High Surf in Hawaii, December 23 to 26, 2009

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, December 23 to 26, 2009
Start: 2009-12-23T02:00
End: 2009-12-26T22:00
Location: Hawaii

December 23 to 26, 2009 · NWS HFO · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

A swell from a strong low far northwest of the islands caused surf of 15 to 25 feet along the north-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; 10 to 20 feet along the west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, and Molokai; and 6 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores of the Big Island of Hawaii. There were no reports of significant property damage or injuries.

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 Dec 22, 8:00 PM HST, 6 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 22, 8:00 PM HST, 6 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
800 PM HST TUE DEC 22 2009

.SYNOPSIS...
A SERIES OF WEAK COLD FRONTS WILL AFFECT THE ISLANDS OVER THE NEXT
SEVERAL DAYS. BRIEF BOUTS OF LIGHT TO MODERATE TRADES WILL FOLLOW
EACH FRONT...WITH ANY FRONTAL SHOWERS PREDOMINANTLY FOCUSING OVER
WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
LIGHT NORTHEAST WINDS WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE STATE TONIGHT AS A WEAK
RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE PASSES BY WELL TO THE NORTH. ONLY A FEW
SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED ON THE WINDWARD SIDES OF THE ISLANDS AS
MOISTURE IS GENERALLY LIMITED AND THE AIRMASS IS STABILIZED. ISLAND
88-D RADARS SHOW LIGHT SHOWERS AFFECTING WINDWARD MAUI AND BIG
ISLAND. THE LATEST GFS/NAM SHOWS THIS PATTERN OF ISOLATED TO
SCATTERED WINDWARD SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT AND THEN
DECREASE WED MORNING AS THE RIDGE AXIS MOVES SOUTHWARD OVER THE
STATE...CAUSING LIGHT LAND SEA BREEZE CIRCULATIONS TO DOMINATE. THE
RIDGE REMAINS OVER THE STATE INTO WED NIGHT BRINGING LIGHT WINDS
AHEAD OF A WEAK COLD FRONT APPROACHES FOR THURSDAY. THIS FRONT WILL
PASS THROUGH KAUAI LATE THURSDAY AND OAHU THURSDAY NIGHT BRINGING A
BETTER CHANCE OF SHOWERS...BUT ONLY LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS ARE
ANTICIPATED AS THE FRONTAL CONVERGENCE WILL BE WEAK AND SUPPORT
ALOFT LACKING. IN FACT THE FRONT WILL BE SO WEAK...THE MODEL SHOWS
IT DISSIPATING COMPLETELY ACROSS MAUI COUNTY ON CHRISTMAS DAY.

A QUIET WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED FOR THE COMING WEEKEND AS LIGHT
TO MODERATE TRADES DOMINATE.  ANOTHER WEAK COLD FRONT MAY POSSIBLY
BRING UNSETTLED WEATHER TO KAUAI AND OAHU AROUND THE MIDDLE OF NEXT
WEEK...WITH DETAILS REMAINING UNCERTAIN THAT FAR OUT.

&&

.MARINE...
WAVE WATCH III DATA APPEARS TO BE RUNNING ABOUT 2 TO 3 FEET ABOVE
OBSERVED BUOY READINGS THIS EVENING. BUOY 51001 PEAKED AT 13 FEET
IN THE PAST FEW HOURS AND HAS DROPPED SLIGHTLY. IF BUOY 51001 HAS
PEAKED...THEN EXPECT PROBABLE PEAK AT WAIMEA TO BE AROUND 11 FEET AT
16 SECONDS SOMETIME OVERNIGHT...WITH RESULTING H1/3 SURF HEIGHTS
AROUND 22 FEET ON NORTH FACING SHORES.

FOR NOW WILL LEAVE THE HIGH SURF WARNINGS POSTED AND WILL CONTINUE
TO MONITOR THE READINGS FROM THE UPSTREAM BUOYS THIS EVENING AND
OVERNIGHT AS A SECOND RISE IN SWELL SOMETIMES OCCURS. IF NOT...MAY
NEED TO ADJUST THE HIGH SURF WARNING TO AN HIGH SURF ADVISORY WITH
THE EARLY MORNING FORECAST PACKAGE. EITHER WAY...WILL ALSO NEED TO
EXTEND THE WARNING OR ADVISORY THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY AS THE
NORTHWESTERLY SWELL WILL BE SLOW TO DECLINE.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF WARNING UNTIL 6 AM HST WEDNESDAY FOR NORTH AND WEST FACING
SHORES OF NIIHAU...KAUAI...OAHU AND MOLOKAI...AS WELL AS FOR NORTH
FACING SHORES OF MAUI.

&&

BRENCHLEY

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: December 23, 2:00 AM HST to December 26, 10:00 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: December 23, 2:00 AM HST to December 26, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: December 23, 2:00 AM HST to December 26, 10:00 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: December 23, 2:00 AM HST to December 26, 10:00 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: December 23, 2:00 AM HST to December 26, 10:00 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: December 23, 2:00 AM HST to December 26, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: December 23, 2:00 AM HST to December 26, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: December 23, 2:00 AM HST to December 26, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: December 23, 2:00 AM HST to December 26, 10:00 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: December 23, 2:00 AM HST to December 26, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: December 23, 2:00 AM HST to December 26, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kona

When: December 23, 2:00 AM HST to December 26, 10:00 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, Kohala

When: December 23, 2:00 AM HST to December 26, 10:00 PM 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 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, December 2009

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: 202124, 202125, 202126, 202127, 202128, 202129, 202130, 202131, 202132, 202133, 202134, 202135, 202136.