High Surf in Hawaii, January 2 to 4, 2007

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, January 2 to 4, 2007
Start: 2007-01-02T02:00
End: 2007-01-04T03:00
Location: Hawaii

January 2 to 4, 2007 · NWS HFO · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

A storm low far northwest of the Hawaiian Islands generated surf of 20 to 30 feet along the north-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; 15 to 20 feet along the west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, and Molokai, and 6 to 10 feet along the west-facing shores of the Big Island of Hawaii. There were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 13

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 Jan 1, 8:30 PM HST, 5 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 1, 8:30 PM HST, 5 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
830 PM HST MON JAN 1 2007

.SYNOPSIS...MODERATE TRADE WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY WITH
SHOWERS MAINLY FALLING ACROSS WINDWARD AND MOUNTAIN AREAS. TRADES
WINDS WILL INCREASE TUESDAY NIGHT...BECOMING BREEZY AND GUSTY FOR
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AS STRONG HIGH PRESSURE PASSES NORTH OF THE
STATE.

&&

.DISCUSSION...A RIDGE NORTH OF THE STATE WILL KEEP MODERATE TRADE
WINDS BLOWING ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH TUESDAY. RIDGING ALOFT JUST
NORTH OF THE ISLANDS IS CREATING RATHER STABLE CONDITIONS...AS
REFLECTED IN THE INVERSION BASE NEAR 4000 FT AT LIHUE THIS
AFTERNOON. IN SPITE OF THIS...A SMALL BATCH OF CLOUDS AND SHOWERS
MOVING WITHIN THE TRADE WIND FLOW IS IMPACTING OAHU THIS EVENING.
ANY SHOWERS MAKING IT TO LEEWARD AREAS WILL BE BRIEF AS THIS FEATURE
IS EXPECTED TO CLEAR THE ISLAND IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. SHOWERS
WILL CONTINUE TO FAVOR WINDWARD AND MOUNTAIN AREAS THROUGH
TUESDAY...WHILE AN UPPER LOW SOUTHEAST OF THE STATE ENHANCES SHOWERS
FOR THE BIG ISLAND.

THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THE UPPER RIDGE NORTH OF KAUAI AND
THE UPPER LOW SOUTHEAST OF THE BIG ISLAND IS CREATING WINDY
CONDITIONS ACROSS THE BIG ISLAND SUMMITS AND THE SUMMIT OF HALEAKALA
ON MAUI. THE UPPER LOW IS NOW ABOUT 550 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HILO AND
IS MOVING WEST AT NEARLY 15 MPH. THE UPPER LOW WILL PASS SOUTH OF
THE BIG ISLAND ON TUESDAY...LIKELY MAINTAINING THE WINDY CONDITIONS
ON THE SUMMITS THROUGH THE DAY. THE UPPER LOW WILL ALSO ENHANCE
SHOWERS FOR WINDWARD BIG ISLAND...AND POSSIBLY THE SMALLER ISLANDS
TUESDAY. HOWEVER...THE MOISTURE THAT SPREADS UP THE ISLAND CHAIN IS
NOT EXPECTED TO BE EXCESSIVE.

BREEZY AND GUSTY TRADE WINDS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE
WEEK. WINDS WILL INCREASE TUESDAY NIGHT AS A STRENGTHENING HIGH
PRESSURE CELL MOVES WITHIN 1000 MILES NORTHWEST OF HONOLULU. THE
HIGH WILL BUILD TO AN IMPRESSIVE 1040 MB ON WEDNESDAY AS IT PASSES
NORTH OF THE STATE. AS A RESULT...TRADE WINDS WILL BE BREEZY AND
GUSTY THROUGH THURSDAY. THESE CONDITIONS WILL ALLOW SOME SHOWERS TO
SPREAD TO LEEWARD AREAS OF THE SMALLER ISLANDS.

TRADES WILL SLOWLY EASE TO MODERATE LEVELS ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
AS THE HIGH MOVES OFF TO THE EAST. THE GFS AND ECMWF INDICATE
FURTHER WEAKENING OF THE TRADE WINDS THIS WEEKEND AS THE SURFACE
RIDGE TO OUR NORTH ERODES AND IS REPLACED BY A TROUGH. IF THIS
OCCURS...THERE MAY BE A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE SYNOPTIC
PATTERN...AND OUR LOCAL WEATHER CONDITIONS...EARLY NEXT WEEK.

&&

.MARINE...
THE VERY LARGE WEST-NORTHWEST SWELL ARRIVING TONIGHT IS EXPECTED TO
PRODUCE SURF HEIGHTS AT OR ABOVE THE HIGH SURF WARNING THRESHOLD
ALONG NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF THE SMALLER ISLANDS FROM KAUAI
TO MAUI...EXCLUDING LANAI...BY TUESDAY MORNING. AS A RESULT...A HIGH
SURF WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR RISING SURF ALONG THE SHORES
EXPOSED TO THIS SWELL. ALONG THE LEEWARD BIG ISLAND...WAVE WATCH III
MODEL INDICATES THAT THE SWELL WILL BE FROM ABOUT 300 DEGREES AND
SURF HEIGHTS SHOULD REACH THE ADVISORY THRESHOLD OF 8 FEET BY
TUESDAY MORNING. THE SURF IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE RISING THERE
THROUGH THE DAY. THIS WILL LIKELY RESULT IN SURF HEIGHTS AT OR ABOVE
THE HIGH SURF WARNING THRESHOLD OF 12 FEET FOR PORTIONS OF THE
COASTLINE OF THE LEEWARD BIG ISLAND BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THIS HIGH
SURF EPISODE WILL LIKELY CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY.

AS A RESULT OF THIS LARGE SWELL...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN
ISSUED FOR TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR ALL COASTAL
WATERS AND CHANNELS...EXCLUDING MAALAEA BAY AND THE PAILOLO CHANNEL.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM HST WEDNESDAY
FOR NIIHAU-KAUAI WINDWARD-KAUAI LEEWARD-WAIANAE COAST-OAHU NORTH
SHORE-OAHU KOOLAU-MOLOKAI-MAUI WINDWARD WEST-MAUI CENTRAL VALLEY-
WINDWARD HALEAKALA.

HIGH SURF ADVISORY FROM 6 AM TUESDAY TO 6 AM HST WEDNESDAY FOR
KONA-KOHALA.

WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM HST TUESDAY FOR HALEAKALA SUMMIT-BIG
ISLAND SUMMITS.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM HST WEDNESDAY
FOR COASTAL WATERS AROUND KAUAI.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM HST WEDNESDAY FOR
REMAINING COASTAL WATERS AND CHANNELS...EXCLUDING MAALAEA BAY AND
THE PAILOLO CHANNEL.

&&

WROE

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Niihau

When: January 2, 2:00 AM HST to January 4, 3:00 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: January 2, 2:00 AM HST to January 4, 3:00 AM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: January 2, 2:00 AM HST to January 4, 3:00 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: January 2, 2:00 AM HST to January 4, 3:00 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: January 2, 2:00 AM HST to January 4, 3:00 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: January 2, 2:00 AM HST to January 4, 3:00 AM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: January 2, 2:00 AM HST to January 4, 3:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: January 2, 2:00 AM HST to January 4, 3:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: January 2, 2:00 AM HST to January 4, 3:00 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: January 2, 2:00 AM HST to January 4, 3:00 AM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: January 2, 2:00 AM HST to January 4, 3:00 AM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kona

When: January 2, 2:00 AM HST to January 4, 3:00 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, Kohala

When: January 2, 2:00 AM HST to January 4, 3:00 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 2007 Every state in 2007 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, January 2007

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: 7825, 7826, 7827, 7828, 7829, 7830, 7831, 7832, 7833, 7834, 7835, 7836, 7837.