Hawaii, 2003

High Wind in Hawaii, January 4 to 5, 2003

January 4 to 5, 2003 · NWS HFO · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

An approaching cold front and its associated upper trough caused strong southwest and west winds across the Hawaiian Islands. The strongest gusts were near the summits of Haleakala in East Maui, and Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
8

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.

An approaching cold front and its associated upper trough caused strong southwest and west winds across the Hawaiian Islands. The strongest gusts were near the summits of Haleakala in East Maui, and Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii. The high winds led to spotty power outages in the islands, trees and tree branches being blown down, and some roofs being torn from their structures. No damage estimates were available, however. There were no reports of serious injuries.

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 Jan 4, 4:59 AM HST, 1 hour 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 4, 4:59 AM HST, 1 hour 1 minute before
NARRATIVE SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION FOR WAKE ISLAND

WEAKENING COLD FRONT IS ABOUT 140 MILES SOUTH OF WAKE AND APPEARS AS
THOUGH IT WILL STALL NEAR 16N. WAKE IS AT THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE
FRONTAL CLOUD BAND. THE GFS APPEARS TO BE PUSHING THE LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE WITH THE FRONT TOO FAR SOUTH. SHOULD SEE MAINLY CLOUDY
SKIES THIS MORNING WITH A FEW PEEKS OF SUNSHINE THIS AFTERNOON. HIGH
PRESSURE PASSING FAR TO THE NORTH OF WAKE TODAY WILL MAINTAIN GUSTY
TRADE WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KNOTS TODAY. THESE WINDS WILL WEAKEN A BIT
TONIGHT AS THE HIGH MOVES FARTHER AWAY OFF TO THE EAST.

A STORM LOW MOVING ACROSS THE CENTRAL PACIFIC GENERATED A NORTHWEST
SWELL THAT WILL INCREASE TO 8 TO 12 FEET TODAY. IN ADDITION...SHORT
PERIOD TRADE WIND SWELL OF 8 TO 10 FEET WILL CONTINUE.

R BALLARD

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Kauai

When
January 4, 6:00 AM HST to January 5, 8:00 PM HST
Where
Kauai forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Lanai

When
January 4, 6:00 AM HST to January 5, 8:00 PM HST
Where
Lanai forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Maui

When
January 4, 6:00 AM HST to January 5, 8:00 PM HST
Where
Maui forecast zone
Measured
61 kt (70 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Molokai

When
January 4, 6:00 AM HST to January 5, 8:00 PM HST
Where
Molokai forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, North and East Hawaii

When
January 4, 6:00 AM HST to January 5, 8:00 PM HST
Where
North and East Hawaii forecast zone
Measured
61 kt (70 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Oahu

When
January 4, 6:00 AM HST to January 5, 8:00 PM HST
Where
Oahu forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, South Hawaii

When
January 4, 6:00 AM HST to January 5, 8:00 PM HST
Where
South Hawaii forecast zone
Measured
61 kt (70 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, West Hawaii

When
January 4, 6:00 AM HST to January 5, 8:00 PM HST
Where
West Hawaii forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Hawaii in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, January 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: 5328429, 5328430, 5328431, 5328432, 5328433, 5328434, 5328435, 5328436.