High Surf, Kauai
- When
- January 24, 3:00 PM HST to January 25, 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, January 24 to 25, 2004
A low northwest of the state generated surf of 10 to 15 feet along the north- and northwest-facing shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. There were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.
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 low northwest of the state generated surf of 10 to 15 feet along the north- and northwest-facing shores of all the Hawaiian 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 24, 2:04 PM HST, 56 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 24, 2:04 PM HST, 56 minutes before
NARRATIVE SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION FOR AMERICAN SAMOA AND THE INDEPENDENT STATE OF SAMOA TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY... LOW LEVEL EASTERLY WINDS ARE CONVERGING IN YOUR VICINITY. MOISTURE EMBEDDED IN THIS EASTERLY FLOW IS CAUSING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TO FORM OVER AND AROUND YOUR AREA. PRESENTLY THE STRONGEST CONVECTION IS LOCATED TO YOUR EAST NEAR THE MANUA ISLANDS AS WELL AS FAR TO THE NORTHWEST OF YOU. MODELS INDICATED LITTLE CHANGE IN THIS WEATHER PATTERN. THUS SKIES WILL BE PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS AT TIMES. WINDS WILL BE EASTERLY AT AROUND 10 KNOTS WITH LOCAL LAND AND SEA BREEZES. A NORTHWEST SWELL OF AROUND 6 FEET WILL CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY BEFORE LOWERING TO AROUND 4 FEET BY MONDAY. OUTLOOK FOR MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... LITTLE CHANGE IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD FROM YOUR CURRENT WEATHER PATTERN EXCEPT EASTERLY WINDS MAY PICK UP A NOTCH TO AROUND 15 KNOTS AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FAR TO YOUR SOUTH. NARRATIVE DISCUSSION FOR TUVALU TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...TUVALU TIME... SKIES ARE GENERALLY PARTLY CLOUDY WITH ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SEEN MAINLY TO YOUR SOUTH AND WEST. THE ABOVE MENTIONED CONVERGENCE AREA WILL KEEP SKIES PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS AT TIMES. WINDS WILL BE EASTERLY AT AROUND 10 KNOTS.
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 24, 3:00 PM HST to January 25, 12:00 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 24, 3:00 PM HST to January 25, 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
- January 24, 3:00 PM HST to January 25, 12:00 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, North and East Hawaii
- When
- January 24, 3:00 PM HST to January 25, 12:00 PM 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 24, 3:00 PM HST to January 25, 12:00 PM HST
- Where
- Oahu forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
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
- Strong Wind in North Carolina, January 24, 2004
- Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, January 24 to 27, 2004
- Winter Storm in Minnesota, January 24 to 26, 2004
- Winter Storm in North Dakota, January 24 to 25, 2004
- Winter Storm in Minnesota, January 24 to 26, 2004
- Winter Storm in North Dakota, January 24 to 26, 2004
- Cold in Maine, January 24 to 25, 2004
- Winter Weather in Washington, January 24, 2004
- Winter Storm in Montana, January 24 to 31, 2004
- Cold in New Hampshire, January 24 to 25, 2004
- Cold in Maine, January 24 to 27, 2004
- Winter Storm in Idaho, January 24 to 25, 2004
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: 5432350, 5432351, 5432352, 5432353, 5432354, 5432355.