Warnings
None

Cloud Cover and Precipitation Forecast
The summit will remain clear, dry and stable through the night.

Summary of Key Meteorological Variables
Summit temperatures will be near 2 C this afternoon, -2.5 C this evening and -3.5 C tomorrow morning. Winds will be from the ESE at 15-25 mph, with seeing likely around 0.75±0.25 arcseconds. Precipitable water is expected to be in the 0.8-1 mm range for the night.

Discussion
A fairly strong tradewind inversion will continue to cap low-level moisture near 10 thousand feet and keep the mid/summit-level air mass dry and stable through at least Saturday night. The inversion is then slated to lift toward 12-13 thousand feet as instability builds aloft for the next few nights. This will raise the stakes on fog and ice at the summit for those nights; precipitation is not expected. Minor afternoon clouds are possible through the weekend, and could pick up for the start of next week.

Skies overhead will remain predominately clear of organized high clouds throughout the forecast period. However, there is still a chance that isolated patches of high clouds will occasionally/briefly pass through the area particularly for tonight and again after tomorrow night.

Precipitable water is expected to bottom out near 0.8-0.9 mm for tonight, but will likely increase toward 1.2 mm for tomorrow night and probably 3 mm for the next 3 nights.

Lingering turbulence aloft and especially in the boundary layer will likely result in slightly poorer than average variable seeing for tonight. A slight improvement in seeing is possible as the both begin to taper for Saturday night, but seeing will likely degrade again as free atmospheric and mesoscale turbulence picks up late Sunday night and into next week.

The mid/low-level ridge will continue to sit to the north of the Islands throughout the forecast period, but is slated to weaken late in the weekend and into next week. Nonetheless, it will promote strong large-scale subsidence in the area and maintain the inversion near 10 thousand feet through at least tomorrow night. A large tropical upper tropospheric trough will continue to extend from the California Coast out to Hawaii and Guam until it too breaks down in response to a digging trough around the middle of next week. However, prior to that it will creep closer to the Islands and increase the instability in the area starting early Sunday morning. It will eventually help develop a mid/upper-level low over/near the Big Island, which will be responsible for the weakening of the ridge on Sunday/Monday. Nonetheless, this instability may lift/erode the inversion toward 12-13 thousand feet and perhaps result in fog/ice at the summit for the latter half of the forecast period. There is also a chance for isolated afternoon convection, particularly along the western slopes and within the saddle during that time.

Astronomical Observing Quality Guidance
Seeing/CN² Images are not available today. Sorry for the inconvenience.