High Surf, Kauai
- When
- February 5, 10:30 AM HST to February 8, 5:00 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 in Hawaii, February 5 to 8, 2003
A storm low north of the state produced surf of 10 to 20 feet along the north- and northwest-facing shores of all the islands. Haena Beach on the north shore of Kauai was closed on the 7th because of the hazardous surf.
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
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 north of the state produced surf of 10 to 20 feet along the north- and northwest-facing shores of all the islands. Haena Beach on the north shore of Kauai was closed on the 7th because of the hazardous surf. However, there were no reports of serious injuries or property damage there or anywhere else around the Hawaiian Islands.
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 5, 10:00 AM HST, 30 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 5, 10:00 AM HST, 30 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 10 AM HST WED FEB 5 2003 SUMMARY...A QUICK MOVING COLD FRONT WILL BE AFFECTING THE STATE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. ITS WINDS WILL BE WEAKER THAN MOST OF ITS PREDECESSORS. DISCUSSION...THE NEXT FRONT IS A WEAK ONE WITH ONLY MODEST SOUTHWEST WINDS AHEAD OF IT...THE WINDS ARE MUCH LIGHTER THAN SOME OF THE GUSTY FRONTS THAT PASSED THRU IN JANUARY. SHOWERS FROM BOTH THE FRONT AND ITS PREFRONTAL CONVERGENCE LINES WILL BE ARRIVING OVER KAUAI AND OAHU TOMORROW MORNING...MAUI COUNTY IN THE AFTERNOON...AND THE BIG ISLAND FRIDAY. SHOWERS SHOULD BE OCCASIONAL WITH CLEARING EXPECTED 12 TO 24 HOURS LATER. SWELLS FOR THE FRONTS PARENT LOW WILL BE ARRIVING IN TWO SETS...ONE IS PASSING THRU NOW...A LARGER SECOND SET SHOULD ARRIVE LATE TOMORROW. WE WILL THUS BE ISSUING A HIGH SURF ADVISORY SHORTLY. MATSUDA .HFO...WATCHES......NONE . WARNINGS.....NONE . ADVISORIES...NONE
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, Lanai
- When
- February 5, 10:30 AM HST to February 8, 5:00 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
- February 5, 10:30 AM HST to February 8, 5:00 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
- February 5, 10:30 AM HST to February 8, 5:00 AM HST
- Where
- Molokai forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, Oahu
- When
- February 5, 10:30 AM HST to February 8, 5:00 AM HST
- Where
- Oahu forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, West Hawaii
- When
- February 5, 10:30 AM HST to February 8, 5:00 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
- Cold in North Dakota, February 5, 2003
- Heavy Snow in New York, February 5, 2003
- Heavy Snow in New York, February 5 to 6, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, February 5 to 6, 2003
- Winter Storm in Kansas, February 5 to 6, 2003
- Winter Weather in Maine, February 5, 2003
- Winter Storm in Montana, February 5, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, February 5 to 6, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Montana, February 5 to 6, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Montana, February 5, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Montana, February 5, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Wyoming, February 5, 2003
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5328874, 5328875, 5328876, 5328877, 5328878, 5328879.