High Surf in Hawaii, December 13 to 15, 2004

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, December 13 to 15, 2004
Start: 2004-12-13T06:00
End: 2004-12-15T22:00
Location: Hawaii

December 13 to 15, 2004 · NWS HFO · 22 events in 22 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 12 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: 22

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 powerful storm low far northwest of Hawaii generated surf of 30 to 40 feet along the north-facing shores, and 15 to 25 feet along the west-facing shores, of all the islands. Water periodically flowed across many beach-front roads and properties throughout the event period. Law enforcement officials across the state had to close portions of roads and/or lanes from time to time to ensure motorists' safety in affected areas. No serious injuries or property damage were reported, however.

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 13, 4:00 AM HST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 13, 4:00 AM HST, 2 hours before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
400 AM HST MON DEC 13 2004

.SYNOPSIS...
A RIDGE NORTH OF THE STATE WILL SETTLE OVER THE ISLANDS TODAY AND
PERSIST THE ENTIRE WEEK. LIGHT WINDS WILL PREVAIL... ALLOWING
NIGHTTIME LAND BREEZES AND DAYTIME SEA BREEZES TO FORM. A STRONG
INVERSION WILL LIMIT RAINFALL BUT PRODUCE HAZY SKIES BY TRAPPING
VOG AND OTHER AIRBORNE POLLUTION. A SERIES OF VERY LARGE NORTHWEST
SWELLS WILL IMPACT THE STATE THIS WEEK. THE FIRST TODAY AND
TONIGHT...THE SECOND AND LARGEST SWELL OF THE BUNCH TUESDAY NIGHT
AND WEDNESDAY...AND THE THIRD FRIDAY.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
SATELLITE THIS MORNING REVEALS GENERALLY SCATTERED LOW CLOUDS IN THE
VICINITY OF THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS...WITH A FEW PATCHES OF BROKEN
LOW CLOUDS HEAR AND THERE. PRETTY COOL TEMPS ARE BEING OBSERVED IN A
FEW LOCATIONS. MOST STATIONS ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING TEMPS IN
THE LOWER 60S WITH A FEW IN THE UPPER 50S...BUT MOLOKAI COOLED TO A
CHILLY 56 DEGREES. RADARS ALMOST APPEARS TO NOT BE WORKING AS
PRACTICALLY NO RAINFALL IS FALLING THIS MORNING. ON THE
PRECIPITATION SCOREBOARD...NEARLY ALL ZEROS OVER THE PAST SIX
HOURS...BUT KALAHEO ON KAUAI SPOILED IT WITH A HUNDREDTH.

THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE IS ALL BUT DIRECTLY OVERHEAD AND WILL REMAIN
PARKED OVER THE ISLANDS THIS WEEK. SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO INDICATE
DRY AND STABLE CONDITIONS. THE LOW AMPLITUDE FLOW PATTERN ALOFT OVER
THE NORTH PACIFIC WILL KEEP THE STORM TRACK HIGH AND FAST...HELPING
TO KEEP FRONTS FROM DIGGING SOUTHWARD ENOUGH TO ADVERSELY AFFECT
HAWAII. WITH RIDGE OVERHEAD AND THE STORM TRACK FAR TO THE
NORTH...EXPECT LIGHT WINDS AND AMPLE SUNSHINE THIS WEEK WITH LITTLE
TO NO RAINFALL. HEATING OVER INTERIOR SECTIONS OF THE ISLANDS WILL
PRODUCE ADDED CLOUDINESS IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON HOURS. WE
MAY SEE A LIGHT SPRINKLE OR TWO FROM THESE CLOUDS...BUT HAVING SUCH
A STRONG INVERSION IN PLACE WILL LIKELY PREVENT MUCH.

THE DOWNSIDE OF HAVING LIGHT WINDS AND A STRONG INVERSION IS THAT
THERE IS NO WHERE FOR THE VOG AND OTHER AIRBORNE POLLUTION TO GO.
THE INVERSION WILL RESTRAIN THE POLLUTANTS FROM MIXING UPWARD...AND
THERE WILL NOT BE MUCH IN THE WAY OF WINDS TO BLOW IT AWAY. SUNSHINE
SCATTERING OFF THESE POLLUTANTS WILL CREATE HAZY SKIES. GOOD FOR
SUNSETS MAYBE...BUT NOT SO GOOD PERHAPS...FOR MOST EVERYTHING
ELSE..

AT WEEKS END...GFS MODEL IS NOW SUGGESTING A WEAK FRONT REACHING
THE ISLANDS FRIDAY. PRIOR TO THE WEEKEND...THE GFS ADVERTISED A
SIMILAR SCENARIO FOR A FRONT THIS TUESDAY...BUT LATER CHANGED ITS
MIND AND KEPT THE FRONT WELL NORTH OF THE ISLANDS. GIVEN THIS TRACK
RECORD...WILL NOT JUMP ON THE LATEST SOLUTION AND KEEP LIGHT TRADES
AND DRY WEATHER THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND.

&&

.MARINE...
A SERIES OF STORMS IN THE NORTHWEST PACIFIC WILL SEND LARGE
NORTHWEST SWELLS TO THE ISLANDS THIS WEEK. THE FIRST SWELL IS
ALREADY AFFECTING KAUAI AND OAHU THIS MORNING AND WILL SPREAD TO THE
OTHER ISLANDS TODAY. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS POSTED...AND MAY NEED
TO BE UPGRADED TO A WARNING.

A SECOND AND VERY LARGE NORTHWEST SWELL WILL ARRIVE TUESDAY
EVENING. SURF WILL BUILD RAPIDLY TUESDAY NIGHT...REACHING HEIGHTS
WELL ABOVE THE WARNING THRESHOLD OF 25 FEET BY SUNRISE WEDNESDAY
ALONG NORTH FACING SHORES OF THE ISLANDS. WARNINGS WILL ALSO BE
NEEDED FOR WEST FACING SHORES OF KAUAI...OAHU...MOLOKAI...AND
POSSIBLY THE KONA COAST. SURF WILL SLOWLY SUBSIDE BELOW WARNING
LEVELS THURSDAY...BUT REMAIN ABOVE ADVISORY LEVELS INTO SATURDAY.

A MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT HAS BEEN ISSUED. PLEASE REFER TO THIS
PRODUCT FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY NORTH FACING SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY WEST FACING SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS EXCEPT THE BIG
ISLAND.

&&

TANABE

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

22 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Wainae Mountains

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Wainae Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Big Island North and East forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Central Oahu

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Central Oahu forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Kahoolawe

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Kahoolawe forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Kauai Windward

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Kohala

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Kohala forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Kona

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Kona forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Lanai Makai

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Lanai Makai forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Leeward Haleakala

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Leeward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Maui Central Valley

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Maui Leeward West

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Leeward West forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Windward West forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Niihau

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Niihau forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Oahu Koolau

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Oahu North Shore

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu North Shore forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Oahu South Shore

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu South Shore forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Olomana

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Olomana forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Waianae Coast

When: December 13, 6:00 AM HST to December 15, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Waianae Coast 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

Every storm in Hawaii in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, December 2004

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: 5431531, 5431532, 5432222, 5432223, 5432224, 5432225, 5432226, 5432227, 5432228, 5432229, 5432230, 5432231, 5432232, 5432233, 5432234, 5432235, 5432236, 5432237, 5432238, 5432239, 5432240, 5432241.