We were in Hilo for a story that had zero to do with the parks. Visiting Volcanoes National Park again, together with the coconut bridge problem, had sent us across the island from Kona, and the plan was straightforward enough: After our long-awaited volcano visit ended, we planned to do the remaining reporting, get something to eat, and head back out to Kauai via wonderful Hilo Airport. We had not flown through Hilo in years and wanted to check it out, too, and we were glad we did. And we were not expecting Hilo itself to change anything about the day. But it did.

Hilo gave us something we weren’t expecting.

What changed it was not a museum, any paid admission attraction, or some “must-see” visitor stop. It was a public park near the airport that we could have very easily passed by.

Liliuokalani Gardens does not look that impressive from the road. There was no gate, no fee, no reservation sign, and none of the now-familiar friction that can come with so many Hawaii stops. You did not have to plan for it, book it, or have any special reason for just being there. We just showed up. And almost immediately, we had the same thought that many other locals and visitors probably would: how is this still free?

Liliuokalani Gardens still feels generous and opulent.

Not free in the sense of being modest or “nice for what it is.” Free in the sense that if this were packaged somewhere else as a formal attraction, people would pay for it without much hesitation. The gardens are spacious, beautifully kept up, and full of details that only really register once you show up and slow down. The ponds, the bridges, the stonework, the open lawns, the beautiful trees, the way the paths keep opening up to new views. Nothing about it feels slapped together or reduced to the bare minimum.

What impressed us was just how easy it felt spending time there. People were wandering, stopping, sitting, talking, exercising, and taking their time. Some sat on benches and picnicked, as we did, while others strolled along the paths without any clear destination. Nobody seemed rushed. It was clearly Hilo at its best.

More often than not, the Hawaii experience starts before you even arrive. There is planning, the fee, the booking window, the parking issues, the time slot, the shuttle, the warning signs, the whole uncomfortable low-grade sense that you are entering something managed as tightly as Hawaii deems necessary. Some of that is understandable. Some of it is probably unavoidable. But it changes the feeling of a place in Hawaii. And it turns too many stops into logistics first and enjoyment second. But not here.

Liliuokalani Gardens felt like the opposite. We could hear planes not far off landing and taking off, and still see how close we were to the airport and town, but inside the gardens, all of that fell away. What took over instead was the sound of water, the stillness around the ponds, the nesting nenes, the bridges, and the rare feeling that nobody was trying to move us along.

After we left the park and before returning to Hilo Airport, we also stopped at Rainbow Falls. That stop turned out to be a whole different story. More on that soon.

Liliuokalani Gardens dates back to 1917.

The Territorial Legislature set aside land in Hilo for a public park dedicated to Queen Liliuokalani. The gardens’ own history says the park grew out of an early Hilo push to create a Japanese garden and tea house, influenced by Hawaii’s large Japanese immigrant community and by Laura Kennedy’s 1914 trip to Japan. That history helps explain why the place feels so substantial today: it now spans 24.67 acres, including the Japanese-style garden, Moku Ola, and other connected park areas.

What Hilo exposed about Hawaii.

These places are not good only because they are free. They are just good, period. The fact that they are free only sharpens the comparison. In a state where more visitor experiences now come wrapped in fees, reservations, restrictions, and various bottlenecks, Hilo can still find ways to offer places that feel open.

That does not mean every site in Hawaii can or should work this way. Some places are too fragile, too much in demand, or too small. But Hilo is a reminder that not everything meaningful in Hawaii has to be turned into a managed product. Not every worthwhile thing needs a layer of hassle between the visitor and Hawaii itself.

We did not go to Hilo looking for a parks story at all. We were nearby because of the coconut bridge problem.

Hawaii visitors are paying more, planning more, and dealing with infinitely more rules than they used to. Sometimes that is the price of preserving what visitors came for in the first place. Sometimes, however, it reflects a broader shift in how the state now handles access, demand, and public spaces.

Hilo offered exceptional beauty without a transaction attached and access without any conditions. We could just arrive spontaneously, stay as long as we wanted, look around, and then leave on our own terms. After so many Hawaii stops built around fees, timing, and control, this is one place where the welcome doesn’t come with a price tag.

For more information, visit the Friends of Lili’uokalani Gardens website or Facebook page.

Lead Photo: © Beat of Hawaii.

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – If you liked the weather yesterday, you can pretty much copy and paste that onto today’s forecast. It’ll be another nice day with a mix of clouds and sunshine. However, this morning, unstable clouds are moving into the windward slopes of the islands, bringing showers to mountain areas.

That will change as a really strong low-pressure system moves toward the islands and strengthens as the week goes on, with tomorrow (Monday) being a transition day. This is a serious storm system for Hawaii that will start impacting us on Tuesday and last through the weekend, bringing heavy flooding, strong and gusty winds, thunderstorms that could become severe, and five days of winter weather for the summits and higher slopes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.

A great tool to have is our First Alert Weather App and interactive radar.

Rain/Thunderstorms

Even though the storm center is hundreds of miles away, its effects are already being felt. Thunderstorm bands are forming 500 to 700 miles from the storm’s center, and high-level clouds with embedded thunderstorms are already showing up just 150 to 250 miles west of Kauai. A super-strong jet stream (a fast-moving air current) is pushing these storm bands toward Hawaii. A Flood Watch may be issued this afternoon.

Ensemble models are in good agreement on the track and intensity of this storm. The combination of tropical moisture moving north and the way the upper atmosphere is set up will create deep, organized thunderstorms that will bring heavy showers throughout the islands. The first few days of rain will completely soak the ground. Once the soil is saturated, even lighter rain will quickly turn into runoff and cause flooding. That means the flooding threat actually gets worse later in the week, not better. Heavy rain starting Tuesday will bring 4 to 12 inches of rainfall statewide over the next five days.

Wind

Starting Tuesday, winds will shift to blow from the south and southwest as the storm system approaches. These winds will get progressively stronger through the week. By Friday through Sunday, the winds will be dangerous — strong enough to knock down trees, especially on the northern and eastern slopes of the islands’ mountains. A High Wind Advisory or High Wind Warning is likely to be issued.

The heavy rain earlier in the week will soak the ground and weaken tree root systems. When the strong winds hit, these weakened trees will be more likely to fall. Falling trees and branches will likely knock down power lines, causing power outages across the state.

On top of the strong winds, severe thunderstorms will develop as tropical moisture and southerly winds collide. These storms could be dangerous, with:

• Damaging wind gusts
• Very heavy rainfall
• Dangerous lightning

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch may be issued at some point during this event.

High-elevation snow and ice, along with stronger winds, are also expected over the highest elevations of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on Hawaii Island. These conditions will likely limit road access to the observatories at summit level. Winter Storm Warnings are likely to be issued for those areas later this week.

Surf

Expect choppy conditions on east-facing shores today, then calmer surf for most of the week. North and west shores will see small, steady waves, while south-facing shores will turn rough and choppy starting Tuesday.

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. Meteorologist Drew Davis will have your updates in the midday and early evenings and then Meteorologist Jennifer Robbins at 4 p.m. until 7 p.m; then at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Hawaii News Now. Also on weekend mornings with Billy V & weekend nights with Ben Gutierrez.

Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

Hilo

Tonight: Cloudy with numerous showers. Lows 57 to 67 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph shifting to the southwest after midnight. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Sunday: Cloudy with numerous showers. Highs around 77 near the shore to around 63 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then numerous showers after midnight. Lows 57 to 66 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Kona

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Haze through the night. Lows around 69 near the shore to 45 to 50 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Sunday: Mostly sunny. Haze through the day. Scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs 80 to 85 near the shore to around 65 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then isolated showers after midnight. Haze through the night. Lows around 69 near the shore to 44 to 50 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 30 percent.

Waimea

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Breezy. Isolated showers in the evening, then scattered showers after midnight. Lows 59 to 69 near the shore to 51 to 59 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Sunday: Breezy. Mostly sunny with scattered showers. Highs around 77 near the shore to 66 to 75 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 58 to 68 near the shore to 51 to 58 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Kohala

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Breezy. Isolated showers in the evening, then scattered showers after midnight. Lows 59 to 69 near the shore to 51 to 59 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Sunday: Breezy. Mostly sunny with scattered showers. Highs around 77 near the shore to 66 to 75 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 58 to 68 near the shore to 51 to 58 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

South Big Island

Tonight: Breezy. Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Haze. Lows around 72 near the shore to around 51 near 5000 feet. Northeast winds 10 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Sunday: Mostly sunny. Breezy. Isolated showers in the morning, then scattered showers in the afternoon. Haze through the day. Highs around 82 near the shore to around 64 near 5000 feet. East winds 10 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers in the evening, then partly cloudy with isolated showers after midnight. Haze through the night. Lows around 71 near the shore to around 52 near 5000 feet. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.

Puna

Tonight: Cloudy with numerous showers. Lows 57 to 67 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph shifting to the southwest after midnight. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Sunday: Cloudy with numerous showers. Highs around 77 near the shore to around 63 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then numerous showers after midnight. Lows 57 to 66 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Waikoloa

Tonight: Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Lows 68 to 73 near the shore to 46 to 52 above 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Sunday: Mostly sunny. Isolated showers in the morning, then scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs around 82 near the shore to 63 to 70 above 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph shifting to the northwest in the afternoon. Gusts up to 30 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then isolated showers after midnight. Lows around 70 near the shore to 46 to 52 above 4000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 30 percent.

Synopsis

The high pressure ridge north of the islands will weaken through Monday as a strong cut off low pressure system deepens near the dateline. Wind directions will veer more southeasterly on Monday, then strengthening southerly winds from Tuesday onward. This next system is extremely strong for the Hawaii region and dangerous impacts are likely to develop statewide through much of next week. A combination of flooding, strong and gusty southerly winds, thunderstorms, and Big Island summit level snow and ice will threaten Hawaii from Tuesday through next weekend. Island by island impacts will be driven by both large scale troughs and smaller scale thunderstorm bands over the entire duration of this severe weather event.

Short term update

The satellite imagery this evening shows a strong low pressure system deepening near the International Dateline, drifting slowly towards the Hawaiian Islands. A significant band of thunderstorms continues to develop roughly 500 to 700 miles east to southeast of the low’s center. A band of high level clouds even farther away from the low, shows embedded thunderstorms already developing within 200 to 300 miles west of Kauai.
Closer to the Hawaiian Islands we see some unstable cumulus clouds moving in from the east, producing periods of showers along the eastern slopes of the Big Island and Maui. These showers will bring a brief increase in clouds and showers to all islands through the early morning hours.

Previous discussion

Issued at 429 PM HST Sat Mar 7 2026
Stable weather conditions this afternoon as the islands remain under the subtle influence of weak surface ridging located just west of the state. The pressure gradient downstream of a large 1038 mb high has been taunt enough to produce breezy trades in the 10 to 20 mph range, occasionally exceeding 25 mph in gust through notoriously windy passages/valleys. Today’s rain behavior was very light and spotty and confined to windward or interior upper terrain where the 24 hour rain accumulation winner was unsurprisingly Mt. Waialeale on Kauai with 1.25 inches. Overnight conditions will be mainly clear leeward, partially to overcast windward with the infrequent quick-hitting light trade shower. Tomorrow will be very similar to today as it relates to wind, cloud coverage and rain chances. The only minor change will the slightly greater coverage of measurable primarily windward rain as the boundary layer moistens up. The pattern begins to undergo change Monday, especially from Oahu westward, as a developing upper trough and its associated features begin to evolve far west northwest of the state.
Weather will undergo change late Monday as a deep upper level trough develops and deepens southward northwest of the islands. The trough will move east very slowly and begin to exhibit a negative tilt going into the middle of next week. This will initiate the next weather event that, because of its slow movement, will likely hang on for multiple days. The main threats will be periods of heavy rain that will create flash flooding, produce strong or severe storms and strong kona winds. NWP guidance indicates a strong jet streak nosing in from the west at mid week, along with a splitting jet with the base of the trough positioned over the western half of the state. The vicinity of the jet’s more (upper difluent) left exit region may promote enhanced large scale ascent that is typically required for thunderstorm development. Along with this jet forcing, passing shortwave disturbances rotating around the base of the trough and cooling mid to upper layers, will be the ingredients that will increase chances for organized convection through mid to late week. Falling surface pressures northwest of the state will create a pressure pattern that will support strengthening south to southeast (kona) statewide winds. This will pull up a plume of rich tropical moisture across the region. As the trough lifts slowly northeast, very high precipitable water values of over 1.7 inches over the western islands Tuesday will expand east across the remainder of the state through Wednesday.
Lowering height falls, cooling air aloft, and increasing deep- layer shear will favor episodes of heavy rainfall with embedded thunderstorms. Broad south-southeast confluent flow running parallel with the upper terrain could support training and anchored convection. The potential for significant flooding remains alive through late in the week if and when heavier rain persists over the same locals (similar to what occurred over the Koolaus a couple of weeks ago). Flooding impacts could become more pronounced over time as soils become saturated and stream / reservoir levels rise. In addition to the flooding threat, thunderstorms could become strong, possibly severe, by the middle of next week. Another threat will be strong southerly winds atop ridge tops and along leeward slopes. Downslope winds Wednesday could become strong enough to throw light weight objects about, knock out power, cause minor structure damage, break off tree limbs and fall weaker rooted trees. Please monitor subsequent forecasts through Monday as details regarding the exact timing and location of the heaviest rain and strongest wind come into better focus.

Aviation

Issued at 845 PM HST Sat Mar 7 2026
East southeast flow across Hawaii is expected to slightly weaken tomorrow. Scattered clouds will move in and bringing SHRA over southeast areas. MVFR conds possible in SHRA, otherwise VFR conds prevail.
AIRMET Sierra for mtn obsc is in effect for windward locations of Kauai, Oahu, Maui and The Big Island.
AIRMET Tango in effect for mod turb blw 080 downwind slopes (south across northwest facing). Expect this AIRMET to drop off in the morning. Directional LLWS possible at the PHOG/OGG runway Sunday afternoon.

Marine

Issued at 429 PM HST Sat Mar 7 2026
Strong high pressure far northeast of the state will maintain fresh to strong trade winds through the rest of the weekend, with the strongest winds over the central and eastern coastal waters (with the exception of Maalaea Bay). A Small Craft Advisory remains in effect for these areas through 6 pm Sunday, though this may need to be extended for the typically windy channels and waters of Maui County and the Big Island through Sunday night. A front approaching from the west will ease the trades and shift them southeasterly on Monday, with the winds then becoming southerly and increasing to fresh to strong levels Tuesday through the rest of the week.
Surf along east facing shores will remain elevated and choppy through the rest of the weekend, trend downward on Monday, then lower below normal levels Tuesday through late next week.
A series of west-northwest swells will keep some small surf in place along north and west facing shores during the next 7 days, but surf will remain well below advisory levels. A small to moderate sized north swell is possible around Thursday and Friday of next week.
Surf along south-facing shores will remain small, with the exception of areas exposed to trade wind swell wrap. Rough and choppy conditions will develop Tuesday and continue through late week as southerly winds increase in advance of a front. A series of small long period south swells will also move through Monday through late week.

HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories

Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM HST Sunday for Alenuihaha Channel, Big Island Leeward Waters, Big Island Southeast Waters, Big Island Windward Waters, Kaiwi Channel, Maui County Leeward Waters, Maui County Windward Waters, Oahu Windward Waters, Pailolo Channel.

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Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov