High Surf in Hawaii, November 20 to 21, 2002

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, November 20 to 21, 2002
Start: 2002-11-20T08:00
End: 2002-11-21T06:00
Location: Hawaii

November 20 to 21, 2002 · NWS HFO · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A storm low far north of the state near the Aleutian Islands generated surf of 10 to 15 feet along the northwest-facing shores of all the Hawaiian 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.

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 Nov 20, 4:00 AM HST, 4 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 20, 4:00 AM HST, 4 hours before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
4 AM HST WED NOV 20 2002

SUMMARY...PLEASANT TRADE WIND WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE
WEEKEND. A DEEPENING TROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK WILL BRING THE ISLANDS
INCREASING SHOWERS AND WARM AND WINDLESS CONDITIONS BY SUNDAY OR
MONDAY.

DISCUSSION...THE FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE NORTHWEST HAS WEAKENED
INTO A SHEAR LINE OVERNIGHT AS ITS ASSOCIATED TROUGH ALOFT HAS MOVED
OUT AHEAD OF ITS SHOWER BAND. THIS TROUGH ALOFT HAS DESTABILIZED THE
AIR AHEAD OF THE SHEAR LINE...ALLOWING THE PREVIOUSLY MOSTLY CLEAR
SKIES TO FILL IN WITH SCATTERED TO BROKEN SHOWER CLOUDS...SOME OF
WHICH ARE IMPACTING MAUI COUNTY...KAUAI AND THE BIG ISLAND THIS
MORNING. ISOLATED SHOWERS WILL REMAIN IN THE FORECAST FOR NIGHT AND
MORNING HOURS...CONFINED TO THE WINDWARD AND MAUKA SECTIONS OF ALL
THE ISLANDS. OTHERWISE...THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS WILL SEE SUNNY AND DRY
CONDITIONS THROUGH SATURDAY WITH MODERATE TO FRESH TRADE WINDS
KEEPING TEMPERATURES PLEASANT.

FORECAST MODELS REMAIN IN GOOD AGREEMENT...DEEPENING A MID-LATITUDE
TROUGH JUST WEST OF THE ISLANDS BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL LIKELY
PUT AN END TO THE FINE WEATHER ALONG ABOUT MONDAY. WINDS WILL BECOME
SOUTHERLY OR LIGHT AND VARIABLE...INCREASING HUMIDITY OVER LEEWARD
SECTIONS AND LEADING TO AN INCREASE IN SHOWER ACTIVITY IN THE
CONVERGENT FLOW AHEAD OF A FULL LATITUDE FRONTAL SYSTEM THAT MAY
MOVE INTO KAUAI ON TUESDAY. MODELS DO NOT BRING THIS FRONT THROUGH
THE STATE HOWEVER...BUT RATHER KEEP IT OVER OR JUST WEST OF KAUAI.
THIS LEAVES THE STATE IN CONVERGENT HUMID AIR THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT
WEEK. WILL BE WATCHING THIS SYSTEM FOR SIGNS THAT IT MAY PRODUCE
SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL FOR SOME PARTS OF THE STATE...BUT FOR NOW IT
JUST LOOKS LIKE IT WILL INTERRUPT OUR FINE TRADE WIND WEATHER.

SWELLS FROM A DISTANT STORM NORTHWEST OF THE STATE ARE ARRIVING THIS
MORNING AND WILL BRING HIGH SURF TO THE NORTHWEST FACING SHORES OF
ALL ISLANDS TODAY. SEE HIGH SURF ADVISORY ISSUED BY WFO-HONOLULU
FOR MORE DETAILS. FARRELL

.HFO...WARNINGS.....NONE
.      WATCHES......NONE
.      ADVISORIES...HIGH SURF FOR NORTHWEST FACING SHORES

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: November 20, 8:00 AM HST to November 21, 6:00 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: November 20, 8:00 AM HST to November 21, 6:00 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: November 20, 8:00 AM HST to November 21, 6:00 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: November 20, 8:00 AM HST to November 21, 6:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Oahu

When: November 20, 8:00 AM HST to November 21, 6:00 AM HST
Where: Oahu forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, West Hawaii

When: November 20, 8:00 AM HST to November 21, 6:00 AM 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, November 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: 5325182, 5325183, 5325184, 5325185, 5325186, 5325187.