High Surf in Hawaii, March 23 to 24, 2010

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, March 23 to 24, 2010
Start: 2010-03-23T04:00
End: 2010-03-24T14:00
Location: Hawaii

March 23 to 24, 2010 · NWS HFO · 12 events in 12 counties and zones

A swell from a strong low far northwest of the islands caused surf of 15 to 25 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai, and along the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 10 to 15 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai, and the north-facing shores of the Big Island of Hawaii. There were no reports of significant property damage or injuries.

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: 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.

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 23, 3:40 AM HST, 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 23, 3:40 AM HST, 20 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
340 AM HST TUE MAR 23 2010

.SYNOPSIS...
A TROUGH ALOFT WILL KEEP THE ATMOSPHERE UNSTABLE WITH HEAVIER
SHOWERS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON. GENTLE WINDS WILL TRANSITION TO
TRADES THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. AS THE TROUGH MOVES AWAY ON
WEDNESDAY...THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BECOME MORE STABLE AND LOCALLY
BREEZY TRADE WINDS WILL RETURN. LEEWARD AREAS WILL BE DRIER AND
SUNNIER...BUT THE RETURNING TRADE WINDS WILL KEEP WINDWARD AREAS
RATHER RAINY THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING. WINDWARD AREAS WILL TURN
DRIER ON FRIDAY.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
LAND BREEZES HAVE FORMED OVERNIGHT ACROSS THE STATE AND MOST
SHOWERS HAVE BEEN PUSHED OFFSHORE. A BROAD AREA OF CIRRUS
CONTINUES TO SPREAD OVER THE STATE IN RESPONSE TO AN UPPER LEVEL
TROUGH WEST OF THE STATE. RADAR SHOWS A THIN LINE OF HEAVIER
SHOWERS LOCATED NORTH OF MOLOKAI DRIFTING TOWARD THE NW...AND A
SMALLER AREA OF SHOWERS LOCATED 50 MILES SOUTH OF OAHU MOVING
SLOWLY SE. THE MOVEMENT OF THE SHOWERS CONFIRMS THE GFS SOLUTION
OF A WEAK CIRCULATION OVER THE STATE ASSOCIATED WITH A SURFACE
TROUGH.

ALOFT...THE UPPER TROUGH TO THE WEST IS BRINGING IN COLDER AIR
OVER THE STATE THEREBY DESTABILIZING THE ATMOSPHERE. THE UNSTABLE
ATMOSPHERE WILL ALLOW SHOWERS THAT DO FORM TO BE BIGGER RAIN
PRODUCERS THAN NORMAL. THE SOUTHEAST FLOW HITTING THE BIG ISLAND
SHOULD ALLOW FOR INCREASED SHOWERS OVER THE SOUTHEAST BIG ISLAND/S
LOWER SLOPES. THE BIG ISLAND WILL PARTLY BLOCK THE SOUTHEAST FLOW
FROM REACHING THE SMALLER ISLANDS SO WINDS WILL BE LIGHT AND VARIABLE
THIS MORNING BEFORE LIGHT/MODERATE TRADES FILTER IN THIS
AFTERNOON AS WINDS SHIFT OUT OF THE EAST.

THE TROUGH ALOFT IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AND MOVE NORTHEAST LATER
TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...ENDING THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVIER
CONVECTIVE SHOWERS. THE SURFACE TROUGH OVER THE ISLANDS IS
EXPECTED TO MOVE WEST OF THE STATE WEDNESDAY MORNING ALLOWING
FRESH TO STRONG TRADES TO SPREAD OVER THE STATE. WINDWARD AND
MAUKA AREAS WILL SEE THE BULK OF THE RAINFALL WITH ONLY ISOLATED
SHOWERS OVER LEEWARD LOCATIONS. THE WEATHER SHOULD TURN DRIER ON
FRIDAY WITH LESS MOISTURE IN THE ATMOSPHERE UPSTREAM OF THE
ISLANDS AND TRADE WIND SPEEDS DECREASING A BIT. TRADE WINDS MAY
BECOME STRONGER AGAIN EARLY NEXT WEEK AND BRING AND INCREASE IN
SHOWERS.

&&

.MARINE...
A LARGE NORTHWEST SWELL IS MOVING INTO HAWAIIAN WATERS THIS
MORNING. THE WAIMEA BUOY IS ON THE RISE AND AS OF 3 AM HAS REACHED
ALMOST 7 FT. THE SWELL IS EXPECTED TO REACH 11 FT THIS AFTERNOON
BEFORE SLOWLY DECLINING TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. THE SWELL WILL
BRING ADVISORY LEVEL SURF TO NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES THROUGH
WEDNESDAY.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM HST WEDNESDAY FOR NIIHAU-KAUAI
WINDWARD-KAUAI LEEWARD-WAIANAE COAST-OAHU NORTH SHORE-OAHU
KOOLAU-MOLOKAI-MAUI WINDWARD WEST-MAUI CENTRAL VALLEY-WINDWARD
HALEAKALA-BIG ISLAND NORTH AND EAST.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM HST
WEDNESDAY FOR MAUI COUNTY WINDWARD WATERS-MAUI COUNTY LEEWARD
WATERS-PAILOLO CHANNEL-ALENUIHAHA CHANNEL-BIG ISLAND WINDWARD
WATERS-BIG ISLAND LEEWARD WATERS-BIG ISLAND SOUTHEAST WATERS.

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

&&

MORRISON

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 23, 4:00 AM HST to March 24, 2:00 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: March 23, 4:00 AM HST to March 24, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: March 23, 4:00 AM HST to March 24, 2:00 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: March 23, 4:00 AM HST to March 24, 2:00 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: March 23, 4:00 AM HST to March 24, 2:00 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: March 23, 4:00 AM HST to March 24, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: March 23, 4:00 AM HST to March 24, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: March 23, 4:00 AM HST to March 24, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: March 23, 4:00 AM HST to March 24, 2:00 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, Maui Central Valley

When: March 23, 4:00 AM HST to March 24, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: March 23, 4:00 AM HST to March 24, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When: March 23, 4:00 AM HST to March 24, 2:00 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 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, March 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: 214319, 214320, 214321, 214322, 214323, 214324, 214325, 214326, 214327, 214328, 214329, 214330.