High Surf in Hawaii, February 26 to 28, 2001

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, February 26 to 28, 2001
Start: 2001-02-26T12:00
End: 2001-02-28T23:59
Location: Hawaii

February 26 to 28, 2001 · NWS HFO · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

A storm low far northwest of the state caused surf of 10 to 12 feet along the north and northwest shores of all the islands.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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: 7

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 far northwest of the state caused surf of 10 to 12 feet along the north and 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 Feb 26, 9:25 AM HST, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 26, 9:25 AM HST, 2 hours 35 minutes before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
10 AM HST MON FEB 26 2001

SUMMARY...THE WEAKENING TROUGH NOW NEAR KAENA POINT WILL LIKLEY
SERVE AS A LOCUS FOR CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY TODAY AS IT MOVES SLOWLY
ACROSS OAHU. THUS CONVECTIVE SHOWERS ARE LIKELY THROUGH EARLY
AFTERNOON ON OAHU...THEN MAINLY ON MOLOKAI AND MAUI. CONVECTIVE
SHOWERS ARE ALSO LIKELY ON THE VOLCANO SLOPES OF MAUI AND THE BIG
ISLAND. TRADES WILL BE RETURNING ON TUESDAY...WITH SUNNY SKIES AND
JUST A FEW MORNING TRADE SHOWERS WINDWARD AND MAUKA.

DISCUSSION...THE COLD FRONT THAT BROUGHT THE RAINS TO KAUAI
YESTERDAY HAS SLOWED AND WEAKENED INTO A TROUGH NOW IN THE KAUAI
CHANNEL NEAR KAENA POINT. STILL MOVING SLOWLY EAST...THIS TROUGH MAY
DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE OVER OAHU...MOLOKAI AND MAUI IN THE
HEATING OF THE DAY AND FORM THE LOCUS OF CONVERGENCE WITH CONVECTIVE
SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS OVER THESE ISLANDS. KAUAI MAY ALSO SEE A
FEW SHOWERS IN THE LIGHT NORTHEASTERLY TRADE FLOW BEHIND THIS
TROUGH...AND THE VOLCANO SLOPES OF MAUI AND THE BIG ISLAND MAY ALSO
SEE SOME HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AS AFTERNOON HEATING CAUSES
CONVECTION. THIS TROUGH IS FORECAST TO BE PUSHED WESTWARD BY THE
RETURNING TRADE FLOW ON TUESDAY...CHANGING THE ISLAND WEATHER
PATTERN BACK TO A TRADE PATTERN WITH EAST NORTHEAST WINDS AND MAINLY
NIGHT AND MORNING TRADE SHOWERS OVER WINDWARD AND MAUKA SECTIONS.
LIGHT TO MODERATE TRADE WINDS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF
THE WEEK...LIKELY INTENSIFYING TO MODERATE TO FRESH TRADES WITH THE
ADVENT OF A NEW HIGH OVER THE WEEKEND. THIS NEW HIGH MAY BE PRECEDED
BY A SHEAR LINE OVER THE ISLANDS BEGINNING FRIDAY NIGHT AND
CONTINUING WET TRADES THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SURF HAS ARRIVED AT BUOY
51001 AND WILL MAKE FOR HIGH SURF CONDITIONS ON THE NORTH AND WEST
SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS TODAY. SEE HIGH SURF ADVISORY FZHW70
PHFO/MWSHI FOR MORE DETAILS. FARRELL

.PHFO.....WARNINGS.....NONE
.         WATCHES......NONE
.         ADVISORIES...HIGH SURF NORTH AND WEST SHORES

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Kauai

When: February 26, 12:00 PM HST to February 28, 11:59 PM 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: February 26, 12:00 PM HST to February 28, 11:59 PM 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: February 26, 12:00 PM HST to February 28, 11:59 PM 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: February 26, 12:00 PM HST to February 28, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Molokai forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, North and East Hawaii

When: February 26, 12:00 PM HST to February 28, 11:59 PM HST
Where: North and East Hawaii forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Oahu

When: February 26, 12:00 PM HST to February 28, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Oahu forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, West Hawaii

When: February 26, 12:00 PM HST to February 28, 11:59 PM HST
Where: West Hawaii 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, February 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: 5233014, 5233015, 5233016, 5233017, 5233018, 5233019, 5233020.