WAILUKU - North winds on Thursday and Friday brought the chilly nights that have caused island residents to huddle under blankets, but residents could get some warmer weather with a shift in wind direction.
On Thursday, the high at Kahului Airport reached only 71 degrees, and Molokai was only one degree warmer. Overnight lows on Thursday were 55 at the airport and 57 on Molokai, according to the National Weather Service.
On Friday, the high at Kahului Airport reached 76 degrees, said Glenn James, senior weather analyst at the Pacific Disaster Center in Kihei. Earlier in the morning, the mercury dipped to 48 degrees at James' Kula residence.
"It was definitely cold," he said.
The culprit is north winds that are coming from much farther north than usual. A cold front cloud band that came across the island Thursday caused the "late winter day" of showers and winds, James said.
Temperatures were expected to be a couple of degrees warmer over the weekend as winds are forecast to shift, coming out of the northwest, he said, although it will still be cool at night.
A low-pressure area north of the state also will bring "unsettled" weather, leading to intermittent periods of sunshine and showers through the weekend.
James said the low-pressure system is also bringing large surf, choppy and stormy ocean conditions. Large waves were seen Friday night coming in to Kahului Harbor.
On Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service continued a high-surf warning for north- and east-facing shores of Molokai and Maui in effect until 6 p.m. today.
