High Surf in Hawaii, March 18 to 20, 2005

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, March 18 to 20, 2005
Start: 2005-03-18T06:00
End: 2005-03-20T20:00
Location: Hawaii

March 18 to 20, 2005 · NWS HFO · 12 events in 12 counties and zones

A deep low far northwest of the state generated surf of 15 to 20 feet along the north-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 8 to 14 feet along the west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, and Oahu. No serious property damage or injuries were reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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: 12

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 Mar 18, 4:00 AM HST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 18, 4:00 AM HST, 2 hours before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
400 AM HST FRI MAR 18 2005

.SYNOPSIS...
AN APPROACHING...WEAKENING...COLD FRONT WILL BRING SOME CLOUDS TO
THE AREA TONIGHT AND TOMORROW...ALONG WITH A SLIGHT INCREASE IN
SHOWER ACTIVITY. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ON THE COOL SIDE TONIGHT
AHEAD OF THE FRONT. EXPECT TRADE WIND WEATHER TO RETURN FOR THE
FIRST HALF OF THE UPCOMING WORK WEEK.
&&

.DISCUSSION...
LIGHT NORTH WIND PERSISTED OVER THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS IN AN AIR
MASS THAT WAS STILL COOL...DRY...AND STABLE. HOWEVER...THE AIR HAS
MOISTENED AND WARMED OVER THE OCEAN SOMEWHAT DURING THE PAST FEW
DAYS. THIS MODIFICATION...TOGETHER WITH SOME HIGH CLOUDS MOVING
ACROSS THE ISLANDS FROM THE WEST...SHOULD KEEP MORNING TEMPERATURES
FROM FALLING QUITE AS FAR AS THEY HAD THE PAST FEW NIGHTS. ON THE
OTHER HAND...THIS WARMING TREND WILL PROGRESS SLOWLY. PRECIPITATION
SHOULD BE MINIMAL.

THROUGH FRIDAY...THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE CAN BE EXPECTED TO REDEVELOP
NORTH OF THE ISLANDS...GRADUALLY BRINGING BACK A MORE FAMILIAR
NORTHEAST WIND. UNTIL THEN...THE WEAKENING WIND FLOW WILL ENCOURAGE
THE DEVELOPMENT OF DAYTIME SEA BREEZES AND NIGHTTIME LAND BREEZES.
WHILE THIS WIND PATTERN USUALLY PRODUCES CLOUD BUILDUPS IN THE
ISLAND INTERIORS DURING THE DAY...AND JUST OFFSHORE AT NIGHT...
CURRENTLY LOW ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE CONTENT AND HIGH ATMOSPHERIC
STABILITY WILL CONTINUE TO LIMIT SUCH DEVELOPMENT AS IT DID ON
THURSDAY.

WIND OF 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR FROM THE NORTHEAST IS EXPECTED TO
RETURN TO MOST AREAS ON FRIDAY EVENING. BY THEN...REMNANTS OF A
DISSIPATING FRONTAL CLOUD BAND CURRENTLY LOCATED ABOUT 75 MILES
NORTH NORTHWEST OF KAUAI MAY REACH THE ISLANDS...BRINGING SOME
SHOWERS TO THE EARLY PART OF THE WEEKEND. MORE RECENT MODEL RUNS
PREDICT LITTLE SHOWER ACTIVITY SOUTHEAST OF THE KAUAI CHANNEL...AND
THE NOGAPS PRECIPITATION FIELD SHOWS WHAT CAN BEST BE DESCRIBED AS
RANDOM NOISE. IN ANY CASE...SOME SHOWERS ARE LIKELY TO OCCUR AS
PRODUCTS OF CONVERGENCE CAUSED BY THE CHANGE IN WIND...OR BY THE
FAMILIAR TERRAIN EFFECTS...SO A COMPLETELY DRY WEEKEND MAY NOT BE A
REALISTIC PREDICTION EITHER...BUT SOME DECREASE IN EXPECTED RAINFALL
IS CALLED FOR.

FROM LATE SUNDAY INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...EASTERLY WIND WILL
PREVAIL IN THE ABSENCE OF SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ANOMALIES...SUGGESTING
A RETURN TO TRADE-WIND NORMS. BY WEDNESDAY THE GFS PREDICTS THE WIND
TURNING MORE SOUTHEASTERLY AHEAD OF ANOTHER FRONT OR TROUGH
APPROACHING FROM THE NORTHWEST...BUT THIS POTENTIAL EVENT REMAINS
SPECULATIVE.

&&

.MARINE...
A SWELL FROM THE NORTHWEST WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD THIS MORNING...
PRODUCING SURF ABOVE THE 15-FOOT ADVISORY LEVEL ALONG SHORES FACING
NORTH OR WEST ON NIIHAU...KAUAI...OAHU...MOLOKAI...AND MAUI THROUGH
THIS AFTERNOON.

&&

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

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WATERS AROUND KAUAI...AND WATERS WINDWARD
OF OAHU AND MAUI COUNTY.

&&

RYSHKO

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: March 18, 6:00 AM HST to March 20, 8:00 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: March 18, 6:00 AM HST to March 20, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Maui Central Valley

When: March 18, 6:00 AM HST to March 20, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: March 18, 6:00 AM HST to March 20, 8:00 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: March 18, 6:00 AM HST to March 20, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: March 18, 6:00 AM HST to March 20, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Niihau

When: March 18, 6:00 AM HST to March 20, 8:00 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: March 18, 6:00 AM HST to March 20, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Oahu North Shore

When: March 18, 6:00 AM HST to March 20, 8:00 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, Olomana

When: March 18, 6:00 AM HST to March 20, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Olomana 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: March 18, 6:00 AM HST to March 20, 8:00 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: March 18, 6:00 AM HST to March 20, 8:00 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, March 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: 5439672, 5439673, 5439674, 5439675, 5439676, 5439677, 5439678, 5439679, 5439680, 5439681, 5439682, 5439683.