High Surf in Hawaii, April 18 to 19, 2005

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, April 18 to 19, 2005
Start: 2005-04-18T08:00
End: 2005-04-19T12:00
Location: Hawaii

April 18 to 19, 2005 · NWS HFO · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

A low northwest of the state generated surf of 8 to 16 feet along the north-facing shores, and 6 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores; of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui. No serious injuries or property damage were reported.

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: 0
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 Apr 18, 5:15 AM HST, 2 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 18, 5:15 AM HST, 2 hours 45 minutes before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
515 AM HST MON APR 18 2005

UPDATED TO ADD OAHU AND MAUI COUNTY TO THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY

.SYNOPSIS...
TRADE WINDS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE WEEK...REACHING MODERATE LEVELS
FOR MIDWEEK AND AGAIN DURING THE WEEKEND. GENERALLY LIGHT AMOUNTS OF
RAINFALL ARE EXPECTED...WITH SHOWERS MOST PREVALENT OVER WINDWARD
AND MOUNTAIN AREAS.

&&

.UPDATE...
RECENT DATA FROM BUOY 51001 SUGGEST THAT SURF WILL BE SLIGHTLY HIGH
THAN EXPECTED. THUS...THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS EXTENDED FOR NORTH
FACING SHORES FROM KAUAI TO MAUI....AS WELL AS WEST FACING SHORES OF
NIIHAU KAUAI AND OAHU.
&&

.DISCUSSION...
TRADE WINDS WILL PERSIST THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND...WITH THE LIGHTEST
WINDS EXPECTED TODAY. A FRONT SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES NORTHWEST OF
KAUAI HAS DISRUPTED THE RIDGE PRODUCING THE TRADES. THE FRONT WILL
DISSIPATE AND MOVE OFF TO THE EAST ON TUESDAY. A FOLLOWING HIGH WILL
THEN PASS BY TO THE NORTH AND STRENGTHEN...BOOSTING TRADE WINDS
BACK INTO THE MODERATE RANGE FOR MIDWEEK.

ITS RATHER DRY IMMEDIATELY UPSTREAM OF THE ISLANDS. ONLY SCATTERED
CUMULUS CAN BE SEEN WITHIN 75 MILES EAST OF THE STATE...WITH LIGHT
SHOWERS FOCUSED OVER WINDWARD BIG ISLAND TONIGHT. CLOUD COVER
INCREASED OVER THE WATERS FARTHER EAST...BUT THESE CLOUDS ARE MAINLY
DRY...STABLE STRATOCUMULUS THAT WILL LARGELY ERODE DURING THE DAY.

AN UPPER RIDGE WILL SLOWLY BUILD OVER THE REGION DURING THE NEXT
COUPLE OF DAYS AND HOLD FAST THROUGH THE WORK WEEK. THIS WILL ACT TO
FURTHER STABILIZE THE LOWER ATMOSPHERE. THUS...EXPECT GENERALLY
LIGHT AMOUNTS OF RAIN THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD WITH SHOWERS
FAVORING WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS. DUE TO THE INCREASE IN
STABILITY...AFTERNOON SHOWERS OVER LEEWARD BIG ISLAND SHOULD BE
LESS EXTENSIVE THIS WEEK.

IN THE LONG RANGE...MODERATE TRADE WINDS WILL BEGIN TO SLOWLY BACK
OFF BY THE END OF THE WORK WEEK. FORECAST MODELS SHOW ANOTHER FRONT
WEAKENING THE RIDGE TO THE NORTH AND POSSIBLY VEERING THE TRADES
SOUTH OF EAST ON THURSDAY OR FRIDAY. TRADES WILL AGAIN INCREASE LATE
IN THE WEEKEND AS ANOTHER HIGH SETTLES IN NORTH OF THE STATE.

&&

.MARINE...
THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY FROM KAUAI TO MAUI WILL LAST THROUGH AT LEAST
TONIGHT. AS THE TRADE WINDS STRENGTHEN...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES MAY
BE REQUIRED FOR SOME AREAS STARTING TUESDAY NIGHT.

&&

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

&&

WROE

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: April 18, 8:00 AM HST to April 19, 12:00 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: April 18, 8:00 AM HST to April 19, 12:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Maui Central Valley

When: April 18, 8:00 AM HST to April 19, 12:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: April 18, 8:00 AM HST to April 19, 12:00 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: April 18, 8:00 AM HST to April 19, 12:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: April 18, 8:00 AM HST to April 19, 12:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Niihau

When: April 18, 8:00 AM HST to April 19, 12:00 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: April 18, 8:00 AM HST to April 19, 12:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Oahu North Shore

When: April 18, 8:00 AM HST to April 19, 12:00 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, Waianae Coast

When: April 18, 8:00 AM HST to April 19, 12:00 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: April 18, 8:00 AM HST to April 19, 12:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala 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

Every storm in Hawaii in 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, April 2005

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: 5443291, 5443292, 5443293, 5443294, 5443295, 5443296, 5443297, 5443298, 5443299, 5443300, 5443301.