Forecast: Trade winds for now but not for long, plus an XL swell will arrive late Thursday into Friday

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - On this Wednesday, the trades will continue to dominate. Dry, breezy easterly trades will build across the state today and will persist through the week. Any clouds and showers that develop will be focused over windward and mauka areas. More showers will ride the trade winds into the night.

Moderate to locally breezy trade winds will prevail into the weekend, then weaken Sunday into next week. A mostly dry weather pattern is expected, with passing low clouds leading to brief windward showers.

Let’s talk surf... Fresh to strong trade winds will continue through the end of the week. A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) is in effect for the typical windier waters near Maui County and the Big Island. Trade winds are expected to trend downward late in the weekend. Expecting the SCA to be expanded to additional waters as a large west- northwest swell arrives late Thursday. So surfers are getting ready for large surf!

Surf along exposed north and west facing shores will hold today well below advisory levels, then ease by tonight as a medium-period northwest swell moves through. A significant west-northwest swell will arrive Thursday and continue into the weekend before easing. Surf associated with this source will reach advisory levels Thursday afternoon for Kauai and Oahu, then surge well above warning levels for exposed north and west facing shores statewide Thursday night through Saturday as it peaks and moves through. Heights should dip to advisory levels by Sunday on the back-end of the swell. Surf along east facing shores will remain small and choppy due to the trades that have returned.

Get 10-minute weather updates, plus your 7-day forecast on Hawaii News Now Sunrise every weekday morning from 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. HST with Guy Hagi and team. And enjoy updates on the weather throughout the evening starting at 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. and then again at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. with Meteorologist Jennifer Robbins on Hawaii News Now. And weekend nights with Ben Gutierrez.

Copyright 2022 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.