High Surf in Hawaii, December 5 to 6, 2005

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, December 5 to 6, 2005
Start: 2005-12-05T06:00
End: 2005-12-06T06:00
Location: Hawaii

December 5 to 6, 2005 · NWS HFO · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

A storm low northwest of the islands generated surf of 12 to 18 feet along the north-facing shores, and 10 to 14 feet along the west-facing shores, of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, and Molokai; and 12 to 18 feet along the north-facing shores of Maui. No serious property damage or injuries 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 Dec 5, 4:00 AM HST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 5, 4:00 AM HST, 2 hours before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
400 AM HST MON DEC 5 2005

.SYNOPSIS...
A CONVERGENCE LINE WITH HEAVY SHOWERS IS WEAKENING NEAR THE BIG
ISLAND. A SURFACE HIGH BUILDING NORTH OF THE ISLANDS WILL BRING A
RETURN OF TRADE WINDS TODAY. TRADES WILL CONTINUE THE REST OF THE
WEEK. CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL BE SPARSE FROM KAUAI TO MAUI BUT A
TROUGH ALOFT WILL KEEP THE WINDWARD SIDE OF BIG ISLAND A BIT SHOWERY
THROUGH MID-WEEK. OUR WEATHER WILL BECOME RATHER DRY BY FRIDAY AS
TRADE WINDS BECOME LIGHT AND THE ATMOSPHERE BECOMES QUITE STABLE.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A NORTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST CLOUD BAND HAS BEEN MOVING SOUTHEAST ACROSS
THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. THE MOST ACTIVE WEATHER IN THIS BAND IS
ALONG A CONVERGENCE LINE EXTENDING NORTHEAST FROM OVER THE WINDWARD
SIDE OF THE BIG ISLAND. THUNDERSTORMS IN THE BAND ARE NOW WELL
OFFSHORE OF THE BIG ISLAND BUT HEAVY SHOWERS EXTEND OVER THE ISLAND
AND THERE ARE ISOLATED HEAVY SHOWERS OFF THE KONA COAST. THE REMNANT
OF THE FRONT...NOW A SHEARLINE...SEEMS TO LIE ALONG A NARROW LINE
OF SHOWERS EXTENDING NORTHEAST FROM OVER THE KAIWI CHANNEL.

WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND UPPER AIR ANALYSES SHOW A DEEP TROUGH ALOFT
EXTENDING NORTHEAST FROM A POINT 180 MILES SOUTHWEST OF KAUAI.
THIS TROUGH HELPED TO CREATE THE INSTABILITY THAT PRODUCED
THUNDERSTORMS AROUND THE ISLANDS LAST NIGHT AND SUNDAY.

THE GLOBAL MODELS ARE IN REASONABLE AGREEMENT IN HANDLING THE
SHEARLINE AND UPPER TROUGH. THE SHEARLINE WILL STALL NEAR MAUI AND
THE BIG ISLAND AND DISSIPATE. MEANWHILE...THE TROUGH ALOFT
SUPPORTING THE FRONT WILL SPLIT WITH PART OF THE TROUGH MOVING
RAPIDLY AWAY TO THE EAST NORTHEAST BUT WITH SOME ENERGY DIGGING
SOUTH OVER THE ISLANDS. THE MODELS REMAIN IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT
SHOWING A TROUGH ALOFT FORMING OVER THE ISLANDS TONIGHT THEN MOVING
FARTHER SOUTHEAST. RIDGING ALOFT WILL SPREAD OVER THE ISLANDS FROM
THE WEST AND THE ATMOSPHERE OVER THE ISLANDS WILL STABILIZE. JUDGING
FROM THE LATEST WATER VAPOR IMAGERY THIS SOLUTION LOOKS REASONABLE.

WE WILL SEE TRADE-WIND WEATHER STARTING TODAY AND CONTINUING ALL
WEEK. SOME HEAVY SHOWERS MAY CONTINUE ON THE BIG ISLAND THIS MORNING
BUT RAINFALL WILL DECREASE AS THE ATMOSPHERE BECOMES MORE STABLE. IT
WILL BE RELATIVELY DRY FROM KAUAI TO MOLOKAI WHILE THE TROUGH ALOFT
EAST OF THE ISLANDS WILL KEEP THE BIG ISLAND A BIT WETTER THROUGH
WEDNESDAY. BY WEDNESDAY THE TROUGH ALOFT WILL HAVE WEAKENED AND
MOVED FARTHER EAST AND THE SURFACE HIGH WILL HAVE MOVED FAR
NORTHEAST OF THE ISLANDS. IT LOOKS LIKE LIGHT TRADES AND RATHER DRY
WEATHER BY THE END OF THE WEEK.

&&

.MARINE...
A STORM NORTHWEST OF THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS PRODUCED A LARGE
SWELL THAT IS NOW HITTING THE ISLANDS. SURF HEIGHTS WILL PEAK TODAY
NEAR 22 FEET. SURF ALONG NORTHWEST SHORES FROM KAUAI TO MAUI WILL
REMAIN ABOVE THE ADVISORY LEVELS THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. A LARGER
NORTHWEST SWELL ARRIVING THURSDAY EVENING MAY PRODUCE WARNING-LEVEL
SURF.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR NORTHWEST SWELL.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR NORTHWEST 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 5, 6:00 AM HST to December 6, 6:00 AM 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 5, 6:00 AM HST to December 6, 6:00 AM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Maui Central Valley

When: December 5, 6:00 AM HST to December 6, 6:00 AM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: December 5, 6:00 AM HST to December 6, 6:00 AM 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 5, 6:00 AM HST to December 6, 6:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: December 5, 6:00 AM HST to December 6, 6:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Niihau

When: December 5, 6:00 AM HST to December 6, 6:00 AM 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 5, 6:00 AM HST to December 6, 6:00 AM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Oahu North Shore

When: December 5, 6:00 AM HST to December 6, 6:00 AM 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: December 5, 6:00 AM HST to December 6, 6:00 AM 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 5, 6:00 AM HST to December 6, 6:00 AM 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, December 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: 5484720, 5484721, 5484722, 5484723, 5484724, 5484725, 5484726, 5484727, 5484728, 5484729, 5484730.