High Surf, Niihau
- When
- February 25, 9:00 PM HST to February 26, 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 in Hawaii, February 25 to 26, 2008
A low northwest of the Aloha State generated surf of 12 to 18 feet along the north facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 6 to 12 feet along the west facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, and Molokai. No serious injuries or property damage were reported.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
- 11
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 low northwest of the Aloha State generated surf of 12 to 18 feet along the north facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 6 to 12 feet along the west facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, and Molokai. 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, 8:00 PM HST, 1 hour earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 25, 8:00 PM HST, 1 hour before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 800 PM HST MON FEB 25 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A DISSIPATING FRONT OVER THE SOUTHERN BIG ISLAND WILL BRING CLOUDS AND SHOWERS TO THOSE AREAS OVERNIGHT. A WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL REBUILD JUST NORTH OF THE ISLANDS...BRINGING LIGHT WINDS THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A STRONGER HIGH PRESSURE WILL PASS FAR NORTH OF THE ISLANDS THURSDAY...BRINGING MODERATE TRADE WINDS FOR A DAY OR TWO. THE WINDS WILL TURN SOUTHERLY AGAIN BY THE WEEKEND AS ANOTHER FRONT APPROACHES THE ISLANDS FROM THE NORTHWEST. && .DISCUSSION... A LIGHT NORTHERLY FLOW PREVAILS ACROSS THE STATE THIS EVENING AS WEAK HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN THE WAKE OF A DISSIPATING FRONT NOW ACROSS THE SOUTHERN BIG ISLAND. THERE ARE PRESENTLY A FEW SHOWERS DRIFTING ACROSS SOUTH KONA AND KAU DISTRICTS...WITH MAUNA KEA WEB CAMS INDICATING CLOUD COVER BUT NO NEW SNOW ACCUMULATION ON THE GROUND. POSSIBILITY REMAINS FOR A FEW FLURRIES ON THE BIG ISLAND SUMMITS THIS EVENING WITH FREEZING LEVEL AS LOW AS 13000 FEET...BUT LITTLE IF ANY ACCUMULATION EXPECTED. LIGHT TRADE WINDS WILL DEVELOP OVERNIGHT AND EARLY TUESDAY BUT THEN WEAKEN AND BECOME SOUTHERLY ON LATE TUESDAY AS THE RIDGE WEAKENS AHEAD OF ANOTHER COLD FRONT. THIS COLD FRONT APPEARS TO LACK ANY SUPPORT TO MOVE INTO THE ISLANDS AND JUST STALLS OUT NORTH OF KAUAI WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. SOME SHOWER ACTIVITY IS POSSIBLE IN THE PRE FRONTAL ENVIRONMENT...BUT OTHERWISE THE PATTERN LOOKS FAIRLY DRY. A STRONGER RIDGE WILL SET UP NORTH OF THE ISLANDS FOR THE END OF THE WEEK TO BRING A PERIOD OF MODERATE TRADES THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...BUT THE TRADES WEAKEN AGAIN AS ANOTHER FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST OVER THE WEEKEND. && .MARINE... THE CURRENT SOUTH SWELL CONTINUES TO BRING THE THREAT FOR ADVISORY LEVEL SURF FOR THE SOUTH FACING SHORES TONIGHT. THIS SWELL IS FORECAST TO SLOWLY SUBSIDE TUESDAY. READINGS FROM BUOY ONE INDICATE THE CURRENT NORTHWEST SWELL IS PROBABLY PEAKING THIS EVENING...IN AGREEMENT WITH LATEST NOAA WAVE WATCH RUN...AND THIS SWELL WILL BRING ADVISORY LEVEL SURF FOR THE NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. THUS THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY WILL CONTINUE IN EFFECT FOR NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF KAUAI...OAHU AND MOLOKAI AND THE NORTH FACING SHORES OF MAUI AND THE BIG ISLAND THROUGH TUESDAY. && .HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM HST TUESDAY FOR SOUTH FACING SHORES OF ALL HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST TUESDAY FOR NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF KAUAI...OAHU...MOLOKAI...AND NORTH FACING SHORES OF MAUI AND BIG ISLAND. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THROUGH 6 PM HST TUESDAY FOR KAUAI NORTHWEST WATERS-KAUAI WINDWARD WATERS-KAUAI LEEWARD WATERS-KAUAI CHANNEL-OAHU WINDWARD WATERS. && BRENCHLEY
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
11 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High Surf, Kauai Windward
- When
- February 25, 9:00 PM HST to February 26, 6:00 PM HST
- Where
- Kauai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Kauai Leeward
- When
- February 25, 9:00 PM HST to February 26, 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, Waianae Coast
- When
- February 25, 9:00 PM HST to February 26, 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, Oahu North Shore
- When
- February 25, 9:00 PM HST to February 26, 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, Oahu Koolau
- When
- February 25, 9:00 PM HST to February 26, 6:00 PM HST
- Where
- Oahu Koolau forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Molokai Windward
- When
- February 25, 9:00 PM HST to February 26, 6:00 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Molokai Leeward
- When
- February 25, 9:00 PM HST to February 26, 6:00 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai Leeward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Maui Windward West
- When
- February 25, 9:00 PM HST to February 26, 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, Maui Central Valley
- When
- February 25, 9:00 PM HST to February 26, 6:00 PM HST
- Where
- Maui Central Valley forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Windward Haleakala
- When
- February 25, 9:00 PM HST to February 26, 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
- Winter Storm in Ohio, February 25 to 26, 2008
- Winter Storm in Ohio, February 25 to 27, 2008
- Wildfire in Texas, February 25 to 29, 2008
- Wildfire and High Wind in Texas, February 25, 2008
- Winter Weather in Iowa, February 25 to 26, 2008
- Winter Storm in Indiana, February 25 to 26, 2008
- High Surf in Hawaii, February 25, 2008
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Illinois, February 25 to 26, 2008
- Winter Storm in Illinois, February 25 to 26, 2008
- Winter Weather in Wisconsin, February 25 to 26, 2008
- Hail in Texas, February 25, 2008
- Winter Storm in Michigan, February 25 to 26, 2008
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 77404, 77406, 77407, 77408, 77409, 77410, 77411, 77412, 77413, 77414, 77415.