High Surf, Big Island North and East
- When
- February 23, 6:00 AM HST to February 24, 2:00 AM HST
- Where
- Big Island North and East forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf in Hawaii, February 23 to 24, 2006
A gale low far northeast of the state generated surf of 6 to 10 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii. For a time on the morning of the 23rd, the higher surf forced the closure of one lane on Bayfront Drive in the Hilo Harbor area.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
- 7
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 gale low far northeast of the state generated surf of 6 to 10 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii. For a time on the morning of the 23rd, the higher surf forced the closure of one lane on Bayfront Drive in the Hilo Harbor area. However, no serious property damage or injuries 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 Feb 23, 4:00 AM HST, 2 hours earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 23, 4:00 AM HST, 2 hours before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 400 AM HST THU FEB 23 2006 .SYNOPSIS... LIGHT TO MODERATE TRADES WILL CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND. THE TRADE WINDS WILL BE USHERING IN A FEW SHOWER BEARING CLOUDS THAT WILL BE AFFECTING THE WINDWARD AND MOUNTAIN AREAS OF ALL ISLANDS INTO THE WEEKEND. && .DISCUSSION... MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT FOR THE NEXT 48 HOURS OR SO. THEY ALL HAVE A SURFACE LOW NORTHWEST OF THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. BEYOND 48 HOURS...THE MODELS START TO DISAGREE WITH THE PLACEMENT OF THE SURFACE LOW...BUT ALL DO KEEP THE LOW WEST OF THE ISLANDS. SIMILAR AGREEMENT IN THE MID TO UPPER ATMOSPHERE...AND AN UPPER LEVEL LOW FORMING NORTHEAST OF THE ISLANDS AND SINKING SOUTH THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. NO BIG CHANGES TO THE GRIDS. HIGH WIND WARNING WILL REMAIN FOR THE BIG ISLAND SUMMITS. THE CFHT/GEM AND UKIRT GAGES HAVE HAD WIND SPEEDS RIGHT AT THE WARNING CRITERIA OF 45 MPH OVERNIGHT. THE MODELS HAVE THE WINDS OVER THE SUMMITS GRADUALLY DROPPING TODAY...AND DON/T SEE ANY REASON TO GO AGAINST THIS TREND. A WIND ADVISORY WILL LIKELY REPLACE THE WARNING LATER THIS MORNING. && .MARINE... A GALE LOW...LOCATED NORTHEAST OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SEVERAL DAYS AGO...GENERATED AN OPEN OCEAN SWELL THAT IS NOW REACHING ISLAND SHORES. BASED ON BUOY OBSERVATIONS...SURF HAS BUILT ABOVE ADVISORY LEVELS...AND IS EXPECTED TO DROP BELOW ADVISORY LEVELS EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. && .HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING SUMMITS OF MAUNA KEA AND MAUNA LOA BIG ISLAND. HIGH SURF ADVISORY EAST FACING SHORES ALL ISLANDS. &&
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
7 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High Surf, Kauai Windward
- When
- February 23, 6:00 AM HST to February 24, 2:00 AM HST
- Where
- Kauai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, Maui Windward West
- When
- February 23, 6:00 AM HST to February 24, 2:00 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 Windward
- When
- February 23, 6:00 AM HST to February 24, 2:00 AM HST
- Where
- Molokai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, Oahu Koolau
- When
- February 23, 6:00 AM HST to February 24, 2:00 AM HST
- Where
- Oahu Koolau forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, Olomana
- When
- February 23, 6:00 AM HST to February 24, 2:00 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, Windward Haleakala
- When
- February 23, 6:00 AM HST to February 24, 2:00 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
- Dense Fog in Maryland, February 23, 2006
- Dense Fog in Virginia, February 23, 2006
- Dense Fog in West Virginia, February 23, 2006
- Heavy Snow in Montana, February 23 to 24, 2006
- Heavy Snow in Montana, February 23, 2006
- Heavy Snow in Idaho, February 23 to 24, 2006
- Lake-Effect Snow in Wisconsin, February 23, 2006
- Dense Fog in District of Columbia, February 23, 2006
- Heavy Rain in Hawaii, February 23, 2006
- Heavy Snow in Montana, February 23, 2006
- Heavy Snow in Oregon, February 23 to 24, 2006
- Heavy Snow in Washington, February 23 to 24, 2006
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, February 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: 5493107, 5493108, 5493109, 5493110, 5493111, 5493112, 5493113.