High Surf in Hawaii, December 28 to 30, 2006

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, December 28 to 30, 2006
Start: 2006-12-28T09:00
End: 2006-12-30T04:00
Location: Hawaii

December 28 to 30, 2006 · NWS HFO · 15 events in 15 counties and zones

A storm low far northwest of the Aloha State caused surf of 18 to 30 feet along the north-facing shores, and 10 to 20 feet along the west-facing shores, of all the islands except Lanai. No serious property damage or injuries were reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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: 15

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 28, 4:00 AM HST, 5 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 28, 4:00 AM HST, 5 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
400 AM HST THU DEC 28 2006

.SYNOPSIS...A SHEARLINE OVER KAUAI AND THE KAUAI CHANNEL WILL SLOW
DOWN AND WEAKEN BEFORE DISSIPATING OVER THE BIG ISLAND TONIGHT AND
FRIDAY. WINDS BEHIND THE SHEARLINE WILL BECOME NORTHEAST TRADES
THROUGH TODAY. WIND SPEEDS WILL INITIALLY BE STRONG BUT WILL
DECREASE FRIDAY AND THEREAFTER AS HIGH PRESSURE BEHIND THE SHEARLINE
MOVES EAST AWAY FROM THE ISLANDS.

&&

.DISCUSSION...THE LEADING EDGE OF THE CLOUD BAND MARKING A SHEARLINE
NOW LIES ACROSS THE KAUAI CHANNEL AND IS POISED TO REACH OAHU WITHIN
THE NEXT HOUR. THE CLOUD BAND CONTINUES TO SLOW DOWN...WITH FORWARD
SPEED NOW ESTIMATED AT 12 MPH. RADAR SHOWS A RAGGED 30 MILE WIDE
BAND OF SHOWERS ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE CLOUD BAND...WITH
SHOWERS JUST NOW BEGINNING TO INCREASE ACROSS THE NORTHERN EXTREMITY
OF OAHU NEAR KAHUKU. IN CONTRAST...SHOWERS HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO
DECREASE NEAR KAUAI AND NIIHAU. THE SHEARLINE WILL CONTINUE TO SLOW
DOWN AS IT DRAGS ACROSS MAUI COUNTY LATER TODAY. BY LATE THURSDAY
NIGHT OR FRIDAY MORNING...SHEARLINE REMNANTS WILL REACH THE BIG
ISLAND AS THIS FEATURE WASHES OUT.

NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS BEHIND THE SHEARLINE WILL PUSH CLOUDS
AGAINST WINDWARD MOUNTAINS...LIKELY INCREASING SHOWERS THERE. POPS
WILL BE A BIT HIGHER LEEWARD AS WELL...BUT LITTLE MORE THAN AN
INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER IS EXPECTED ACROSS MOST LEEWARD SECTIONS OF
THE ISLANDS AS THE SHEARLINE PASSES.

GFS75 SHOWS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE
SHEARLINE...INITIALLY MAKING WINDS A STRONG AND GUSTY INTO THIS
EVENING. BY FRIDAY MORNING...THE HIGH WILL HAVE PASSED TO THE EAST
OF THE ISLANDS...CAUSING THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TO RELAX AND OUR
TRADES TO DECREASE. THE REST OF THE FORECAST PERIOD WILL SEE
MODERATE TRADES AND RATHER DRY CONDITIONS.

&&

.MARINE...A HIGH SURF WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH AND WEST SHORES
OF NIIHAU...KAUAI...OAHU...MOLOKAI...AND NORTH SHORES OF MAUI. BY 3
AM HST...BUOY ONE SHOWED THE FORERUNNERS OF THE APPROACHING
NORTHWEST SWELL...WITH ENERGY NOTED AT 19 AND 20 SECONDS. THESE
FORERUNNERS SHOULD REACH THE MAIN ISLANDS BETWEEN 8 AM AND 10
AM...WITH SURF BUILDING TO WARNING HEIGHTS THROUGH THE DAY TODAY. IT
LOOKS LIKE THIS SWELL WILL PEAK LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY
EVENING. SURF OF 25 FEET OR HIGHER CAN BE EXPECTED UNTIL 6 PM FRIDAY
BUT HEIGHTS MAY DROP BELOW 25 FEET SOONER. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS
ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH...EAST AND WEST SHORES OF THE BIG
ISLAND STARTING AT NOON TODAY UNTIL 6 AM SATURDAY.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR HAWAIIAN WATERS
FOR STRENGTHENING NORTH AND NORTHEAST WINDS. WINDS OF 25 KNOTS ARE
EXPECTED TODAY...LASTING UNTIL EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. THE SMALL CRAFT
ADVISORY ALSO COVERS SEAS OF WELL OVER 10 FEET.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF WARNING FOR NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES
NIIHAU...KAUAI...OAHU...MOLOKAI AS WELL AS NORTH FACING SHORES OF
MAUI.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR BIG ISLAND NORTH...EAST...AND WEST SHORES.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY ALL HAWAIIAN WATERS.
&&

POWELL

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Niihau

When: December 28, 9:00 AM HST to December 30, 4:00 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, Kauai Windward

When: December 28, 9:00 AM HST to December 30, 4:00 AM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: December 28, 9:00 AM HST to December 30, 4:00 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, Waianae Coast

When: December 28, 9:00 AM HST to December 30, 4:00 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, Oahu North Shore

When: December 28, 9:00 AM HST to December 30, 4:00 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, Oahu Koolau

When: December 28, 9:00 AM HST to December 30, 4:00 AM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Olomana

When: December 28, 9:00 AM HST to December 30, 4:00 AM 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, Molokai Windward

When: December 28, 9:00 AM HST to December 30, 4:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: December 28, 9:00 AM HST to December 30, 4:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: December 28, 9:00 AM HST to December 30, 4:00 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, Maui Central Valley

When: December 28, 9:00 AM HST to December 30, 4:00 AM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: December 28, 9:00 AM HST to December 30, 4:00 AM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kona

When: December 28, 9:00 AM HST to December 30, 4:00 AM HST
Where: Kona forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When: December 28, 9:00 AM HST to December 30, 4:00 AM HST
Where: Big Island North and East forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kohala

When: December 28, 9:00 AM HST to December 30, 4:00 AM HST
Where: Kohala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (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

Every storm in Hawaii in 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, December 2006

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: 6801, 6802, 6803, 6804, 6805, 6806, 6807, 6808, 6809, 6810, 6811, 6812, 6813, 6814, 6815.