High Surf in Hawaii, February 25, 2008

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, February 25, 2008
Start: 2008-02-25T05:00
End: 2008-02-25T16:00
Location: Hawaii

February 25, 2008 · NWS HFO · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

A storm low southeast of New Zealand caused surf of 6 to 9 feet along the south facing shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. No serious injuries or property damage 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 southeast of New Zealand caused surf of 6 to 9 feet along the south facing shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. 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 Feb 25, 4:00 AM HST, 1 hour earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 25, 4:00 AM HST, 1 hour before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
400 AM HST MON FEB 25 2008

.SYNOPSIS...
A DECAYING FRONT OVER MAUI COUNTY THIS MORNING WILL SLOWLY MAKE
IT/S WAY TO THE BIG ISLAND LATER TODAY...BRINGING SOME CLOUDS AND
SHOWERS TO THOSE AREAS. BEHIND THE FRONT...WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL
BUILD IN. LIGHT WINDS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AS THE
HIGH MOVES EAST.
&&

.DISCUSSION...
THE FRONT APPEARS TO BE OVER MAUI COUNTY EARLY THIS MORNING...AND IS
STILL EXPECTED TO MOVE ON TOWARDS THE BIG ISLAND LATER TODAY. STILL
HAVE THE POSSIBILITY FOR SOME LIGHT SNOW ATOP MAUNA KEA AND MAUNA
LOA...BUT LITTLE ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. THE BACK EDGE OF THE LOW
CLOUD BAND ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT IS JUST OFF THE NORTH SHORE OF
OAHU THIS MORNING.

PRECIPITABLE WATER AT LIHUE IS 0.87 INCHES WITH THE 12Z SOUNDING...
WHICH IS BELOW NORMAL ONCE AGAIN. WITH THE FRONT PASSED THE GARDEN
ISLE...SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL ONCE AGAIN BE LIMITED. EXPECTED SIMILAR
CONDITIONS TO MOVE OVER OAHU LATER TODAY AS THE LOW CLOUD BAND
CLEARS THE ISLAND.

SUMMIT WINDS ON MAUNA KEA AND MAUNA LOA CAME UP LAST NIGHT...SO HAVE
INCREASED THE WINDS IN THOSE AREAS. THE HILO SOUNDING AT 12Z HAD 600
MB WINDS OF 20 KNOTS...A TOUCH BELOW THE 00Z SOUNDING. IT WILL
LIKELY BE ON THE BREEZY SIDE ATOP THE MOUNTAINS TODAY...BUT EXPECT
THE WINDS TO DIE DOWN AGAIN TONIGHT.

LOOKING FOR WEAK HIGH PRESSURE TO BUILD IN BEHIND THE FRONTAL
PASSAGE...AND MOVES TO THE EAST ON TUESDAY. AS THE HIGH MOVES TO THE
EAST...WINDS NEAR THE ISLANDS WILL ONCE AGAIN SHIFT TO THE SOUTHEAST
AS YET ANOTHER FRONTAL SYSTEM APPROACHES. THIS NEXT FRONT IS
EXPECTED TO LIFT NORTH AS IT APPROACHES THE ISLANDS...AND IS NOT
EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER THE ISLANDS. THIS NEXT FRONT WILL LIKELY LEAVE
SOME MOISTURE UPSTREAM OF THE ISLANDS THAT COULD BE CARRIED IN ON
TRADES DURING THE END OF THE WEEK.

&&

.MARINE...
THE SOUTH SWELL ENERGY CONTINUES TO SHOW UP AT BUOYS 2...3 AND
4...AND THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR SOUTH FACING SHORES CONTINUES
THROUGH TODAY. STILL EXPECTING SURF TO FALL BELOW ADVISORY LEVELS
LATE TODAY.

A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS UP FOR NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF
THE SMALLER ISLANDS. STORM SYSTEMS FAR NORTH OF THE ISLANDS WILL
BRING INCREASING SWELLS FROM THE NORTHWEST THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON.
WHILE MODEL DATA SUGGESTS THAT THIS SWELL COULD REACH WARNING
LEVEL...WE HAVE NOT SEEN THE SWELL SHOW UP AT BUOY 1 YET. THE NEXT
FEW HOURS WILL BE TELLING. ANOTHER NORTHWEST SWELL ARRIVING
WEDNESDAY MAY PRODUCE ADVISORY LEVEL SURF WEDNESDAY NIGHT/THURSDAY.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST MONDAY FOR SOUTH FACING SHORES OF
ALL HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.

HIGH SURF ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM HST MONDAY FOR NORTH
AND WEST FACING SHORES OF KAUAI...OAHU...MOLOKAI...AND NORTH FACING
SHORES OF MAUI.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THROUGH 6 PM HST TUESDAY FOR KAUAI NORTHWEST
WATERS-KAUAI WINDWARD WATERS-KAUAI LEEWARD WATERS-KAUAI CHANNEL-OAHU
WINDWARD WATERS.
&&

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: February 25, 5:00 AM HST to 4:00 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, Kauai Windward

When: February 25, 5:00 AM HST to 4:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: February 25, 5:00 AM HST to 4:00 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, Oahu South Shore

When: February 25, 5:00 AM HST to 4:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu South Shore forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Waianae Coast

When: February 25, 5:00 AM HST to 4:00 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, Molokai Windward

When: February 25, 5:00 AM HST to 4:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: February 25, 5:00 AM HST to 4:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Lanai Makai

When: February 25, 5:00 AM HST to 4:00 PM HST
Where: Lanai Makai forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kahoolawe

When: February 25, 5:00 AM HST to 4:00 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: February 25, 5:00 AM HST to 4:00 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: February 25, 5:00 AM HST to 4:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Leeward Haleakala

When: February 25, 5:00 AM HST to 4:00 PM HST
Where: Leeward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kona

When: February 25, 5:00 AM HST to 4:00 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, South Big Island

When: February 25, 5:00 AM HST to 4:00 PM HST
Where: South Big Island 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, February 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: 77382, 77383, 77384, 77385, 77386, 77388, 77389, 77390, 77392, 77393, 77394, 77395, 77396, 77398.