High Surf, Kauai
- When
- January 9, 8:00 PM HST to January 11, 9:00 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, January 9 to 11, 2003
A storm low far northwest of the state produced surf of 10 to 20 feet along the northwest-facing shores of all the islands. No serious property damage or injuries 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
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 the state produced surf of 10 to 20 feet along the northwest-facing shores of all the islands. No serious property damage or injuries were reported.
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 9, 4:00 PM HST, 4 hours earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 9, 4:00 PM HST, 4 hours before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 4 PM HST THU JAN 9 2003 SUMMARY...MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS WILL PERSIST THROUGH FRIDAY. A COLD FRONT WITH CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL MOVE DOWN THE ISLAND CHAIN FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. NORTHEAST WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL BE REPLACED BY A DAY OR TWO OF TRADE WINDS. WINDS WILL WEAKEN AGAIN NEXT WEEK AS ANOTHER FRONT ARRIVES WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. DISCUSSION...THE AVN MODEL BLINKED ON THE MORNING RUN...STALLING THE SHEARLINE OVER MAUI. THE LATEST RUN HOWEVER REVERTED BACK TO PREVIOUS RUNS...STALLING AND DISSIPATING THE SHEARLINE OVER THE BIG ISLAND. THE FORECAST...EXCEPT FOR SOME MINOR TWEAKING HERE AND THERE...REMAINS THE SAME AS THE 4 AM PACKAGE. THE TIMING REMAINS... KAUAI FRIDAY EVENING...OAHU AND MOLOKAI FRIDAY NIGHT...LANAI AND MAUI SATURDAY...AND THE BIG ISLAND SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING. A SURFACE RIDGE WITH A FLAT PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL GIVE US MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS AHEAD OF THE SHEARLINE. A TRAILING HIGH PASSING NORTH OF HAWAII WILL RETURN THE TRADES SUNDAY. THE HIGH WILL MOVE OFF TO THE EAST HOWEVER...AND THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE WITH LIGHT WINDS AND CLEAR SKIES WILL RETURN MONDAY. BUOY ONE SHOWED A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN SWELL HEIGHTS AT 11 AM THIS MORNING. THE NUMBERS IN THE 1130 AM HIGH SURF WARNING UPDATE REFLECT THESE HIGH SWELL HEIGHTS AT BUOY ONE. SEE THE HIGH SURF WARNING FOR DETAILS. CRAIG. .HFO...WATCHES......NONE . WARNINGS.....HIGH SURF NW SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS . ADVISORIES...SMALL CRAFT ALL HAWAIIAN WATERS
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
- January 9, 8:00 PM HST to January 11, 9:00 PM 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
- January 9, 8:00 PM HST to January 11, 9:00 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
- January 9, 8:00 PM HST to January 11, 9:00 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, Oahu
- When
- January 9, 8:00 PM HST to January 11, 9:00 PM HST
- Where
- Oahu forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, West Hawaii
- When
- January 9, 8:00 PM HST to January 11, 9:00 PM 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
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: 5328437, 5328438, 5328439, 5328440, 5328441, 5328442.