High Surf, Niihau
- When
- December 6, 4:00 PM HST to December 11, 3:00 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 in Hawaii, December 6 to 11, 2006
A deep low near the Aleutian Islands generated surf of 18 to 28 feet along the north-facing shores of all islands except Lanai, and 10 to 20 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and the Big Island of Hawaii. No serious injuries or property damage were reported.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
- 14
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 deep low near the Aleutian Islands generated surf of 18 to 28 feet along the north-facing shores of all islands except Lanai, and 10 to 20 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and the Big Island of Hawaii. No serious injuries or property damage were reported.
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 6, 4:00 PM HST, 0 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 6, 4:00 PM HST, 0 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 400 PM HST WED DEC 6 2006 CORRECTION TO THE MARINE SECTION .SYNOPSIS... TRADE WINDS WILL RETURN TONIGHT AND THURSDAY...AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS TO OUR NORTH. THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT INCREASE IN SHOWERS TONIGHT AND THURSDAY WHEN THE REMNANTS OF A SHEARLINE PASS BY. && .DISCUSSION... A WEAK SHEARLINE ABOUT 125 MILES NORTHWEST OF KAUAI WILL REACH KAUAI TONIGHT THEN LIKELY DISSIPATE SOMEWHERE NEAR KAUAI AND OAHU ON THURSDAY. ONLY A MODEST INCREASE IN RAINFALL IS EXPECTED WITH THE SHEARLINE...SINCE THERE CONTINUES TO BE VERY LIMITED PRECIPITABLE WATER. THE SHOWERS WILL MOST LIKELY OCCUR OVER KAUAI AND OAHU. A 1026 MB HIGH WITH RIDGE EXTENDING TO THE WEST WILL PASS NORTH OF US TONIGHT AND THURSDAY...RESULTING IN AN INCREASE OF THE TRADES INTO THE MODERATE RANGE. PROGS KEEP THE RIDGE TO THE NORTH AND MODERATE TRADES OVERHEAD INTO NEXT WEEK. && .MARINE... A NORTHWEST SWELL WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 16 SECONDS CONTINUES TO SLOWLY RISE AT BUOY ONE. WITH A GROUP VELOCITY OF ABOUT 24 KNOTS... ADVISORY LEVEL SURF WILL BEGIN BREAKING ON NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF KAUAI AROUND 5 PM...AND OAHU NEAR 8 PM TONIGHT. THE HIGH SURF WILL WORK ITS WAY DOWN THE ISLAND CHAIN LATER TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. AS IT STANDS NOW...WARNING LEVEL SURF IS FORECAST TO REACH KAUAI FROM 2 TO 3 AM...OAHU 5 T0 6 AM...MAUI COUNTY MID MORNING... BIG ISLAND EARLY AFTERNOON. THE SURF IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN HIGH THROUGH TOMORROW THEN LOWER BELOW WARNING LEVEL FRIDAY. THIS SWELL WILL BE LARGE ENOUGH TO REQUIRE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES FOR SEAS OF GREATER THAN 10 FEET. WINDS MAY REACH SMALL CRAFT CRITERIA IN THE NORMALLY WINDY SPOTS LIKE THE CHANNELS...MAALAEA BAY AND SOUTH POINT THURSDAY. && .HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH SURF WARNING FOR NORTH FACING SHORES OF NIIHAU KAUAI OAHU MOLOKAI MAUI THROUGH THURSDAY. HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR WEST FACING SHORES OF OAHU THROUGH THURSDAY. HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF THE BIG ISLAND TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. && CRAIG
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
14 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High Surf, Kauai Windward
- When
- December 6, 4:00 PM HST to December 11, 3:00 PM HST
- Where
- Kauai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Kauai Leeward
- When
- December 6, 4:00 PM HST to December 11, 3:00 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, Waianae Coast
- When
- December 6, 4:00 PM HST to December 11, 3:00 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, Oahu North Shore
- When
- December 6, 4:00 PM HST to December 11, 3:00 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, Oahu Koolau
- When
- December 6, 4:00 PM HST to December 11, 3:00 PM HST
- Where
- Oahu Koolau forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Molokai Windward
- When
- December 6, 4:00 PM HST to December 11, 3:00 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Molokai Leeward
- When
- December 6, 4:00 PM HST to December 11, 3:00 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai Leeward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Maui Windward West
- When
- December 6, 4:00 PM HST to December 11, 3:00 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, Maui Central Valley
- When
- December 6, 4:00 PM HST to December 11, 3:00 PM HST
- Where
- Maui Central Valley forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Windward Haleakala
- When
- December 6, 4:00 PM HST to December 11, 3:00 PM HST
- Where
- Windward Haleakala forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Kona
- When
- December 6, 4:00 PM HST to December 11, 3:00 PM 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 6, 4:00 PM HST to December 11, 3:00 PM HST
- Where
- Big Island North and East forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Kohala
- When
- December 6, 4:00 PM HST to December 11, 3:00 PM 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
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 6756, 6757, 6758, 6759, 6760, 6761, 6762, 6763, 6764, 6765, 6766, 6767, 6768, 6769.