High Surf in Hawaii, December 16 to 18, 2004

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, December 16 to 18, 2004
Start: 2004-12-16T12:00
End: 2004-12-18T21:00
Location: Hawaii

December 16 to 18, 2004 · NWS HFO · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

A strong low northwest of the state caused surf of 15 to 25 feet along the north-facing shores of Niihau, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, and Maui; and 10 to 15 feet along the west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, and Oahu. One individual drowned in rough surf on the North Shore of Oahu in the late afternoon on the 17th of December.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 11

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.

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 16, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 16, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1000 AM HST THU DEC 16 2004

.SYNOPSIS...SURF ALONG NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES WILL SLOWLY
DECLINE TODAY BUT REMAIN ABOVE ADVISORY LEVELS FOR MOST NORTH FACING
SHORES. MORE LARGE NORTHWEST SWELLS WILL ARRIVE FRIDAY NIGHT AND
MONDAY NIGHT. A RIDGE OVER THE ISLANDS WILL KEEP WINDS LIGHT THROUGH
FRIDAY EVENING. SOME CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL FORM OVER THE ISLANDS
AHEAD OF A WEAK FRONT...BUT THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE TOO STABLE FOR
MUCH RAIN. THE FRONT WILL STALL NORTHWEST OF KAUAI AND TRADE WINDS
WILL BUILD OVER THE ISLANDS FRIDAY NIGHT. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO
SOUTHEAST SUNDAY AHEAD OF ANOTHER FRONT.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A SURFACE RIDGE REMAINS OVER THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. LOW LEVEL
FLOW NEAR THE BIG ISLAND IS FROM THE SOUTHEAST AND LOW LEVEL FLOW
NEAR KAUAI IS FROM THE SOUTHWEST. A 90 MILE WIDE CONVERGENCE BAND
EXTENDS SOUTH SOUTHWEST FROM OVER THE KAUAI CHANNEL. CLOUDS ON THE
FRINGE OF THIS BAND PARTLY COVER KAUAI AND OAHU. SATELLITE AND RADAR
IMAGERY ALSO SHOW ISOLATED LIGHT SHOWERS MOVING TOWARDS THE BIG
ISLAND FROM THE SOUTHEAST...BUT THEY APPEAR TO BE DISSIPATING.
CONVERGENCE IN THE SOUTHWEST FLOW NORTH OF THE RIDGE WILL CONTINUE
TO GENERATE SOME CLOUDS AND SHOWERS...MOSTLY NEAR KAUAI AND
OAHU...BUT THE ATMOSPHERE OVER THE ISLANDS IS RATHER STABLE SO
RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE LIMITED.

A WEAKENING FRONTAL BAND ABOUT 300 MILES NORTHWEST OF KAUAI
CONTINUES TO MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD BUT THE 2 AM GFS RUN SHOWS THE BAND
STALLING NORTHWEST OF KAUAI AND DISSIPATING. MEANWHILE...THE SURFACE
RIDGE WILL MOVE NORTH AND STRENGTHEN. TRADE WINDS WILL RETURN BY
FRIDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. WITH THE
TRADEWINDS...WE WILL HAVE THE USUAL WINDWARD AND MOUNTAIN SHOWERS.

A TROUGH ALOFT AND AN ASSOCIATED FRONT WILL BE DIGGING SOUTHEASTWARD
TOWARDS THE ISLANDS SUNDAY. AS THE FRONT AND TROUGH APPROACH...THE
SUBTROPICAL RIDGE WILL MOVE SOUTH OVER THE ISLANDS AND WINDS OVER
THE ISLANDS WILL SHIFT TO SOUTHEAST. WE EXPECT THE FRONT TO WEAKEN
AND STALL NEAR KAUAI TUESDAY WITH TRADE WINDS RETURNING NEXT
WEDNESDAY. THE COMPUTER MODELS DIFFER IN THE WAY THEY HANDLE THE
FRONT...SO WE WILL SEE WHICH ONES TURN OUT TO BE WORKING BETTER AS
THE FRONT GETS CLOSER.

&&

.MARINE...
THE LARGE NORTHWEST SWELL WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY DROP THROUGH
FRIDAY EVENING. SURF ALONG ALONG MOST NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES
WILL REMAIN ABOVE ADVISORY LEVELS...PROBABLY THROUGH FRIDAY
NIGHT...WHEN A NEW SWELL WILL ARRIVE. THIS SWELL WILL BE SMALLER
THAN THE CURRENT SWELL BUT SURF HEIGHTS WILL LIKELY REACH HIGH SURF
WARNING LEVELS AGAIN FRIDAY NIGHT. YET ANOTHER LARGE NORTHWEST SWELL
WILL ARRIVE MONDAY NIGHT. THE SWELL MONDAY NIGHT WILL BE FROM A MORE
WESTERLY DIRECTION. PLEASE REFER TO THE HIGH SURF ADVISORIES AND
OAHU SURF FORECASTS FOR MORE DETAILS.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF KAUAI NIIHAU OAHU
AND MOLOKAI.

HIGH SURF ADVISORY NORTH FACING SHORES OF MAUI AND THE BIG ISLAND.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ALL HAWAIIAN WATERS DUE TO LARGE OPEN OCEAN
SWELL.

&&

DONALDSON

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: December 16, 12:00 PM HST to December 18, 9:00 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 16, 12:00 PM HST to December 18, 9:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Maui Central Valley

When: December 16, 12:00 PM HST to December 18, 9:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: December 16, 12:00 PM HST to December 18, 9:00 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 16, 12:00 PM HST to December 18, 9:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: December 16, 12:00 PM HST to December 18, 9:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Niihau

When: December 16, 12:00 PM HST to December 18, 9:00 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 16, 12:00 PM HST to December 18, 9:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Oahu North Shore

When: December 16, 12:00 PM HST to December 18, 9:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu North Shore forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Waianae Coast

When: December 16, 12:00 PM HST to December 18, 9:00 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)

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: December 16, 12:00 PM HST to December 18, 9:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
High Surf, Oahu North Shore	2004-12-17	45	Male	In Water	Direct

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: 5431533, 5431534, 5431535, 5431536, 5431537, 5431538, 5431539, 5431540, 5431541, 5431542, 5431543.