High Surf in Hawaii, February 5 to 11, 2006

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, February 5 to 11, 2006
Start: 2006-02-05T02:00
End: 2006-02-11T18:00
Location: Hawaii

February 5 to 11, 2006 · NWS HFO · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

A storm low far northwest of the islands produced surf of 15 to 30 feet along the north-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; 10 to 20 feet along the west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, and Molokai; 15 to 20 feet along the north-facing shores of the Big Island of Hawaii; and 6 to 10 feet along the west-facing shores of the Big Island. On the 5th of the month, lifeguards…

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

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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.

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 4, 8:30 PM HST, 5 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 4, 8:30 PM HST, 5 hours 30 minutes before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
830 PM HST SAT FEB 4 2006

.SYNOPSIS...
CLOUDY CONDITIONS WITH LITTLE RAIN WILL PERSIST OVER WINDWARD AND
MOUNTAIN AREAS THROUGH MONDAY AS GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS TURN TO
TRADES. LEE AREAS WILL BE MOSTLY CLEAR. STRONG WINDS BLOWING OVER
THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS MAY REACH SEA LEVEL LOCALLY. A NEW FRONT WILL
BRING SHOWERS AROUND WEDNESDAY.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
STABLE POST-FRONTAL CLOUD COVER PREVAILED AROUND THE MAIN HAWAIIAN
ISLANDS. NORTHEAST WIND PILED UP THESE CLOUDS ALONG NORTHEAST SLOPES
OF THE ISLANDS...BUT THE INVERSION WAS EXTREMELY LOW...AND
PRECIPITATION QUITE SPARSE. AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH LOCATED JUST
NORTHEAST OF THE STATE PRODUCED A STEEP GRADIENT ACROSS THE
ISLANDS...RESULTING IN STRONG WIND OVER HIGHER ELEVATIONS. ALTHOUGH
THERE WERE REPORTS OF STRONG GUSTS NEAR SEA LEVEL AS WELL...MAINLY
WHERE TOPOGRAPHY HELPED TO CREATE ROTORS AND CHANNEL THE WIND...
STRONG STATIC STABILITY PREVENTED THE MOST POWERFUL SUSTAINED WIND
FROM REACHING LOWER ELEVATIONS.

BY BEGINNING OF THE COMING WEEK...MODELS SHOW THE UPPER TROUGH
DEEPENING FURTHER TO THE SOUTHWEST AND BECOMING LODGED IN PLACE AS
AN UPPER RIDGE EXTENDS NORTHEAST OVER THE ISLANDS. THE RESULTING
SYNOPTIC PATTERN WILL ACT AS A BLOCK TO FURTHER UPPER-LEVEL FLOW
THROUGH ABOUT MONDAY. THE GRADIENT AT UPPER LEVELS WILL REMAIN
FAVORABLE FOR STRONG WIND ACROSS THE SUMMITS DURING THIS TIME. AT
LOWER LEVELS...THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE WILL BUILD BACK IN...GRADUALLY
RETURNING THE PREVAILING WIND TO MORE TYPICAL TRADES.

FROM MONDAY INTO TUESDAY...THE UPPER TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO START
MOVING OFF TO THE EAST...ALLOWING THE GRADIENT AND WIND AT HIGHER
LEVELS TO DIMINISH. CLOSER TO SEA LEVEL...THE WIND ALSO WILL WEAKEN
AHEAD OF ANOTHER APPROACHING FRONT. THIS FEATURE IS EXPECTED TO
SPREAD SHOWERS ACROSS THE ISLANDS AROUND WEDNESDAY. A POST-FRONTAL
REGIME SIMILAR TO THE ONE AT PRESENT IS EXPECTED TO PREVAIL FROM
WEDNESDAY TO NEXT WEEKEND...WHEN YET ANOTHER FRONT MAY APPROACH.

&&

.MARINE...
LONG-PERIOD FORERUNNERS AT BUOY ONE INDICATE THAT AN ESPECIALLY
LARGE NORTHWEST SWELL WILL SOON REACH THE ISLANDS. A HIGH SURF
WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH AND WEST SHORES OF MOST ISLANDS. SEE
THE COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE FOR DETAILS.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF WARNING FOR NORTH- AND WEST-FACING SHORES OF NIIHAU...
KAUAI...OAHU...AND MOLOKAI.

HIGH SURF WARNING FOR NORTH-FACING SHORES OF MAUI.

HIGH SURF WARNING FOR WEST-FACING SHORES OF THE BIG ISLAND.

HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR NORTH-FACING SHORES OF THE BIG ISLAND.

WIND ADVISORY FOR THE SUMMIT AREAS OF HALEAKALA...MAUNA LOA...AND
MAUNA KEA.

&&

RYSHKO

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When: February 5, 2:00 AM HST to February 11, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Big Island North and East forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: February 5, 2:00 AM HST to February 11, 6:00 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: February 5, 2:00 AM HST to February 11, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Kohala

When: February 5, 2:00 AM HST to February 11, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Kohala forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Kona

When: February 5, 2:00 AM HST to February 11, 6:00 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, Maui Central Valley

When: February 5, 2:00 AM HST to February 11, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: February 5, 2:00 AM HST to February 11, 6:00 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: February 5, 2:00 AM HST to February 11, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: February 5, 2:00 AM HST to February 11, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Niihau

When: February 5, 2:00 AM HST to February 11, 6:00 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: February 5, 2:00 AM HST to February 11, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Oahu North Shore

When: February 5, 2:00 AM HST to February 11, 6:00 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, Waianae Coast

When: February 5, 2:00 AM HST to February 11, 6:00 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: February 5, 2:00 AM HST to February 11, 6:00 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 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 5492983, 5492984, 5492985, 5492986, 5492987, 5492988, 5492989, 5492990, 5492991, 5492992, 5492993, 5492994, 5492995, 5492996.