High Surf in Hawaii, February 3 to 4, 2010

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, February 3 to 4, 2010
Start: 2010-02-03T05:00
End: 2010-02-04T06:00
Location: Hawaii

February 3 to 4, 2010 · NWS HFO · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

A swell from a strong low far northwest of the islands generated 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. The swell also caused surf of 6 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai.

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 3, 3:30 AM HST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 3, 3:30 AM HST, 1 hour 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
330 AM HST WED FEB 3 2010

CORRECTED WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORY SECTION

.SYNOPSIS...
COOL NORTHERLY WINDS WILL DELIVER LOW CLOUDS AND A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS
TO WINDWARD SLOPES TODAY...WHILE LEEWARD AREAS SHOULD SEE PLENTY OF
SUN...ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERNOON. TRADE WINDS WILL RETURN TONIGHT
AND THURSDAY...AND WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS CLOUDS AND LIGHT SHOWERS
ALONG WINDWARD SLOPES. WINDS WILL TURN TOWARD THE EAST AND WEAKEN ON
FRIDAY AS ANOTHER FRONT APPROACHES. AS THIS FRONT STALLS NORTH OF
THE ISLANDS...WINDS WILL BE LIGHT AND VARIABLE ON SATURDAY. HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDING TO THE NORTH WILL BRING A RETURN OF THE TRADE
WINDS ON SUNDAY...ALTHOUGH WINDS WILL WEAKEN AGAIN ON MONDAY AND
TUESDAY.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
ONLY SHALLOW MOISTURE IS PRESENT IN THE ISLAND ATMOSPHERE THIS
MORNING...AS A STABLE AND COOL AIR MASS IS SPREADING OVER THE CHAIN
FROM THE NORTH IN THE WAKE OF THE RECENT FRONTAL PASSAGE. WITHIN
THIS SHALLOW LAYER /BETWEEN THE SURFACE AND 6 KFT/ STRATUS CLOUDS
ARE BROKEN TO OVERCAST...AND ARE STACKING UP ALONG ISLAND SLOPES
THAT FACE NORTH...WITH SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUD DECKS SPREADING
LEEWARD. DIFFICULT TO SAY HOW THIS CLOUD FIELD WILL RESPOND ONCE THE
SUN BEGINS TO HEAT THE CLOUD TOPS...BUT THE EXPECTATION IS THAT A
FAIR AMOUNT OF THE STRATUS WILL DISSIPATE BY THIS AFTERNOON...ONLY
TO THICKEN AGAIN TONIGHT. LITTLE IN THE WAY OF ACCUMULATING RAINFALL
IS EXPECTED FROM THESE CLOUDS...BUT A FEW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE
OVER THE NORTH AND EAST FACING SLOPES BOTH TODAY AND TONIGHT.

AS THE TROUGH ALOFT SUPPORTING YESTERDAY/S FRONTAL PASSAGE IS NOW
LIFTING OUT TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE ISLANDS...WINDS OVER THE BIG
ISLAND SUMMITS HAVE DROPPED DRAMATICALLY OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF
HOURS...AND THE HIGH WIND WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

THE LOW-LEVEL NORTHERLY FLOW IS BRINGING A COOLER AND DRIER AIR
MASS...WITH DEW POINTS IN THE MID TO UPPER 50/S...AND IS BEING
SUPPORTED BY HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED NORTHWEST OF THE ISLANDS. THIS
HIGH WILL MOVE STEADILY EAST THROUGH FRIDAY...AND ISLAND WINDS WILL
RESPOND BY BECOMING NORTHEAST TONIGHT AND THURSDAY...AND EAST ON
FRIDAY. THE GRADUAL VEERING OF THE WIND WILL LEAD TO A GRADUAL
MOISTENING OF THE LOW-LEVEL FLOW...AND DEW POINTS WILL RESPOND BY
REBOUNDING INTO THE MID 60/S. THE TRADES WILL FOCUS THEIR CLOUDS AND
LIMITED SHOWERS OVER WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS...BUT THE TRADE FLOW
NEAR THE ISLANDS MAY BE MOISTENED SOMEWHAT ON THURSDAY AS REMNANTS
OF ANOTHER FRONT MOVE IN FROM THE NORTH. SOME OF THIS MOISTURE MAY
LINGER INTO FRIDAY.

THE WEAKENING WINDS ON FRIDAY ARE DUE TO A FRONT PASSING NORTH OF
THE AREA...WHICH WILL LEAD TO LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS ON FRIDAY
NIGHT AND SATURDAY. HIGH PRESSURE PASSING NORTH OF THE ISLANDS IN
THE WAKE OF THE FRONT WILL LEAD TO INCREASED TRADE WINDS ON SUNDAY.
TRADE WINDS ARE THEN EXPECTED TO WEAKEN MONDAY AND TUESDAY AS
ANOTHER FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM HST FRIDAY FOR NIIHAU-KAUAI
WINDWARD-KAUAI LEEWARD-WAIANAE COAST-OAHU NORTH SHORE-OAHU
KOOLAU-MOLOKAI-MAUI WINDWARD WEST-MAUI CENTRAL VALLEY-WINDWARD
HALEAKALA.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM HST FRIDAY FOR ALL HAWAIIAN WATERS.

&&

BIRCHARD

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 3, 5:00 AM HST to February 4, 6:00 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, Kauai Windward

When: February 3, 5:00 AM HST to February 4, 6:00 AM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: February 3, 5:00 AM HST to February 4, 6:00 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 3, 5:00 AM HST to February 4, 6:00 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 3, 5:00 AM HST to February 4, 6:00 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 3, 5:00 AM HST to February 4, 6:00 AM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: February 3, 5:00 AM HST to February 4, 6:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: February 3, 5:00 AM HST to February 4, 6:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: February 3, 5:00 AM HST to February 4, 6:00 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, Maui Central Valley

When: February 3, 5:00 AM HST to February 4, 6:00 AM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: February 3, 5:00 AM HST to February 4, 6:00 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

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: 209849, 209850, 209851, 209852, 209853, 209854, 209855, 209856, 209858, 209859, 209860.