High Surf in Hawaii, February 5 to 8, 2001

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, February 5 to 8, 2001
Start: 2001-02-05T12:00
End: 2001-02-08T20:00
Location: Hawaii

February 5 to 8, 2001 · NWS HFO · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A gale low northeast of Hawaii produced surf of 4 to 8 feet along the east shores of all the isles except Lanai. The north-bound lane of Bayfront Highway near Hilo Bay on the Big Island was closed from time to time from the 5th to the 8th due to water coming across the road.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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.

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 5, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 5, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1000 AM HST MON FEB 5 2001

SUMMARY...SKIES SHOULD REMAIN MOSTLY CLOUDY ALONG NORTHERN SHORES
AND SLOPES OF THE ISLANDS THROUGH TODAY...ALTHOUGH SOME CLEARING MAY
OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON.  SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF THE ISLANDS WILL SEE
MORE SUNSHINE THAN AREAS FURTHER NORTH.  CLEARING SKIES TONIGHT
COMBINED WITH NORTHERLY FLOW AND RELATIVELY LOW DEWPOINT
TEMPERATURES MAY MAKE FOR RATHER CHILLY OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES.
EXPECT SUNSHINE TUESDAY AND CLEAR AGAIN TUESDAY NIGHT...BUT
CONVECTIVE CLOUDS AND A FEW SHOWERS MAY DEVELOP WEDNESDAY AND
THURSDAY AFTERNOONS WITH TRADES RETURNING BY FRIDAY.

DISCUSSION...A SURFACE LOW FORMED NORTHEAST OF THE ISLANDS WITHIN
THE PAST 36 HOURS...AND IS NOW ABOUT 400 MILES NORTHEAST OF HONOLULU
MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 20 TO 25 MILES PER HOUR.  WINDS ALONG THE WEST
SIDE OF THIS LOW ARE FROM THE NORTH...PROVIDING NORTHERLY WINDS
ACROSS THE ISLANDS AND CREATING A NEARBY SOURCE FETCH FOR
ADVISORY-LEVEL SURF-PRODUCING SWELL.  CLOUD BANDS AHEAD OF THE
APPROACHING LOW ARE PILING UP ALONG NORTHERN SHORES AND SLOPES OF
THE ISLANDS THIS MORNING...PROVIDING A FEW SPRINKLES.  THIS CLOUD
COVER WILL BE SLOW TO BURN OFF...BUT MOST OF THE STATE SHOULD SEE SOME
CLEARING AND SUNNY SKIES BY THIS AFTERNOON....SUNNIER ALONG SOUTHERN
SHORES AND SLOPES.  THE NORTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE STATE
TODAY...BUT AS THE SURFACE LOW GETS NEARER THE ISLANDS TONIGHT AND
TUESDAY...WINDS WILL TURN LIGHT AND VARIABLE OVER MAUI AND THE BIG
ISLAND. LIGHT WINDS WILL MOVE WESTWARD TO AFFECT THE ENTIRE STATE
TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY... WITH GENERALLY CLEAR SKIES AT NIGHT
PROVIDING VERY COOL MINIMUM  TEMPERATURES. WEDNESDAY COULD SEE SOME
AFTERNOON CONVECTIVE CLOUDINESS BUILD INTO A FEW SHOWERS...EVEN A
POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORM ON THE BIG ISLAND DUE TO THE INCREASED
TROPICAL MOISTURE THERE AND  THE INSTABILITY PROVIDED BY THE COOLER
AIR ALOFT.  MODELS SHOW TRADES RETURNING TO THE BIG ISLAND AND MAUI
ON THURSDAY...AND TO THE REST OF THE STATE ON FRIDAY. SWELL
GENERATED BY THE GALE FORCE WINDS ON THE NORTH AND NORTHWEST SIDES
OF THE LOW SHOULD REACH THE ISLANDS DURING THE DAY TODAY. THIS IS A
SHORT PERIOD SWELL...BUT IS EXPECTED TO REACH HIGH SURF ADVISORY
LEVELS OF SIX TO 10 FEET FOR NORTH AND EAST SHORES LATER TODAY.
POWELL

.PHFO.....WARNINGS.....NONE
.         WATCHES......NONE
.         ADVISORIES...SMALL CRAFT CANCELED AT MIDNIGHT.
                    ...HIGH SURF ADVISORY NORTH AND EAST SHORES
                       KAUAI...OAHU...MOLOKAI...MAUI...BIG ISLAND.

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: February 5, 12:00 PM HST to February 8, 8:00 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, Maui

When: February 5, 12:00 PM HST to February 8, 8:00 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 5, 12:00 PM HST to February 8, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, North and East Hawaii

When: February 5, 12:00 PM HST to February 8, 8:00 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 5, 12:00 PM HST to February 8, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, South Hawaii

When: February 5, 12:00 PM HST to February 8, 8:00 PM HST
Where: South Hawaii forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

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: 5232856, 5232857, 5232858, 5232859, 5232860, 5232923.