High Surf in Hawaii, April 29 to 30, 2008

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, April 29 to 30, 2008
Start: 2008-04-29T06:00
End: 2008-04-30T23:59
Location: Hawaii

April 29 to 30, 2008 · NWS HFO · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

A storm low east of New Zealand caused surf of 6 to 10 feet along the south-facing shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. No serious property damage or injuries were reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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: 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 storm low east of New Zealand caused surf of 6 to 10 feet along the south-facing shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. 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 Apr 29, 4:00 AM HST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 29, 4:00 AM HST, 2 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
400 AM HST TUE APR 29 2008

.SYNOPSIS...
TRADE WINDS WILL STRENGTHEN SLIGHTLY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...BRINGING
INCREASED SHOWERS MAINLY TO WINDWARD SLOPES. HIGH CLOUDS WILL COVER
THE ISLANDS AT TIMES THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
THE WEAKENING FRONT TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
SLOWED DOWN AS EXPECTED...AND ANY FURTHER STRENGTHENING OF THE
SUBTROPICAL RIDGE TO THE NORTH AND NORTHEAST...TOGETHER WITH
SUBSIDENCE FROM PERSISTENT RIDGING ALOFT...SHOULD DEFLECT THE
FRONTAL CLOUD BAND TO WELL NORTH OF THE STATE. CLOSER TO THE
ISLANDS...THE TRADES EDGED UP TOWARD THE UPPER LEVEL OF THE RANGE
COMMONLY CALLED MODERATE. IF THE SURFACE RIDGE DEVELOPS AS
EXPECTED...THEN THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY WELL REQUIRE SOME
EXPANSION.

LOW CLOUD COVER HEWED REASONABLY CLOSE TO CLIMATOLOGY...THOUGH THE
INCREASINGLY DENSE HIGHER OVERCAST REDUCED CERTAINTY IN THIS
DEPARTMENT. WINDWARD RAINFALL HAD INCREASED OVERNIGHT...WHILE
REMAINING BELOW CLIMATOLOGY...PROBABLY AS A RESULT OF THE RELATIVELY
LOW INVERSION CAPPING VERTICAL GROWTH...AND THE OVERCAST LIMITING
CLOUD-TOP COOLING. PRECIPITABLE VALUES WERE QUITE HIGH...WITH MUCH
OF THIS MOISTURE OCCURRING IN THE CLOUD LAYERS ABOVE THE TRADE-WIND
INVERSION. IF NOT FOR THE SHADING EFFECTS OF THE HIGHER CLOUDS...
THERE MIGHT BE SOME CONCERN ABOUT UPSLOPE THUNDER ON THE BIG ISLAND
OR MAUI...BUT AS THINGS STAND THE AFTERNOON CONVECTION SHOULD BE
LIMITED TO TYPICAL VALUES.

AT LOWER LEVELS...UNLESS THE INVERSION DIPS BELOW ABOUT 5000 FEET...
OROGRAPHIC FORCING WILL SQUEEZE OUT INCREASED SHOWERS OVER WINDWARD
SLOPES BY THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK...THOUGH ACCUMULATION WILL REMAIN
ON THE LIGHT SIDE OF USUAL. PREVAILING TRADES WILL CONTINUE TO BLOW
VOLCANIC EMISSIONS FROM KILAUEA WEST...AWAY FROM HILO AND THE
SMALLER ISLANDS...BUT KEEPING SOUTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE BIG ISLAND
QUITE HAZY.

BY THE END OF THE WEEKEND...GUIDANCE PREDICTS AN UPPER TROUGH TO
DENT THE RIDGE ALOFT OVER THE ISLANDS AS A WEAKENING FRONT
APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST. ALTHOUGH GUIDANCE HAS NOT BEEN
ENTIRELY CONSISTENT IN ITS PREDICTIONS ABOUT THIS DEVELOPMENT...IT
DOES APPEAR TO BE MOVING TOWARD A CONSENSUS. IN THIS COMPROMISE
SCENARIO...WINDS FROM SUNDAY INTO NEXT TUESDAY WILL ACQUIRE A
SOUTHERLY COMPONENT MAINLY AROUND KAUAI...BUT REMAIN NEARLY EASTERLY
ACROSS THE REST OF THE STATE.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST THURSDAY FOR NIIHAU-KAUAI
WINDWARD-KAUAI LEEWARD-OAHU SOUTH SHORE-WAIANAE COAST-MOLOKAI
LEEWARD-LANAI MAKAI-KAHOOLAWE-MAUI LEEWARD WEST-MAUI CENTRAL
VALLEY-LEEWARD HALEAKALA-KONA-SOUTH BIG ISLAND-BIG ISLAND NORTH
AND EAST.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM HST WEDNESDAY FOR MAALAEA BAY-
PAILOLO CHANNEL-ALENUIHAHA CHANNEL-BIG ISLAND LEEWARD WATERS-BIG
ISLAND SOUTHEAST WATERS.

&&

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, Niihau

When: April 29, 6:00 AM HST to April 30, 11:59 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, Kauai Windward

When: April 29, 6:00 AM HST to April 30, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: April 29, 6:00 AM HST to April 30, 11:59 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, Oahu South Shore

When: April 29, 6:00 AM HST to April 30, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Oahu South Shore forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Waianae Coast

When: April 29, 6:00 AM HST to April 30, 11:59 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, Molokai Leeward

When: April 29, 6:00 AM HST to April 30, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Lanai Makai

When: April 29, 6:00 AM HST to April 30, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Lanai Makai forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kahoolawe

When: April 29, 6:00 AM HST to April 30, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Kahoolawe forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Maui Leeward West

When: April 29, 6:00 AM HST to April 30, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Maui Leeward 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: April 29, 6:00 AM HST to April 30, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Leeward Haleakala

When: April 29, 6:00 AM HST to April 30, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Leeward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kona

When: April 29, 6:00 AM HST to April 30, 11:59 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, South Big Island

When: April 29, 6:00 AM HST to April 30, 11:59 PM HST
Where: South Big Island forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When: April 29, 6:00 AM HST to April 30, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Big Island North and East 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 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, April 2008

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: 87646, 87647, 87648, 87649, 87650, 87651, 87652, 87653, 87654, 87655, 87656, 87657, 87658, 87659.