High Surf in Hawaii, December 16 to 17, 2001

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, December 16 to 17, 2001
Start: 2001-12-16T12:00
End: 2001-12-17T02:00
Location: Hawaii

December 16 to 17, 2001 · NWS HFO · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A storm low well northwest of the state generated surf of 12 to 20 feet along the northwest shores of all the islands.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS HFO wrote it up.

A storm low well northwest of the state generated surf of 12 to 20 feet along the northwest shores of all the islands.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Honolulu, HI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 16, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 16, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
10 AM HST SUN DEC 16 2001

SUMMARY...EXPECT SUNNIER SKIES AND DRIER CONDITIONS THIS WEEK AS
HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES IN FROM THE WEST...REPLACING THE UPPER LOW
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GLOOM EARLIER LAST WEEK AND THIS WEEKEND.
MODERATE TRADE WINDS WILL SUPPLY ISOLATED SHOWERS OVER WINDWARD
AREAS...MAINLY AT NIGHT AND DURING THE MORNING HOURS.

DISCUSSION...AS THE UPPER LOW FADES IN THE FACE OF BUILDING HIGH
PRESSURE NEAR THE SURFACE AND ALOFT...HAWAII WILL RETURN TO TRADE
WIND WEATHER. A NEARBY SURFACE TROUGH WILL KEEP THE PRESSURE
GRADIENT SUFFICIENTLY STRONG TO SUPPORT 15 TO 30 MPH TRADES EARLY
THIS WEEK. THESE WINDS MAY BE LOCALLY BRISK IN TRADITIONALLY WINDY
AREAS LIKE SOUTH POINT ON THE BIG ISLAND AND MAALAEA BAY ON MAUI.
BY WEDNESDAY...THE GRADIENT WILL RELAX SLIGHTLY AND THE TRADES WILL
FOLLOW SUIT BY DECREASING INTO THE 10 TO 25 MPH RANGE. MODELS SHOW
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH NORTH OF US TO KEEP THE TRADES
IN THIS LOWER RANGE THROUGH THE REST OF THIS COMING WEEK. THE HIGH
CLOUD SHIELD WHICH COVERED THE STATE YESTERDAY HAS BROKEN UP...WITH
THE REMNANTS MOVING EAST BEYOND 155W. LOW CLOUDS UPWIND FROM THE
ISLANDS ARE MAINLY SCATTERED TO BROKEN PANCAKE-LIKE STRATOCUMULUS
CLOUDS. UNIFORMLY WARM CLOUD TOPS IN INFRARED IMAGERY INDICATE THESE
CLOUDS ARE RATHER STABLE...BUT THESE CLOUDS CAN BE SHOWER-BEARERS
WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER THE TERRAIN OF THE ISLANDS. SHOWERS WILL BE
LIGHT AND FAVOR WINDWARD AREAS MAINLY AT NIGHT AND DURING THE
MORNING HOURS.

SURF...WE EXPECT 12 TO 15 OCCASIONALLY 18 FEET SURF TO ARRIVE ON
NORTHWEST SHORES DURING THE DAY TODAY...BASED ON OVERNIGHT BUOY 1
REPORTS. MORNING OAHU SURF OBSERVATIONS SHOW HEIGHTS OF 5 TO 8 FEET
SO FAR. POWELL

.PHFO.....WARNINGS.....NONE
.         WATCHES......NONE
.         ADVISORIES...HIGH SURF NORTHWEST AND EAST SHORES
.                   ...SMALL CRAFT ALL WATERS

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Kauai

When: December 16, 12:00 PM HST to December 17, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Kauai forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Lanai

When: December 16, 12:00 PM HST to December 17, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Lanai forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Maui

When: December 16, 12:00 PM HST to December 17, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Maui forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Molokai

When: December 16, 12:00 PM HST to December 17, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Oahu

When: December 16, 12:00 PM HST to December 17, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Oahu forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, West Hawaii Including Leeward Kohala and Kona

When: December 16, 12:00 PM HST to December 17, 2:00 AM HST
Where: West Hawaii Including Leeward Kohala and Kona forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Surf: Large waves breaking on the shore that caused damage, erosion or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Hawaii in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, December 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5275712, 5275713, 5275714, 5275715, 5275716, 5275717.