High Surf in Hawaii, December 2 to 5, 2003

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, December 2 to 5, 2003
Start: 2003-12-02T11:00
End: 2003-12-05T04:00
Location: Hawaii

December 2 to 5, 2003 · NWS HFO · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

A low north of the state and a trade wind swell generated surf of 10 to 15 feet along northwest- and north-facing shores, and 6 to 10 feet along east-facing shores, respectively, on all the islands. No serious injuries or property damage were reported.

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: 7

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 Dec 2, 10:00 AM HST, 1 hour earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 2, 10:00 AM HST, 1 hour before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
10 AM HST TUE DEC 2 2003

.SYNOPSIS...A COLD FRONT IS STALLING NEAR THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII.
HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED FROM KAUAI TO MAUI BUT A CHANCE OF HEAVY
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ON THE BIG ISLAND. HIGH
PRESSURE WILL BRING A RETURN OF TRADEWINDS FROM KAUAI TO MAUI THIS
EVENING AND THE TRADES WILL SPREAD TO THE BIG ISLAND BY WEDNESDAY
EVENING. TRADEWINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

&&

.DISCUSSION...AT 10 AM A SURFACE LOW WAS 650 MILES NORTHEAST OF MAUI
NEAR 28N 150W WITH A FRONTAL CLOUD BAND TRAILING SOUTHWEST OVER THE
ALENUIHAHA CHANNEL. NORTH WINDS AND MORE STABLE CONDITIONS HAVE
SPREAD SOUTHWARD BEHIND THE FRONT AS FAR AS MAUI. THE FRONTAL BAND
IS STALLING NEAR THE BIG ISLAND AND THE THREAT OF HEAVY SHOWERS OR
THUNDERSTORMS REMAINS THERE.

A SURFACE HIGH FAR NORTHWEST OF THE ISLANDS IS FORECAST TO MOVE
TOWARDS THE EAST SOUTHEAST OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. AS IT DOES...
WINDS FROM KAUAI TO MAUI WILL SHIFT FROM NORTH TO EAST NORTHEAST AND
BECOME TRADEWINDS. THE TRADEWINDS WILL SPREAD OVER THE BIG ISLAND BY
WEDNESDAY EVENING. THE THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL END TONIGHT BUT
REMNANTS OF THE FRONT...WHICH WILL BECOME A SHEARLINE...WILL KEEP
THE WINDWARD SIDE OF THE BIG ISLAND CLOUDY AND RAINY THROUGH
THURSDAY. THE GFS MODEL SHOWS THE SHEARLINE MOVING BACK
NORTHWESTWARD OVER THE OTHER ISLANDS THURSDAY NIGHT BUT IT IS A
LITTLE SOON TO TRUST THAT FORECAST. THERE MAY BE LITTLE LEFT OF THE
SHEARLINE BY THEN. TRADEWINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. A
NEW FRONT MAY REACH THE ISLANDS EARLY NEXT WEEK BUT...AGAIN...IT IS
TOO EARLY TO COUNT ON THAT HAPPENING.

&&

.MARINE...THE LOW NORTHEAST OF THE ISLANDS GENERATED A NEW SWELL
THAT HAS ALREADY REACHED THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. A HIGH SURF
ADVISORY WAS ISSUED AT 10 AM FOR NORTH AND EAST FACING SHORES. THE
HIGH SURF IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY BIG ISLAND VOLCANO SUMMITS CANCELLED AT 8 AM.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR NORTH AND EAST SHORES ISSUED 10 AM.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR NORTH SWELL.

&&

DONALDSON

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Kauai

When: December 2, 11:00 AM HST to December 5, 4:00 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: December 2, 11:00 AM HST to December 5, 4:00 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: December 2, 11:00 AM HST to December 5, 4:00 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: December 2, 11:00 AM HST to December 5, 4:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, North and East Hawaii

When: December 2, 11:00 AM HST to December 5, 4:00 AM 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 2, 11:00 AM HST to December 5, 4:00 AM HST
Where: Oahu forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, South Hawaii

When: December 2, 11:00 AM HST to December 5, 4:00 AM 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 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 5327904, 5327905, 5327906, 5327907, 5327908, 5327909, 5327910.