High Surf in Hawaii, March 31, 2009

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, March 31, 2009
Start: 2009-03-31T04:00
End: 2009-03-31T23:59
Location: Hawaii

March 31, 2009 · NWS HFO · 12 events in 12 counties and zones

Another trade wind swell generated surf of 6 to 9 feet along the east-facing shores of all the isles except Lanai. No serious property damage or injuries were reported.

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
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Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 12

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.

Another trade wind swell generated surf of 6 to 9 feet along the east-facing shores of all the isles except Lanai. 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 Mar 31, 4:00 AM HST, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 31, 4:00 AM HST, 0 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
400 AM HST TUE MAR 31 2009

.SYNOPSIS...
HIGH PRESSURE FAR NORTH OF THE STATE WILL BRING BLUSTERY TRADE
WINDS TO THE ISLANDS THROUGH THE WEEK. PASSING CLOUDS AND SHOWERS
WILL AFFECT MAINLY THE WINDWARD AND MOUNTAIN SECTIONS OF
ALL ISLANDS...THOUGH SOME CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL REACH THE LEE
AREAS OF THE SMALLER ISLANDS FROM TIME TO TIME.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
TRADE WINDS WILL BE ON AN INCREASE TODAY AS HIGH PRESSURE FAR
NORTHEAST SLOWLY EDGES WESTWARD...SLIGHTLY CLOSER TO THE ISLANDS.
LOW CLOUDS AND SHOWERS HAVE BEEN PASSING THE ISLANDS RATHER SWIFTLY
UNDER THE WINDS. LATEST SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATES THERE IS A
SLIGHT BREAK IN THE LOW CLOUD COVERAGE JUST EAST OF THE
ISLANDS...THOUGH THERE ARE MORE EXTENSIVE LOW CLOUDS FURTHER EAST
UPSTREAM. HIGH CLOUDS FROM THE CONVECTION SOUTHWEST OF THE ISLANDS
ONCE AGAIN ARE REACHING THE ISLANDS THIS MORNING...AND THESE HIGH
CLOUDS WILL ONLY SERVE TO FILTER OUT SUNSHINE OVER THE AREA. MORNING
SOUNDINGS FROM LIHUE AND HILO INDICATED A MUCH HIGHER AND WEAKER
INVERSION...WITH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE REACHING 10K FEET. EXPECT THOSE
PASSING SHOWERS TO BE WETTING...THOUGH BRISK TRADE WINDS WILL
PREVENT THE SHOWERS FROM STAYING OVER ANY ONE PLACE FOR TOO LONG.

THE WINDS ATOP HALEAKALA CONTINUE TO HOVER NEAR THE ADVISORY LEVEL.
FORECAST CHARTS INDICATE WINDS AT THAT SUMMIT WILL REMAIN ELEVATED
TODAY. THUS HAVE EXTENDED THE WIND ADVISORY FOR THAT AREA UNTIL 6 PM
HST THIS EVENING.

PERSISTENT HIGH PRESSURE FAR NORTHEAST OF THE AREA IS ON THE MOVE
FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...AND WILL BE FAR NORTH NORTHEAST OF THE
ISLANDS BY EARLY WEDNESDAY. EXPECT THE TRADE WINDS TO BE BUILDING A
LITTLE THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A COLD FRONT FROM THE FAR NORTH WILL THEN
DISPLACE THIS HIGH EASTWARD BY THURSDAY...THOUGH A RIDGE OF HIGH
PRESSURE REMAINS FAR NORTH OF THE ISLANDS...MAINTAINING THE TRADE
WINDS. HENCE EXPECT THE WINDS TO DECREASE SLIGHTLY BY THE EARLY
WEEKEND. WINDS MAY STRENGTHEN ONCE AGAIN FOR THE REST OF THE
WEEKEND...AS ANOTHER HIGH MOVES IN FROM THE FAR NORTHWEST. THIS NEXT
HIGH IS FORECAST TO BE NOT AS STRONG AS THE CURRENT ONE.

AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO PREVAIL IN THE VICINITY...AND
WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR WETTING SHOWERS TO
DEVELOP. BLUSTERY TRADE WINDS WILL KEEP THESE SHOWERS ON THE MOVE...
LESSENING THEIR IMPACTS. THE ONLY EXCEPTION MAY BE THE KONA SIDE OF
THE BIG ISLAND...THOUGH IT WILL PROBABLY SEE ITS SHARE OF AFTERNOON
AND EVENING SHOWERS INSTEAD OF THE PASSING SHOWERS.

IN ALL...TRADE WIND WEATHER CONTINUES WITH CLOUDS AND SHOWERS
FAVORING WINDWARD AND MOUNTAIN SECTIONS UNDER STRONGER TRADE WINDS
THROUGH THE WEEK.

&&

.MARINE...
A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT OVER ALL HAWAIIAN WATERS
DUE TO THE WINDS. IN FACT...A HIGH SURF ADVISORY HAS BEEN POSTED FOR
THE EAST FACING SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS EXCEPT LANAI UNTIL THURSDAY AS
THE SHORT PERIOD TRADE SWELL BUILDS.

THE CURRENT NORTHWEST SWELL WILL PEAK TODAY THEN SLOWLY SUBSIDE. THE
NEXT NORTHWEST SWELL IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE THURSDAY...WITH ANOTHER
ONE BY THE WEEKEND. BOTH OF THESE SWELL ARE EXPECTED TO BRING BELOW
ADVISORY SURF HEIGHTS FOR NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST THIS EVENING FOR HALEAKALA SUMMIT.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST THURSDAY FOR ALL HAWAIIAN
WATERS.

HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST THURSDAY FOR THE EAST FACING
SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS EXCEPT LANAI.

&&

HUI

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Niihau

When: March 31, 4:00 AM HST to 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, Kauai Windward

When: March 31, 4:00 AM HST to 11:59 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Oahu South Shore

When: March 31, 4:00 AM HST to 11:59 PM HST
Where: Oahu South Shore forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Oahu Koolau

When: March 31, 4:00 AM HST to 11:59 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Olomana

When: March 31, 4:00 AM HST to 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: March 31, 4:00 AM HST to 11:59 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: March 31, 4:00 AM HST to 11:59 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kahoolawe

When: March 31, 4:00 AM HST to 11:59 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 Windward West

When: March 31, 4:00 AM HST to 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, Windward Haleakala

When: March 31, 4:00 AM HST to 11:59 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, South Big Island

When: March 31, 4:00 AM HST to 11:59 PM HST
Where: South Big Island forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When: March 31, 4:00 AM HST to 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

Every storm in Hawaii in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, March 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: 153923, 153924, 153925, 153926, 153927, 153928, 153929, 153930, 153931, 153932, 153933, 153934.