High Surf in Hawaii, January 27 to 29, 2010

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, January 27 to 29, 2010
Start: 2010-01-27T05:00
End: 2010-01-29T05:00
Location: Hawaii

January 27 to 29, 2010 · NWS HFO · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

A large swell from a storm low far northwest of the Aloha State generated surf of 15 to 35 feet, with higher sets, along the north-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 10 to 20 feet along the west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and the Big Island of Hawaii. However, no significant injuries or property damage were reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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: 13

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 Jan 27, 4:00 AM HST, 1 hour earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 27, 4:00 AM HST, 1 hour before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
400 AM HST WED JAN 27 2010

.SYNOPSIS...
COOL NORTHERLY WINDS WITH A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS TODAY WILL GIVE
WAY TO TRADE WINDS...THEN DRY AND HAZY SOUTHERLIES...AND FINALLY
SHOWERY WESTERLIES AGAIN AHEAD OF THE NEXT FRONT ON FRIDAY EVENING.
THE CYCLE THEN WILL REPEAT THROUGH LATE SUNDAY OR EARLY MONDAY...
BUT THE FRONT APPROACHING EARLY NEXT WEEK LIKELY WILL DISSIPATE
BEFORE REACHING THE STATE.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
ALTHOUGH IT CONTINUED TO LOOK SOLID IN SATELLITE IMAGES UNTIL WELL
AFTER MIDNIGHT...THE FRONTAL CLOUD BAND NOW OVER KAUAI TURNED OUT TO
INCLUDE LITTLE IN THE WAY OF SIGNIFICANT RAIN BANDS. THUS...RAINFALL
OVERNIGHT AND THROUGH THIS MORNING MAY END UP LIMITED LARGELY TO
LIGHT PREFRONTAL STRATUS RAIN. EVEN THE FEW BANDS OF MODERATE
PREFRONTAL SHOWERS WERE TOO NARROW AND SHORT-LIVED TO PRODUCE MUCH
ACCUMULATION. RAIN GAUGES REPORTED MOSTLY LESS THAN ONE QUARTER
INCH...AND ALMOST UNIVERSALLY LESS THAN ONE THIRD. FORECAST RAINFALL
FOR LATER THIS MORNING HAS BEEN REDUCED ACCORDINGLY...ESPECIALLY FOR
USUALLY LEE PARTS OF MAUI COUNTY. HOWEVER...AS THE FRONTAL CLOUD
BAND FALLS APART OVER THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS...MOISTURE FROM IT
LIKELY WILL ENHANCE TRADE-WIND SHOWERS.

OTHERWISE...LOCAL OBSERVATIONS AROUND THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
REPORTED A MIX OF MOSTLY LIGHT WINDS...WITH A FEW SITES
TRANSITIONING TO NORTHERLIES. SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS HAVE INDEED PICKED
UP OVER THE SUMMITS OF THE BIG ISLAND...BUT FRANKLY REMAIN
BORDERLINE FOR A WIND ADVISORY. WIND SPEEDS OVER THE WATER AROUND
KAUAI AND OAHU WILL INCREASE LATER TODAY...BUT LIKELY NOT ENOUGH TO
REQUIRE A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY BY THEMSELVES UNTIL TONIGHT. FOR
NOW...THIS ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR RISING SEAS INSTEAD.

FRONTAL PASSAGE WILL SPREAD NORTHWESTERLY TO NORTHERLY WINDS ACROSS
THE STATE TODAY...FOLLOWED BY A BRIEF PERIOD OF TRADES FROM TONIGHT
INTO THURSDAY...AND THEN BY A RETURN TO WEAK SOUTHERLIES FROM
THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY...FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER FRONTAL PASSAGE FROM
FRIDAY EVENING INTO SATURDAY. JUDGING BY THE CURRENT FRONTAL BAND...
THIS FEATURE MAY BE TOO WEAK TO DROP MUCH RAIN BY THE TIME IT
REACHES THE STATE...SO POPS HAVE NOT BEEN TRENDED UPWARD FOR THAT
TIME PERIOD. HOWEVER...THE SUBSEQUENT STAGES OF NORTHERLIES...
TRADES...AND SOUTHERLIES WILL REPEAT BEFORE THE NEXT POSSIBLE
FRONTAL PASSAGE EARLY NEXT WEEK.

THE LATEST GUIDANCE NOW LARGELY AGREES IN PORTRAYING THAT EVENT AS
BOTH LATER AND WEAKER THAN EXPECTED EARLIER. INDEED...INCREASED
RAINFALL DURING THAT TIME MAY BE LIMITED ONLY TO BETTER DEVELOPMENT
OF TRADE SHOWERS AS FRONTAL REMNANTS BLOW ASHORE ALONG WINDWARD
SLOPES.

&&

.MARINE...
A LARGE NORTHWEST SWELL REQUIRES A HIGH SURF WARNING FOR MOST SHORES
FACING NORTH OR WEST. THIS SWELL IS EXPECTED TO PEAK LATE TODAY OR
TONIGHT...AND THEN LOWER SLOWLY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. A SECOND
NEAR-WARNING-LEVEL NORTHWEST SWELL IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE SATURDAY
NIGHT...PEAK ON SUNDAY...AND THEN LOWER SLOWLY ON MONDAY.

THESE SWELLS WILL BUILD SEAS TO 10 FEET OR MORE...SO A SMALL CRAFT
ADVISORY WILL BE NEEDED FOR EXPOSED COASTAL WATERS.

&&

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

HIGH SURF WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM HST THURSDAY FOR KONA-
KOHALA.

WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST THIS EVENING FOR BIG ISLAND SUMMITS.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST THURSDAY FOR KAUAI NORTHWEST
WATERS-KAUAI WINDWARD WATERS-KAUAI LEEWARD WATERS-KAUAI CHANNEL-
OAHU WINDWARD WATERS-OAHU LEEWARD WATERS-KAIWI CHANNEL-MAUI
COUNTY WINDWARD WATERS.

&&

RYSHKO

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Niihau

When: January 27, 5:00 AM HST to January 29, 5:00 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: January 27, 5:00 AM HST to January 29, 5:00 AM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: January 27, 5:00 AM HST to January 29, 5:00 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: January 27, 5:00 AM HST to January 29, 5:00 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: January 27, 5:00 AM HST to January 29, 5:00 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: January 27, 5:00 AM HST to January 29, 5:00 AM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: January 27, 5:00 AM HST to January 29, 5:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: January 27, 5:00 AM HST to January 29, 5:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: January 27, 5:00 AM HST to January 29, 5:00 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: January 27, 5:00 AM HST to January 29, 5:00 AM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: January 27, 5:00 AM HST to January 29, 5:00 AM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kona

When: January 27, 5:00 AM HST to January 29, 5:00 AM HST
Where: Kona forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Kohala

When: January 27, 5:00 AM HST to January 29, 5:00 AM HST
Where: Kohala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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, January 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: 205074, 205075, 205076, 205077, 205078, 205079, 205080, 205081, 205082, 205083, 205084, 205085, 205086.