Predicting Cloudless Weather on Oahu - Hiking

When the winds veer northwards and the temperature lowers significantly from the previous day, you can expect to see a cloudless day on top of the famous Ko’olau mountains or any hike in general. Predicting whether there will be clouds in the mountain is useful information, especially if you plan on doing a summit hike or are planning on seeing a sunrise – although this might be the time to sleep in – but luckily you can go up to the summit of most mountains on Oahu and find yourself a clear patch every so often as the clouds move in and out.

Sometimes though, it’s worth checking ahead and seeing if you will get the clear view at the top, before you start on a four hour journey upwards.

Let’s try to predict the weather.

Now, I have to mention that a cloudless day is sometimes boring. It great to go to the beach, but as for the sunrise or sunset, the best are when there are all types of clouds present. When we are trying to predict a cloudless day, it is for getting to the summit of a mountain to make sure we have a view.

*Not the greatest view by any standards – but lucky to be outdoors and hiking.

Weather Reports:

Probably the best indicator of clear skies is getting up in the morning early and checking to see the mountain tops from a distance. If it’s clear, then that’s a good sign, but you’ll need to look at more results after to see if this clearing holds.

You can check this weather forecast by NOAA, as it shows if it is clear, partly cloudy, or scheduled to be cloudy.

https://www.nws.noaa.gov/wtf/MapClick.php?CityName=Honolulu&state=HI&site=HFO&textField1=21.304&textField2=-157.855&lg=ep

The detailed 7-day forecast will give you a general indication of how the weather holds.

Another indicator is the wind direction. Wind speed and direction is also listed NOAA site as well. If the wind direction is from the north (and not the north-east), then this is a good indicator of colder weather, and thus clearer skies. The north-east trade winds tend to produce clouds, but these are intermittent and you might have a good chance at getting some clear weather. If it’s from the south (and more likely south-east), you would also get clear weather, but the visibility is not as great.

A second step: This interactive radar is fairly accurate and you can use it to see real-time or future forecasts of the rain precipitation. Anytime a green patch shows up, there is likely clouds present and so it’s worth checking here at first.

https://www.khon2.com/weather/interactive-radar/

A third more specific forecast: Try this link to get an area overview from NOAA. The link is to the south side of Oahu, where you’ll likely start most of your hikes.

A final tip is to check with the locals and see what the weather has been like in the days before and if it is changing the next day. If there has been constant trade-winds (the normal north-east direction), and a slowing of the wind, you might be in luck. Just ask about if they know.

And with that, I hope you get clear skies for a nice view. Let me know if you find a better prediction method for clear, and cloudless skies on Oahu.