Weather

Winds are East at 17.3 MPH (15 KT). The pressure is 1018.8 mb and the humidity is 84%. Last Updated on Feb 22 2012, 7:53 pm HST.

Based on data through 0530 UTC February 23 2012.

Surface high pressure located far northeast of the main Hawaiian islands has been gradually weakening as it moved northeast away from the region. Elsewhere, a surface front appeared to have stalled far northwest of Kauai. The pressure gradient south of the high pressure to northeast continued to maintain rather strong low-level winds across most of the aloha state at dusk this evening. However, surface pressures have been dropping at most island observing stations. As a result, the wind speeds appear to have begun to decrease slightly as the winds veer to an east southeast direction.

Broken low clouds with embedded isolated showers were evident over most of the windward Hawaiian waters, including the coastal waters southeast of the Big Island. Patches of scattered to locally broken low clouds and isolated showers were affecting portions of the leeward coastal waters. The individual low-level cloud elements were generally moving toward the west northwest at about 25 mph. The highest tops of the low clouds in the vicinity of the islands appeared to be about 15 thousand feet in towering cumulus clouds. Note, in addition to the low clouds affecting the area, there were scattered middle and upper level clouds moving across the aloha state early this evening.

As of 700 pm HST Wednesday, broken to locally overcast low clouds covered most of the eastern half of Kauai, while scattered low clouds were elsewhere on that island. Overcast low clouds were along the Koolau range and windward shores of Oahu, with scattered to broken low clouds were evident across most of the remainder of the island. Broken to locally overcast low clouds covered most of Molokai. There were mainly small patches of low clouds above Lanai. On Maui, broken to locally overcast low clouds were affecting the windward shorelines, the lower slopes of mount Haleakala, and the western mountains. Broken to locally overcast low clouds were across most of the lower elevations of the Big Island.

According to loops of water vapor imagery and satellite derived upper level winds, an upper level low was near 15°N 153°W, or about 350 miles south southeast of Hilo. This low was moving toward the east at about 10 mph. Broken layered clouds with embedded showers and isolated to locally scattered thunderstorms associated with this upper level feature were in the area from 14°N to 19°N between 148°W and 155°W. The highest tops of the cumulonimbus clouds were estimated to be 43 thousand feet.

Elsewhere, the southeastern edge of an approximately 160 mile wide band of broken to overcast layered clouds associated with a surface front extended from near 27°N 162°W to 23°N 167°W to 20.5°N 172.5°W, or about 400 northwest of Lihue. This southeastern edge.which has become slightly less well defined during the past few hours, has been nearly stationary.

HOUSTON

...HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR EAST FACING SHORES OF KAUAI OAHU MOLOKAI MAUI AND THE BIG ISLAND... .ALTHOUGH TRADE WINDS WILL START TO GRADUALLY WEAKEN...SURF WILL REMAIN HIGH ON EAST FACING SHORES AWHILE LONGER. ...HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM HST THURSDAY...