High Surf, Niihau
- When
- February 20, 7:00 AM HST to February 28, 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 in Hawaii, February 20 to 28, 2009
The combination of a north/northeast swell and locally generated wind waves caused surf of 6 to 9 feet along the east-facing shores of all the islands. No serious property damage or injuries were reported.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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.
The combination of a north/northeast swell and locally generated wind waves caused surf of 6 to 9 feet along the east-facing shores of all the 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 Feb 20, 3:30 AM HST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 20, 3:30 AM HST, 3 hours 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 330 AM HST FRI FEB 20 2009 .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD EASTWARD FAR NORTH OF THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS...KEEPING TRADE WIND WEATHER ACROSS THE ALOHA STATE THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL FAVOR WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS...WITH ONLY LIGHT TOTAL RAINFALL EXPECTED. LEEWARD AREAS WILL SEE A SHOWER OR TWO AS WELL ESPECIALLY DURING STRONGER TRADE WIND PERIODS. && .DISCUSSION... THE MORNING FORECAST PACKAGE CONTINUES ALONG A TRADE WIND WEATHER PATH. WITH CLEAR VIEWING SOMEWHAT BLOCKED BY HIGH CLOUDS...SATELLITE LOOPS SHOW STRONG NORTHEASTERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW ACROSS THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS ALONG THE BACK SIDE OF A LARGE AND DEEP LOW FAR TO OUR NORTHEAST. AN AREA OF STABLE BROKEN TO OVERCAST LOW CLOUDS LIES OVER AND UPWIND FROM THE ISLANDS AND IS LIKELY TO AFFECT US THROUGH THIS MORNING. IN SPITE OF THE GENEROUS CLOUD COVER...RADAR SHOWS ONLY ISOLATED LIGHT SHOWERS ACROSS THE NORTHERN SLOPES OF MOLOKAI AND MAUI AS WELL AS ACROSS A SMALL PORTION OF LOCAL WATERS SOUTH OF KAUAI AND NORTHEAST OF OAHU. WEAK SHOWER ACTIVITY IS ALSO NOTED WITHIN PLUMES LEE OF KAUAI AND THE BIG ISLAND. OVERNIGHT SOUNDINGS SHOW A RATHER STABLE AIRMASS...WITH A STRONG TRADE INVERSION NOTED NEAR 6300 FT. PRECIPITABLE WATER HAS DECREASED SLIGHTLY INTO THE .75 TO 1 INCH RANGE. MODELS SHOW THE LOW FAR NORTHEAST OF THE ISLANDS WILL SLOWLY DRIFT OFF TO THE NORTHEAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND...ALLOWING HIGH PRESSURE TO GRADUALLY BUILD IN FROM THE WEST. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL RELAX WITH THE DEPARTURE OF THE LOW...CAUSING WINDS TO DECREASE AND VEER A BIT TO EAST NORTHEASTERLIES THROUGH THE WEEKEND. RIDGING WILL INCREASE ALOFT AS WELL...STRENGTHENING AND LOWERING THE INVERSION. WE EXPECT DRIER AND CLEARER CONDITIONS THIS WEEKEND AS THE CLOUDS AND LIMITED SHOWERS AFFECTING US NOW MOVE OFF TO THE SOUTHWEST AND THE STRONG INVERSION LIMITS ADDITIONAL SHOWER DEVELOPMENT. HIGH PRESSURE NORTH OF THE ISLANDS WILL STRENGTHEN AS IT BUILDS EASTWARD EARLY NEXT WEEK. AS THE MAIN HIGH OF 1040 MB OR STRONGER DRIFTS EASTWARD ALONG 40N...THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL STEEPEN ACROSS THE ISLANDS AND CAUSE TRADE WINDS TO INCREASE AGAIN. WE EXPECT STRONG AND GUSTY TRADE WINDS ACROSS LOCAL WATERS FROM WEDNESDAY THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND AS THE HIGH STRENGTHENS TO 1046 MB AND STALLS FAR NORTH OF THE ISLANDS. && .MARINE... NORTHEAST SWELL BUILDING TODAY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EAST FACING SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS. HARBOR SURGES IN KAHULUI AND HILO HARBORS MAY OCCUR AS THIS SWELL BUILDS. THE INCREASING NORTHEAST SWELL WILL COMBINE WITH THE FRESH TO STRONG TRADE WINDS TO CREATE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS ACROSS ALL HAWAIIAN WATERS...EITHER DUE TO WINDS TO 25 KNOTS OR FOR COMBINED SEAS OF 10 FEET OR GREATER. && .HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST SATURDAY FOR EAST FACING SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST FRIDAY FOR ALL HAWAIIAN WATERS. && POWELL
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 20, 7:00 AM HST to February 28, 11:59 PM HST
- Where
- Kauai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Oahu Koolau
- When
- February 20, 7:00 AM HST to February 28, 11:59 PM HST
- Where
- Oahu Koolau forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Olomana
- When
- February 20, 7:00 AM HST to February 28, 11:59 PM HST
- Where
- Olomana 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 20, 7:00 AM HST to February 28, 11:59 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Lanai Makai
- When
- February 20, 7:00 AM HST to February 28, 11:59 PM HST
- Where
- Lanai Makai forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Maui Windward West
- When
- February 20, 7:00 AM HST to February 28, 11:59 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 20, 7:00 AM HST to February 28, 11:59 PM HST
- Where
- Maui Central Valley forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Windward Haleakala
- When
- February 20, 7:00 AM HST to February 28, 11:59 PM HST
- Where
- Windward Haleakala forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, South Big Island
- When
- February 20, 7:00 AM HST to February 28, 11:59 PM HST
- Where
- South Big Island forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Big Island North and East
- When
- February 20, 7:00 AM HST to February 28, 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
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Iowa, February 20 to 21, 2009
- High Wind in Kansas, February 20, 2009
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Illinois, February 20 to 21, 2009
- High Wind in Texas, February 20 to 21, 2009
- High Wind in Oklahoma, February 20, 2009
- Winter Weather in Missouri, February 20 to 21, 2009
- High Wind in Alaska, February 20 to 21, 2009
- Lake-Effect Snow in New York, February 20 to 21, 2009
- High Wind in Alaska, February 20, 2009
- Heavy Snow in Missouri, February 20 to 21, 2009
- Wildfire in Texas, February 20 to 21, 2009
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, February 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: 149486, 149487, 149488, 149489, 149490, 149491, 149492, 149493, 149494, 149495, 149496.