High Surf, Kauai
- When
- December 17, 7:00 AM HST to December 19, 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 in Hawaii, December 17 to 19, 2003
A storm low far northwest of Hawaii and a trade wind swell generated surf of 10 to 20 feet along the north- and northwest-facing shores and 6 to 12 feet along the east-facing shores, respectively, on all the isles except Lanai. However, there were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.
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
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 and a trade wind swell generated surf of 10 to 20 feet along the north- and northwest-facing shores and 6 to 12 feet along the east-facing shores, respectively, on all the isles except Lanai. However, 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 17, 5:00 AM HST, 2 hours earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 17, 5:00 AM HST, 2 hours before
NARRATIVE SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION FOR WAKE ISLAND WAKE LIES SOUTH OF THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF A SUBTROPICAL RIDGE NEAR 26N. THUS THE TRADES ARE CARRYING AREAS OF CUMULUS AND STRATOCUMULUS WESTWARD ACROSS THE REGION. SKIES WILL BE MOSTLY CLEAR THIS MORNING...WITH A FEW MORE CLOUDS AND ISOLATED SHOWERS MOVING IN THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO SIGNIFICANT PROLONGED RAINFALL IS EXPECTED. WAVEWATCH III MODEL INDICATES A TRADE WIND SWELL AROUND 10 FEET WILL CONTINUE. R BALLARD
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
6 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High Surf, Maui
- When
- December 17, 7:00 AM HST to December 19, 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
- December 17, 7:00 AM HST to December 19, 8:00 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, North and East Hawaii
- When
- December 17, 7:00 AM HST to December 19, 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
- December 17, 7:00 AM HST to December 19, 8:00 PM HST
- Where
- Oahu forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, South Hawaii
- When
- December 17, 7:00 AM HST to December 19, 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
- Heavy Snow in Ohio, December 17 to 20, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, December 17 to 20, 2003
- High Wind in South Dakota, December 17, 2003
- Flooding in New Hampshire, December 17 to 19, 2003
- High Wind in Montana, December 17, 2003
- Flooding in Maine, December 17 to 20, 2003
- Winter Weather in North Carolina, December 17, 2003
- Winter Weather in West Virginia, December 17, 2003
- Winter Weather in Maryland, December 17, 2003
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, December 17, 2003
- High Wind in Wyoming, December 17, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Michigan, December 17, 2003
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, December 2003
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: 5327916, 5327917, 5327918, 5327919, 5327920, 5327921.