High Surf in Hawaii, February 19 to 20, 2003

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, February 19 to 20, 2003
Start: 2003-02-19T08:00
End: 2003-02-20T18:00
Location: Hawaii

February 19 to 20, 2003 · NWS HFO · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A low more than 1000 miles east of the state generated surf of 8 to 12 feet along the east-facing shores of the Big Island of Hawaii. There were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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: 2

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 low more than 1000 miles east of the state generated surf of 8 to 12 feet along the east-facing shores of the Big Island of Hawaii. 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 Feb 19, 8:00 AM HST, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 19, 8:00 AM HST, 0 minutes before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
8 AM HST WED FEB 19 2003

UPDATED TO EXTEND HIGH SURF ADVISORY TO INCLUDE EAST FACING SHORES
OF MAUI...MOLOKAI...OAHU AND KAUAI AS WELL AS THE BIG ISLAND

SUMMARY...A SURFACE RIDGE TO THE NORTH WILL KEEP TRADE WINDS BLOWING
OVER THE ISLANDS. A TROUGH ALOFT WILL INCREASE SHOWERS AND WEAKEN
THE TRADES THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. DRIER WEATHER AND STRONGER TRADES
WILL RETURN OVER THE WEEKEND.

DISCUSSION...THE GFS PROG SHOWS AN EASTWARD MOVING MID-LATITUDE
TROUGH ERODING THE SURFACE RIDGE NORTH OF THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
THE FLATTER PRESSURE GRADIENT SOUTH OF THE RIDGE WILL RESULT IN
LIGHTER TRADES THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.

THE MODEL ALSO SHOWS THE MARINE LAYER DEEPENING FROM THE PRESENT
6000 FEET TO 9000 TO 10000 FEET THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. THIS IS DUE TO
THE WEAKER SUBSIDENCE IN THE WEAKER RIDGE. THE HIGHER INVERSION MAY
MEAN MORE AND HEAVIER TRADE SHOWERS THOSE TWO DAYS.

A SURFACE HIGH MOVING EAST ALONG THE RIDGE WILL BE NORTH OF THE
ISLANDS BY SATURDAY...TIGHTENING THE PRESSURE GRADIENT AND BOOSTING
THE TRADES TO 10 TO 25 MPH. THE UPPER TROUGH WILL HAVE MOVED TO THE
EAST BY THEN...ALLOWING A RIDGE ALOFT TO REBUILD OVER THE STATE...
THE SUBSIDENCE TO INCREASE...THE MARINE LAYER TO LOWER BACK DOWN TO
6000 FEET...AND THE TRADE SHOWERS TO DECREASE IN NUMBER AND
INTENSITY.

SURF...A LOW THAT FORMED NEAR THE ISLANDS LAST WEEK MOVED OFF TO
THE NORTHEAST AND REACHED GALE STRENGTH. THIS LOW GENERATED A
NORTHEAST SWELL WHICH IS NOW REACHING THE EAST FACING SHORES OF ALL
THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. THE SURF WILL BE LARGEST OVER THE BIG ISLAND
BUT IT WILL REACH ADVISORY LEVELS ON ALL THE ISLANDS BUT LANAI SO
THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO MAUI...MOLOKAI...OAHU
AND KAUAI.
DONALDSON

.HFO...WATCHES......NONE
.      WARNINGS.....NONE
.      ADVISORIES...HIGH SURF FOR EAST FACING SHORES OF THE BIG
       ISLAND EXTENDED TO EAST FACING SHORES OF MAUI...MOLOKAI...
       OAHU AND KAUAI

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, North and East Hawaii

When: February 19, 8:00 AM HST to February 20, 6:00 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, South Hawaii

When: February 19, 8:00 AM HST to February 20, 6:00 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 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, February 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: 5328989, 5328990.