High Surf in Hawaii, January 17 to 20, 2002

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, January 17 to 20, 2002
Start: 2002-01-17T15:00
End: 2002-01-20T17:00
Location: Hawaii

January 17 to 20, 2002 · NWS HFO · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A strong trade wind swell produced surf of 8 to 15 feet along the east-facing shores of all the islands except Lanai.

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

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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 strong trade wind swell produced surf of 8 to 15 feet along the east-facing shores of all the islands except Lanai.

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 Jan 17, 10:00 AM HST, 5 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 17, 10:00 AM HST, 5 hours before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
10 AM HST THU JAN 17 2002

SUMMARY...THE STRONG HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM TO THE NORTH OF THE
ISLANDS WILL PRODUCE STRONG RATHER WET TRADE WINDS OVER THE NEXT FEW
DAYS. SHOWERS WILL INCREASE OVER THE WEEKEND...ESPECIALLY OVER THE
BIG ISLAND...WITH SNOW POSSIBLE AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS.

DISCUSSION...THE STRONG 1040MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTER NORTH NORTHEAST
OF THE ISLANDS WILL DRIFT SLOWLY WESTWARD. THIS WILL INCREASE OUR
TRADE WINDS INTO THE STRONG 20 TO 35 MPH RANGE LATER TODAY THROUGH
FRIDAY...AND BRING SCATTERED SHOWERS INTO THE ISLANDS. MEANWHILE IN
THE UPPER AIR...A STRONG SHORT WAVE IS DIGGING SOUTHWARD AND WILL
CUT OFF OVER THE ISLANDS THIS WEEKEND. THIS MAY MITIGATE THE STRONG
TRADE WINDS SOMEWHAT...BUT WILL ALSO DESTABILIZE OUR AIRMASS...
ALLOWING ANY SHOWERS THAT MOVE INTO THE ISLANDS TO BECOME DEEPER AND
HEAVIER THAN USUAL. THIS CUT-OFF LOW WILL ALSO BRING COLDER AIR OVER
THE ISLANDS AT HIGH ALTITUDE...LIKELY PRODUCING SNOW ATOP THE BIG
ISLAND SUMMITS WHICH COULD WELL PRODUCE HEAVY AMOUNTS AS CONVECTIVE
CELLS FORM IN THE UNSTABLE AIR OVER THAT ISLAND THIS WEEKEND AND
INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. WHILE AWAITING MORE DEFINITIVE INDICATIONS OF
HOW THIS LOW WILL DEVELOP...WE ARE PREPARING BIG ISLAND RESIDENTS
FOR WINTERY CONDITIONS WITH A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE SUMMITS
OVER THE WEEKEND. AT SURFACE LEVELS...THE PROBLEM WILL BE WINDS...AT
LEAST FOR TODAY INTO FRIDAY. THE STRONG HIGH IS LIKELY TO PRODUCE
WINDS OF GALE FORCE...ESPECIALLY IN THE CHANNELS TODAY...AND
POSSIBLY IN ALL COASTAL WATERS FRIDAY. GALE WARNINGS ARE UP FOR THE
CHANNELS...AND THE COASTAL WATERS ARE BEING WATCHED IN CASE WARNINGS
ARE NEEDED THERE...AS WELL. THERE IS ALSO A STRONG LIKELIHOOD THAT
WIND ADVISORIES...AND POSSIBLY HIGH WIND WARNINGS...WILL BE NEEDED
FOR THE ISLANDS LATER TODAY OR ON FRIDAY.

A NEW SWELL HAS ARRIVED AT BUOY 51001...BUT OBSERVATIONS AT THE BUOY
ARE NOT YET INDICATING THAT A HIGH SURF ADVISORY WILL BE NEEDED. IF
SWELL CONTINUES TO BUILD FROM THE WEST NORTHWEST...ONE WILL BE
ISSUED LATER TODAY HOWEVER. THE STRONG TRADE WINDS WILL PRODUCE A
LARGE SWELL FOR EAST AND NORTHEAST FACING SHORES BY TONIGHT OR
FRIDAY HOWEVER...SO IT IS LIKELY THAT AN ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED FOR
THESE SHORES AT LEAST LATER TODAY. FARRELL

.HFO.....WARNINGS.....GALES ALENUIHAHA
.        WATCHES......WINTER STORM WATCH BIG ISLAND SUMMITS
.        ADVISORIES...SMALL CRAFT ALL OTHER HAWAIIAN 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: January 17, 3:00 PM HST to January 20, 5:00 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: January 17, 3:00 PM HST to January 20, 5:00 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: January 17, 3:00 PM HST to January 20, 5:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, North and East Hawaii

When: January 17, 3:00 PM HST to January 20, 5:00 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: January 17, 3:00 PM HST to January 20, 5:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, South Hawaii

When: January 17, 3:00 PM HST to January 20, 5:00 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 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, January 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: 5278498, 5278499, 5278500, 5278501, 5278502, 5278503.