High Surf in Hawaii, February 7 to 9, 2008

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, February 7 to 9, 2008
Start: 2008-02-07T07:00
End: 2008-02-09T23:00
Location: Hawaii

February 7 to 9, 2008 · NWS HFO · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

A deep low far northwest of the islands caused surf of 12 to 18 feet along the north facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 8 to 12 feet along the west facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, and Oahu. There were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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: 10

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 7, 3:50 AM HST, 3 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 7, 3:50 AM HST, 3 hours 10 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
350 AM HST THU FEB 7 2008

.SYNOPSIS...THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL CONTINUE ITS PRESCIENCE
AROUND THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS THROUGH SATURDAY. EXPECT THE
THREAT OF HEAVY SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TO PERSIST UNTIL
SATURDAY WITH A MORE NORMAL TRADE WIND REGIME TO FOLLOW INTO THE
FIRST HALF OF THE NEW WORK WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...THE LATEST GFS MODEL RUN IS QUITE DISAPPOINTING FOR
IT RETAIN THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
UNTIL SATURDAY. THIS LATEST RUN DEALS WITH A SERIES OF SHORT WAVE
TROUGHS OR IMPULSES DROPPING INTO THIS MAIN UPPER LEVEL
TROUGH...THUS KEEPING THE EASTWARD PROGRESSION IN CHECK. THE IMPULSE
THAT IS WEST OF KAUAI WILL ARRIVING THIS AFTERNOON...AND IT WILL NOT
BE A HELP TO US. ANOTHER IMPULSE WILL BE DROPPING DOWN
TONIGHT...EARLY FRIDAY MORNING AND ANOTHER FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THESE
IMPULSES WILL MAINTAIN THE THREAT OF HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
FOR PARTICULARLY THE BIG ISLAND THROUGH FRIDAY. LATEST SATELLITE
IMAGERY SHOWS THE THINNING OUT OF THE MULTILAYERED CLOUDS ACROSS THE
STATE AS AN IMPULSE KICKS OUT FROM SOUTH OF THE BIG ISLAND. THE GFS
MODEL SUPPORTS THIS THINNING OF MOISTURE IN THE MIDDLE LAYERS OF
THE ATMOSPHERE TODAY. THE BIG ISLAND MAY EVEN GET A PEEK OF
SUNSHINE...FINALLY. BUT IT WILL NOT DIMINISH THE THREAT OF
THUNDERSTORMS. WITH AMPLE SUNSHINE...LIGHT WINDS...MOISTURE AND A
UNSTABLE AIRMASS...THE KONA SIDE IS RIPE FOR SOME ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. WITH THE TROUGH AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS
OVER US...I HAVE ELECTED FOR A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE BIG
ISLAND. MAUI IS ALSO IN IT FOR SAFE MEASURE.

THE WINTER ADVISORY FOR THE BIG ISLAND SUMMITS WILL BE EXTENDED TO
6 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO COVER FOR CONVECTIVE BUILDUPS OVER THE SLOPES
AND SUMMITS THIS AFTERNOON.

THE SURFACE WINDS WILL BE LIGHT TO MODERATE TRADES THROUGH THE
WEEKEND BUT MORE FROM THE NORTHEAST DIRECTION FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.
THIS IS DUE TO A SURFACE HIGH PASSING WELL NORTH OF THE STATE. BY
SUNDAY THE WINDS WILL RETURN TO A MORE EAST COMPONENT.

&&

.MARINE...THE BUOY DATA FROM WAIMEA BUOY SUGGEST SURF HEIGHTS
ALREADY AT ADVISORY LEVEL. THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS GOOD UNTIL 6
AM SATURDAY.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST THIS AFTERNOON FOR BIG ISLAND
SUMMITS.

HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6AM SATURDAY FOR NORTH AND WEST SHORES OF
NIIHAU KAUAI AND OAHU...AND NORTH FACING SHORES OF MOLOKAI AND
MAUI.

&&

LAU

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Niihau

When: February 7, 7:00 AM HST to February 9, 11:00 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 7, 7:00 AM HST to February 9, 11:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: February 7, 7:00 AM HST to February 9, 11:00 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 North Shore

When: February 7, 7:00 AM HST to February 9, 11:00 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 7, 7:00 AM HST to February 9, 11:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: February 7, 7:00 AM HST to February 9, 11:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: February 7, 7:00 AM HST to February 9, 11:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Central Valley

When: February 7, 7:00 AM HST to February 9, 11:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: February 7, 7:00 AM HST to February 9, 11:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Waianae Coast

When: February 7, 7:00 AM HST to February 9, 11:00 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)

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: 76670, 76671, 76672, 76673, 76674, 76675, 76676, 76677, 76678, 76679.