High Surf in Hawaii, December 1 to 4, 2002

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, December 1 to 4, 2002
Start: 2002-12-01T20:00
End: 2002-12-04T18:00
Location: Hawaii

December 1 to 4, 2002 · NWS HFO · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A storm low far northwest of Hawaii generated surf of 10 to 20 feet along the northwest-facing shores of all the islands. There were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.

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 far northwest of Hawaii generated surf of 10 to 20 feet along the northwest-facing shores of all the islands. There were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.

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 1, 4:00 PM HST, 4 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 1, 4:00 PM HST, 4 hours before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
4 PM HST SUN DEC 1 2002

SUMMARY...A SHEARLINE WILL REACH KAUAI THIS EVENING AND MOVE
SOUTHEASTWARD BEFORE STALLING OVER MAUI MONDAY. EXPECT INCREASED
CLOUD COVER AND SHOWERS TO MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD WITH THE
SHEARLINE...AS WELL AS A RETURN TO 10 TO 20 MPH TRADE WINDS. DRIER
CONDITIONS WILL RETURN AS THE SHEARLINE STALLS...BUT ANOTHER
SHEARLINE MAY MAKE FOR WET WEATHER AGAIN FRIDAY.

DISCUSSION...A RAGGED CLOUD BAND ASSOCIATED WITH A WEAKENING COLD
FRONT LIES ABOUT 65 MILES NORTHWEST OF KAUAI THIS AFTERNOON
AND...WITH MOVEMENT TOWARDS THE SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH...IS EXPECTED TO
REACH KAUAI EARLY THIS EVENING. WE EXPECT CLOUDS AND SHOWERS TO
INCREASE OVER KAUAI THIS EVENING...OVER OAHU BY LATE TONIGHT...THEN
OVER MAUI MONDAY AS THE BOUNDARY STALLS.

THE FOLLOWING HIGH IS RATHER WEAK...1021 MB OR SO...BUT THE PRESSURE
GRADIENT WILL BE SUFFICIENTLY STEEP BEHIND THE SHEARLINE TO SUPPORT
10 TO 20 MPH TRADE WINDS ACROSS ALL OF THE SMALLER ISLANDS BY
TUESDAY. WINDS ACROSS THE BIG ISLAND WILL REMAIN LIGHT THROUGH
TUESDAY MORNING...THEN INCREASE TO 10 TO 15 MPH TRADE WINDS AS THE
FOLLOWING HIGH DRIFTS NORTHEASTWARD.

AFTER THIS FIRST SHEARLINE DISSIPATES...TRADEWIND WEATHER WILL
RETURN AND LAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY. ON THAT DAY THE SURFACE HIGH
NORTH OF THE ISLANDS WILL MOVE OFF TO THE EAST AND THE SUBTROPICAL
RIDGE WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD CLOSER TO THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. WINDS
WILL DECREASE AND SHIFT TO SOUTHEAST...PRODUCING MORE MUGGY
CONDITIONS. AS A NEW FRONT MOVES SOUTHEASTWARD TOWARDS THE ISLANDS
THURSDAY THERE MAY BE ENOUGH MOISTURE LEFT NEAR THE ISLANDS FROM THE
OLD SHEARLINE TO PRODUCE PREFRONTAL SHOWERS.

EXPECT CLOUDIER AND WETTER CONDITIONS ACROSS THE SMALLER ISLANDS
FRIDAY EVENING INTO SATURDAY AS THE NEXT SHEARLINE REACHES KAUAI AND
PASSES SOUTHEAST TO MAUI COUNTY.

POWELL

.HFO...WARNINGS....NONE
       WATCHES.....NONE
       ADVISORIES..NONE

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 1, 8:00 PM HST to December 4, 6:00 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, Lanai

When: December 1, 8:00 PM HST to December 4, 6:00 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: December 1, 8:00 PM HST to December 4, 6:00 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: December 1, 8:00 PM HST to December 4, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Oahu

When: December 1, 8:00 PM HST to December 4, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, West Hawaii

When: December 1, 8:00 PM HST to December 4, 6:00 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 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, December 2002

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: 5325210, 5325211, 5325212, 5325213, 5325214, 5325215.