Hawaii, 2004

High Surf in Hawaii, January 19 to 23, 2004

January 19 to 23, 2004 · NWS HFO · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

A deep low far northwest of the Aloha State produced surf of 15 to 20 feet along the north-facing shores, and 8 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores, of all the islands. There were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.

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
7

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 deep low far northwest of the Aloha State produced surf of 15 to 20 feet along the north-facing shores, and 8 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores, of all the islands. There were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.

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 19, 4:00 AM HST, 4 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 19, 4:00 AM HST, 4 hours before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU
4 AM HST MON JAN 19 2004

.SYNOPSIS...
A COUPLE OF COLD FRONTS WILL BRING CLOUDS AND SHOWERS TO THE ISLANDS
THIS WEEK...ESPECIALLY WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SOUTHERLY WINDS
WILL BE LIGHT IN MOST PLACES...EXCEPT STRONGER AHEAD OF THE COLD
FRONTS.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
THE FIRST COLD FRONT WILL STALL JUST NORTHWEST OF KAUAI. CLOUDS AND
ISOLATED SHOWERS WILL FORM IN THE CONVERGENT SOUTHERLY FLOW AHEAD OF
THE FRONT...MAINLY OVER OAHU AND TO A LESSER DEGREE OVER KAUAI AND
MOLOKAI. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE SMALL.

A SECOND FRONT PRESENTLY STRADDLING THE DATELINE IS FORECAST TO
MERGE WITH THE FIRST...AND MOVE TO MAUI WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY
NIGHT. PART OF THE FRONTAL MOISTURE WILL BE DRAWN BACK TO THE WEST
AS THE THIRD AND WETTEST FRONT REACHES KAUAI THURSDAY. CLOUDS AND
SHOWERS FROM THIS FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM KAUAI TO MAUI THURSDAY AND
FRIDAY.

DRIER CONDITIONS WILL MOVE IN FROM THE WEST LATE FRIDAY THROUGH
SUNDAY...CLEARING KAUAI AND PERHAPS OAHU AS THE THIRD FRONT STALLS
OVER THE BIG ISLAND. FRONTAL CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL LINGER OVER THE
BIG ISLAND UP TO THE END OF THE SEVEN DAY FORECAST PERIOD.

THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE WILL REMAIN OVER THE ISLANDS THROUGHOUT ALL
THE FRONTAL COMINGS AND GOINGS. BECAUSE OF THE SOMEWHAT FLAT
PRESSURE GRADIENT WITH THE RIDGE...WINDS WILL BE LIGHT TO MODERATE
OUT OF THE SOUTH. THE WINDS WILL HOWEVER INCREASE THURSDAY IN
ADVANCE OF THE THIRD AND STRONGEST FRONT.

&&

.SURF...
BUOY ONE SWELL DATA INDICATES THAT THE HIGH SURF ALONG OUR NORTH AND
WEST FACING SHORES WILL STAY AT ADVISORY HEIGHTS. BECAUSE OF THE
LONG FETCH DURATION...THE HIGH SURF WILL STICK AROUND INTO WEDNESDAY.

&&

.HNL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY...NORTH AND WEST SHORES OF KAUAI OAHU MOLOKAI
.                    LANAI MAUI...WEST SHORES OF THE BIG ISLAND

&&

CRAIG

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Kauai

When
January 19, 8:00 AM HST to January 23, 2:00 AM 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, Lanai

When
January 19, 8:00 AM HST to January 23, 2:00 AM 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 19, 8:00 AM HST to January 23, 2:00 AM 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 19, 8:00 AM HST to January 23, 2:00 AM HST
Where
Molokai forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, North and East Hawaii

When
January 19, 8:00 AM HST to January 23, 2:00 AM HST
Where
North and East Hawaii forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Oahu

When
January 19, 8:00 AM HST to January 23, 2:00 AM HST
Where
Oahu forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, West Hawaii

When
January 19, 8:00 AM HST to January 23, 2:00 AM 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 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, January 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: 5432335, 5432336, 5432337, 5432338, 5432339, 5432340, 5432341.