High Surf, Niihau
- When
- February 17, 5:00 AM HST to February 19, 2:00 AM 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 17 to 19, 2010
A swell from a deep low far northwest of the islands produced surf of 10 to 18 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai, and along the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 6 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai. No significant 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
- 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.
A swell from a deep low far northwest of the islands produced surf of 10 to 18 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai, and along the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 6 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai. No significant 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 17, 3:30 AM HST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 17, 3:30 AM HST, 1 hour 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 330 AM HST WED FEB 17 2010 .SYNOPSIS... COOL AND BREEZY NORTHERLY WINDS WILL DOMINATE THE WEATHER SCENE ACROSS HAWAII NEI TODAY. THE WINDS WILL EASE OFF TONIGHT...BECOMING MODERATE TO LOCALLY STRONG TRADES THAT WILL LAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE TRADES WILL GIVE WAY TO LIGHT SOUTHEAST WINDS SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. THE SOUTHEAST WINDS IS A PRELUDE TO A COLD FRONT OR A SHEAR LINE THAT WILL DROP DOWN THE ISLAND CHAIN TUESDAY NIGHT...AND USHER IN ANOTHER BATCH OF COOL NORTHERLY WINDS. A VERY STABLE AIR MASS WILL KEEP RAINFALL ON THE LIGHT SIDE. && .DISCUSSION... THE LEADING EDGE OF A DIFFUSE LOOKING FRONT OR SHEAR LINE IS NOW OVER THE HAMAKUA COAST OF THE BIG ISLAND. WEATHER RADAR IS NOT PAINT MUCH OF ANY SHOWERS WITH THIS BAND. IF ANY...IT IS EITHER LIGHT SHOWERS OR DRIZZLE. FOLLOWING CLOSE BEHIND IS A LARGE FIELD OF STABLE OVERCAST STRATOCUMULUS CLOUDS /SC/. THESE CLOUDS WILL SETTLE IN AND LINGER ACROSS THE WINDWARD AND MOUNTAIN AREAS INCLUDING THE ADJACENT WINDWARD WATERS FOR A DAY OR TWO. THE LEEWARD SECTIONS WILL SEE THE OVERCAST SKIES EARLY IN THE MORNING GIVING WAY TO SOME AFTERNOON SUNSHINE. AS NOTED...THE AIR MASS IS VERY STABLE ESPECIALLY ABOVE THE SC CLOUDS. ATMOSPHERIC PROFILES FROM COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT LANDING OR TAKING OFF FROM AIRPORTS ACROSS THE STATE DEPICT A VERY STRONG INVERSION BASE AT 4500 FEET OVER OAHU AND A CLOUD TOP OF NO HIGHER THAN 7000 FEET. THUS ANY SHOWERS WILL BE LIGHT OR OF THE DRIZZLE VARIETY. IN ADDITION TO THE CLOUDS...THE FRONT HAS BROUGHT WITH IT A COOL AND BREEZY NORTHERLY WIND FLOW TO THE ISLANDS. IT IS FORECAST TO EASE OFF LATER TONIGHT WHILE THE WIND DIRECTION TREND TO THE NORTHEAST. PARTS OF THE BIG ISLAND MAY EXPERIENCE SOME STRONG GUSTY PERIODS LATER TODAY. BY THURSDAY...THE TRADES WILL BE LOCALLY STRONG... ESPECIALLY AROUND THE BIG ISLAND WATERS. THE TRADES WILL GIVE WAY TO LIGHT SOUTHEAST WINDS SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY...AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. THIS FRONT IS SLATED TO DROP DOWN THE ISLAND CHAIN NEXT TUESDAY NIGHT...WHERE INITIAL...IT APPEARS TO BE A REPEAT OF THE CURRENT FRONT OVER THE BIG ISLAND. THE WINDS IS BEING SUPPLY BY A HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM LOCATED 1100 MILES NORTHWEST OF KAUAI. THE HIGH IS SLATED TO WEAKEN WHILE PASSING NORTH OF THE ISLANDS SATURDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE ON THE COOL SIDE WITH EXPECTED HIGHS ONLY IN THE 70S. TONIGHT/S LOWS WILL BE IN THE 60S. WIND CHILL WILL PLAY A ROLE IN MAKING ONE FEEL COLDER. THE TEMPS WILL MODERATE SOME INTO THE WEEKEND BUT NIGHTS MAY STILL REMAIN SLIGHTLY CHILLY. && .MARINE... THE BUOY 200 MILES NORTHWEST OF KAUAI HAS TRENDED UP SIGNIFICANTLY WHERE ITS DATA PRETTY MUCH MATCHES UP TO WAVE WATCH. SO THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS ON. AFTER THIS SWELL...IS ANOTHER NORTHWEST SWELL WITH A LONGER PERIOD. IT IS SLATED TO PEAK SUNDAY THUS MAINTAINING ADVISORY LEVEL SURF ALONG THE NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES. A SMALL SOUTH SWELL IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE ISLANDS MONDAY. ALL OF THE HAWAIIAN WATERS WILL BE UNDER A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY /SCA/ TODAY. A SCALING DOWN OF THE AREAS UNDER THE SCA WILL OCCUR THIS EVENING WITH THE MAUI LEEWARD WATERS DROPPING OUT. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY MAALAEA BAY AND THE BIG ISLAND LEEWARD WATERS BY 6 AM HST THURSDAY. WE WILL BE MONITORING CLOSELY THE SUMMIT WINDS INCLUDING HALEAKALA. WIND SENSORS ARE INDICATING THE WINDS ARE BLOWING NEAR WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA OF SUSTAINED 30 MPH. && .HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF NIIHAU... KAUAI...OAHU AND MOLOKAI...AND NORTH FACING SHORES OF MAUI UNTIL 6 PM HST THURSDAY. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ALL HAWAIIAN WATERS UNTIL 6 AM HST THURSDAY EXCEPT FOR THE MAUI LEEWARD WATERS AFTER 6 PM HST THIS EVENING. && H LAU
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
10 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High Surf, Kauai Windward
- When
- February 17, 5:00 AM HST to February 19, 2:00 AM HST
- Where
- Kauai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Kauai Leeward
- When
- February 17, 5:00 AM HST to February 19, 2:00 AM 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 17, 5:00 AM HST to February 19, 2:00 AM 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 17, 5:00 AM HST to February 19, 2:00 AM 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 17, 5:00 AM HST to February 19, 2:00 AM HST
- Where
- Oahu Koolau forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Molokai Windward
- When
- February 17, 5:00 AM HST to February 19, 2:00 AM HST
- Where
- Molokai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Molokai Leeward
- When
- February 17, 5:00 AM HST to February 19, 2:00 AM HST
- Where
- Molokai Leeward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Maui Windward West
- When
- February 17, 5:00 AM HST to February 19, 2:00 AM 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
- February 17, 5:00 AM HST to February 19, 2:00 AM 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
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, February 2010
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: 209887, 209888, 209889, 209890, 209891, 209892, 209893, 209894, 209895, 209896.