High Surf, Kauai
- When
- February 11, 7:00 AM HST to February 14, 12:00 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, February 11 to 14, 2004
A storm low far northwest of Hawaii caused surf of 10 to 15 feet along the north-facing shores, and 6 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores, of Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and Molokai. The same system generated surf of 6 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores of the Big Island of Hawaii.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
- 5
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 Hawaii caused surf of 10 to 15 feet along the north-facing shores, and 6 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores, of Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and Molokai. The same system generated surf of 6 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores of the Big Island of Hawaii. 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 Feb 11, 4:00 AM HST, 3 hours earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 11, 4:00 AM HST, 3 hours before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
400 AM HST WED FEB 11 2004
.SYNOPSIS...
SURFACE WINDS WILL BE LIGHT AND VARIABLE...THANKS TO A HIGH PRESSURE
RIDGE IN THE AREA. A COLD FRONT WILL GRAZE THE ISLANDS THURSDAY...
WITH A STRONGER ONE EXPECTED TO PASS THROUGH THE STATE SUNDAY. LIGHT
WINDS WILL ALLOW SEA BREEZES TO FORM...INCREASING CLOUDS AND SHOWERS
EACH AFTERNOON. CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL ALSO INCREASE NEAR THE COLD
FRONTS.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
ZONAL OR WEST TO EAST UPPER LEVEL WINDS OVER THE MID-LATITUDES
TRANSLATES TO A CONVECTIVE WEATHER PATTERN FOR HAWAII INTO THIS
WEEKEND. LOWS EMBEDDED IN THE WESTERLIES HAVE WEAKENED AND DISPLACED
THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE OVER THE STATE...FLATTENING THE PRESSURE
GRADIENT AND KEEPING THE WINDS LIGHT AND VARIABLE.
SKIES WITH THIS TYPE OF PATTERN WILL BE CLEAR FOR THE MOST PART...
EXCEPT IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS WHEN HEATING AND LOCAL SEA
BREEZES ENHANCE UPWARD MOTION...RESULTING IN CLOUD FORMATION OVER
LAND. THE ATMOSPHERE IS UNSTABLE ENOUGH TO ALLOW FOR SOME SHOWERS.
A COLD FRONT WILL FLIRT WITH KAUAI AND OAHU THURSDAY PERHAPS
RESULTING IN A FEW MORE SHOWERS. ANOTHER FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE
FROM KAUAI TO MAUI COUNTY SUNDAY THEN DOWN TO THE BIG ISLAND MONDAY.
THE WESTERLY STEERING WINDS TO OUR NORTH WILL HAVE BUCKLED BY
THEN...AND THE FLOW WILL HAVE A GREATER NORTH-SOUTH AMPLITUDE. THAT
MEANS COLDER TEMPERATURES ALOFT WILL SHIFT SOUTHWARD OVER THE
STATE...RESULTING IN A MORE UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE AND A MORE ACTIVE
FRONTAL PASSAGE.
&&
.SURF...
SURF ALONG MOST NORTH AND WEST SHORES WILL BE AT ADVISORY LEVELS
TODAY INTO THURSDAY.
.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY...NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF KAUAI OAHU
MOLOKAI MAUI...WEST FACING SHORES OF BIG ISLAND
CRAIGThe radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
5 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High Surf, Maui
- When
- February 11, 7:00 AM HST to February 14, 12:00 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
- February 11, 7:00 AM HST to February 14, 12:00 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, Oahu
- When
- February 11, 7:00 AM HST to February 14, 12:00 PM HST
- Where
- Oahu forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, West Hawaii
- When
- February 11, 7:00 AM HST to February 14, 12:00 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
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, February 11, 2004
- Winter Weather in Iowa, February 11, 2004
- Winter Weather in Minnesota, February 11, 2004
- Winter Storm in Colorado, February 11 to 12, 2004
- Cold in Wyoming, February 11 to 12, 2004
- Winter Storm in South Dakota, February 11 to 12, 2004
- Heavy Snow in Tennessee, February 11 to 12, 2004
- Winter Weather in Nebraska, February 11, 2004
- Flood in Louisiana, February 11, 2004
- Blizzard in Wyoming, February 11, 2004
- Winter Weather in Colorado, February 11 to 12, 2004
- Winter Weather in Colorado, February 11 to 12, 2004
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, February 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: 5431048, 5431049, 5431050, 5431051, 5431052.