder falls, gusty winds, thunderstorms.

• Rainfall outlook: 8–10″ common, up to 15–20″ in western islands; worst-case up to 30″ on Molokai.

• Thunderstorm threat moderate first half, higher second half with potential for damaging winds, hail, isolated tornadoes (low confidence).

• Timing: rain arrives ~6am Wed for Molokai, spreads eastward by noon on Maui, and around 9am on Lana‘i.

https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/HAWAII_loop.gif

 

Hawaii’s Broad Brush Weather Overview…as of 904pm Tuesday:  A powerful and slow-moving kona low northwest of the islands will bring a prolonged period of hazardous weather to the state through the upcoming weekend. Bands of heavy showers with embedded thunderstorms are currently affecting Kauai and approaching Oahu this evening. The heavy rain will gradually spread eastward across the island chain through mid-week, bringing periods of heavy rainfall, potential flash flooding, strong kona winds, and strong to severe thunderstorms.

Hawaii’s Weather Details…as of 904pm Tuesday:  A high-impact weather event is beginning to unfold across the Hawaiian Islands, as a powerful kona low deepens northwest of the state. Radar imagery shows widespread moderate to heavy showers with embedded thunderstorms around and across Kauai, with the leading edge of the rain approaching Oahu. Peak rainfall rates within the heaviest bands moving through Kauai have reached around 1 to 2 inches per hour. This marks the beginning of what is expected to be a prolonged period of unsettled weather, lasting through the upcoming weekend and possibly into early next week.

The large-scale pattern remains characterized by a broad upper-level low northwest of the islands. The associated upper trough has a strong jet streak, with core winds of 100 to 140 knots, that is digging southeastward along its western flank. As the trough amplifies and expands toward the islands through mid-week.

At the surface, a broad area of low pressure will persist well northwest of the islands. Central pressures are forecast to remain near 990 millibars, maintaining a southerly to southeasterly flow across the state. This flow will continue to draw deep tropical moisture northward into the island chain, with Precipitable water values remaining around two inches.

Moisture and instability will increase through mid-week, as the moisture plume spreads eastward across the state. The combination of strong upper-level forcing, deep moisture, and persistent southerly flow will support periods of heavy rainfall with embedded thunderstorms. Repeated rounds of convection are likely as smaller disturbances rotate through the upper trough, raising the potential for training rain bands and locally intense rainfall, particularly in terrain where anchoring often occurs.

Flooding concerns are expected to increase state-wide as the week progresses, especially where heavy rainfall persists over the same areas for multiple days. By late week into the weekend, soils may already be saturated, increasing the likelihood that additional rainfall will produce rapid runoff and dangerous flooding conditions.

In addition to the rainfall threat, strengthening south to southwest kona winds may develop later this week into the weekend, as the pressure gradient tightens between the developing low to the northwest and high pressure to the east. If this materializes, strong and potentially damaging kona winds will be possible, including localized downslope winds capable of downing trees and power lines.

Environmental conditions will also periodically become conducive for strong to severe thunderstorms, particularly Friday into Saturday. Instability combined with strong deep-layer shear could support storms capable of producing damaging winds, large hail, and possibly a tornado.

For the summits of the Big Island, colder air associated with the upper trough may allow periods of heavy snow with significant accumulations later this week into the weekend, which could require the issuance of winter storm watches/warnings.

 

Here’s a near real-time Wind Profile of the Pacific Ocean – Zoom Earth – along with a Closer View of the islands / Vog map animation / 8-Day Precipitation model

 

https://www.weather.gov/images/hfo/graphics/npac.gif 

 

Hawaii’s Marine Environment…as of 355pm Tuesday:  A powerful kona storm is expected to bring heavy rain, thunderstorms, and rough seas to the islands and adjacent waters through at least this weekend. Winds will veer southerly and increase to fresh to locally strong speeds through late this week as the kona storm approaches. A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) is in effect for the waters around Kauai through Wednesday evening, where winds will be enhanced by a front approaching from the northwest. By Wednesday night, a relative lull in southerly winds is anticipated as the front weakens temporarily and the SCA is likely to drop at that point. Later this week, possibly as early as Thursday night, a re-intensification of the front over the islands will cause winds to approach, or possibly reach, gale force for portions of the area. These strong winds will slowly creep eastward heading into the weekend.

A series of small, medium- to long-period west-northwest swells will bring small surf to north and west facing shores through the rest of the week. The first of these will continue to build through tonight and peak on Wednesday, resulting in a slight bump in surf along north and west- facing shores. Additionally, a small, medium- period north swell is also possible late this week.

Choppy surf along east-facing shores will continue to trend downward, falling below seasonal levels on Wednesday as winds veer southerly. With the shift of wind direction, surf along south-facing shores will increase, becoming rough and choppy. Late this week, another round of stronger southerly winds will cause south shore surf to build further, meanwhile a series of small, long- period south swells moves through.

 

What To Do In Kauai When It Rains



World-wide Tropical Cyclone Activity

 

Atlantic Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Caribbean Sea:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Gulf of America:  There are no active tropical cyclones

 

Northeastern Pacific:  There are no active tropical cyclones

North Central Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclones

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

 

Northwest Pacific Ocean: 

Tropical cyclone 03W (Nuri)…is located approximately 94 NM northwest of Yap

https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/03W_110000sair.jpg

 

Southwest Pacific Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

North Indian Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

South Indian Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

Arabian Sea:  There are no active tropical cyclones

 

Here’s a link to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)

 

>>> Here’s a link to the Pacific Disaster Center’s (PDC Global) Weather Wall website

 

Interesting:  A study in Stardust: Massive Binary Stars Emit Tiny Carbon Particles

It’s fitting that Yale junior Donglin Wu’s first major scientific journal article as lead author focuses on stardust — tiny solid grains that form from stellar winds, drift into interstellar space, and may eventually become parts of new planets.

Wu has long been in awe of the majesty and mystery of stars. As a kid, in Shanghai, he would stare at the heavens in wonder of what it all meant. He brings that same spirit of curiosity to his studies at Yale, especially in his work with Héctor Arce, a professor of astronomy in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and Daisuke Nagai, a professor of physics and astronomy in FAS.

“Astronomy and astrophysics connect to something very romantic,” Wu says. “You look up at the night sky and think about how immense it is. There are so many things that are still unknown — things that are difficult to observe, things that are rare.”

Read More at: Yale University