High Surf in Hawaii, February 21 to 23, 2010

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, February 21 to 23, 2010
Start: 2010-02-21T04:00
End: 2010-02-23T21:00
Location: Hawaii

February 21 to 23, 2010 · NWS HFO · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

A swell from a storm low far northwest of the islands caused surf of 15 to 30 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai; 10 to 25 feet along the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 10 to 20 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai. No serious property damage or injuries 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

Open the live radar over this ground

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.

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 21, 4:00 AM HST, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 21, 4:00 AM HST, 0 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
400 AM HST SUN FEB 21 2010

.SYNOPSIS...
A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE NORTH OF THE ISLANDS WILL BRING LIGHT WINDS TO
THE AREA THROUGH TUESDAY. A POSSIBLE SHEARLINE LATE WEDNESDAY WILL
BRING THE NEXT SIGNIFICANT CHANCE FOR SHOWERS. A NEW HIGH PRESSURE
CENTER IS THEN EXPECTED TO BUILD NORTH OF THE ISLANDS TO BRING BACK
TRADES FOR THE END OF THE WORK WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A FEW BATCHES OF CLOUDS BROUGHT SOME SHOWERS TO PORTIONS OF THE BIG
ISLAND THROUGH OAHU OVERNIGHT...MAINLY OVER EAST FACING SLOPES. OHEO
GULCH ON EAST MAUI RECEIVED HALF AN INCH OF RAIN BETWEEN 8PM AND
2AM...AND MAUNAWILI ON OAHU RECEIVED ALMOST A QUARTER OF AN INCH.
DESPITE THESE RELATIVELY WET TOTALS...GIVEN THE OVERALL DRY
CONDITIONS...MOST AREAS REMAINED DRY OVERNIGHT. CLOUDS ARE MOST
PLENTIFUL OVER THE ISLANDS OF MAUI COUNTY AT 3AM...BUT ARE SHOWING
SIGNS OF BREAKING UP.

OVERALL THE GENERAL FORECAST PHILOSOPHY REMAINS THE SAME. HIGH
PRESSURE NORTH OF THE ISLANDS WILL SINK OVER THE ISLANDS TODAY AS A
SERIES OF LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS PASS NORTH OF THE ISLANDS. AS THE
RIDGE MOVES OVER THE ISLANDS...EXPECT LIGHT TRADES WINDS TO LIGHTEN
EVEN MORE...AND SOME LOCAL LAND AND SEA BREEZES TO SET UP.

IN THE UPPER LEVELS...HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE OVER THE ISLANDS...WHICH
WILL HELP TO PREVENT ANY OF THE FRONTS PASSING NORTH OF THE ISLANDS
FROM PASSING OVER THE ISLANDS.

MODELS SUGGEST A SHEARLINE WILL APPROACH THE ISLANDS FROM THE
NORTHWEST LATE WEDNESDAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL LIKELY BRING AN INCREASE
IN SHOWERS. ANOTHER HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM BUILDING NORTHWEST OF THE
ISLANDS BEHIND THE SHEARLINE WILL HELP TO RE-ESTABLISH TRADE WINDS
FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WORK WEEK.

AS WE HEAD INTO SATURDAY...THERE IS SOME DISAGREEMENT AS TO WHETHER
OR NOT THE LOW NORTH OF THE ISLANDS AT THE TIME WILL REACH THE
ISLANDS. EARLIER RUNS SUGGESTED THAT THE UPPER LEVEL HIGH WOULD
WEAKEN BY THIS POINT...WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE FRONT TO MOVE OVER THE
WESTERN ISLANDS. THE MOST RECENT RUNS ARE STARTING TO BACK OFF ON
THIS SITUATION...MAKING IT LESS LIKELY THAT THE FRONT WILL REACH THE
ISLANDS. WILL HAVE A FEW MORE MODEL RUNS TO SEE WHAT THE TREND IS.

&&

.MARINE...
BUOY 51101 HAS BEEN RUNNING NEAR 10 FT...16 SECONDS FOR THE PAST
SEVERAL HOURS. THE KAILUA BAY BUOY STARTED REPORTING SOME 18 SECOND
ENERGY AROUND 1 AM. THIS SWELL IS EXPECTED TO BRING ADVISORY LEVEL
SURF FOR THE NORTH AND WEST SHORES FOR MOST OF SMALLER ISLANDS. HIGH
SURF ADVISORY IS POSTED FOR THE AFFECTED AREA UNTIL EARLY MONDAY.
THIS SWELL WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A LARGER NORTHWEST SWELL THAT WILL
ELEVATE THE SURF INTO THE WARNING RANGE MONDAY NIGHT.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING FOR NORTH AND WEST
FACING SHORES OF NIIHAU KAUAI OAHU MOLOKAI AND NORTH FACING SHORES
OF MAUI.
&&

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Niihau

When: February 21, 4:00 AM HST to February 23, 9:00 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 21, 4:00 AM HST to February 23, 9:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: February 21, 4:00 AM HST to February 23, 9:00 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: February 21, 4:00 AM HST to February 23, 9:00 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: February 21, 4:00 AM HST to February 23, 9:00 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 21, 4:00 AM HST to February 23, 9:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: February 21, 4:00 AM HST to February 23, 9:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: February 21, 4:00 AM HST to February 23, 9:00 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, Molokai Leeward

When: February 21, 4:00 AM HST to February 23, 9:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Central Valley

When: February 21, 4:00 AM HST to February 23, 9:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: February 21, 4:00 AM HST to February 23, 9:00 PM 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

Every storm in Hawaii in 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 209897, 209898, 209899, 209900, 209901, 209902, 209903, 209904, 209905, 209906, 209907.