High Surf, Niihau
- When
- March 29, 8:00 PM HST to March 31, 6:00 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 in Hawaii, March 29 to 31, 2010
A swell from a deep low far northwest of the islands generated surf of 15 to 25 feet along the north-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 10 to 15 feet along the west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, and Molokai. No serious 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
- 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.
A swell from a deep low far northwest of the islands generated surf of 15 to 25 feet along the north-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 10 to 15 feet along the west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, and Molokai. No serious 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 Mar 29, 4:00 PM HST, 4 hours earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 29, 4:00 PM HST, 4 hours before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 400 PM HST MON MAR 29 2010 .UPDATE... WIND ADVISORY ISSUED FOR THE KOHALA AREA ON THE BIG ISLAND. WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORY SECTION UPDATED. && .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE FAR NORTH OF THE STATE WILL BRING STRONG AND GUSTY TRADE WINDS THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON. TRADES WILL WEAKEN A BIT THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE FRIDAY...THEN STRENGTHEN AGAIN EARLY SATURDAY. RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LIGHT THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD...WITH SHOWERS FOCUSING OVER WINDWARD AND MOUNTAIN SLOPES. && .PREV DISCUSSION 400 PM... A MODERATELY STRONG HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM IS CURRENTLY ABOUT 730 MILES NORTH OF KAUAI. STRONG AND GUSTY TRADE WINDS WILL PREVAIL OVER THE ISLANDS TONIGHT AS A RESULT...WITH SOME AREAS POSSIBLY REACHING WIND ADVISORY STRENGTH. TRADES WILL REMAIN STRONG THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON...AND THEN START TO LOWER A BIT AS A FRONT FAR TO THE NORTH INTERACTS WITH THE HIGH AND WEAKENS IT. A STRONG HIGH WILL THEN MOVE IN FAR NORTH OF THE STATE SATURDAY...STRENGTHENING THE TRADES ONCE AGAIN. TRADES WILL REMAIN BREEZY THROUGH MONDAY. THE ATMOSPHERE IS STABLE THIS AFTERNOON...AS 00Z SOUNDINGS FROM LIHUE AND HILO SHOW STRONG LOW LEVEL INVERSIONS AT AROUND 5500 AND 7000 FT RESPECTIVELY. THIS WILL LIMIT THE VERTICAL EXTENT OF SHOWERS TONIGHT AND THROUGH MOST OF THIS WEEK AND WEEKEND. THIS MEANS THAT SHOWERS WILL NOT AMOUNT TO MUCH IN TERMS OF ACCUMULATION. AN INDICATION OF THE STABLE ATMOSPHERE CAN BE SEEN WITH THE RAIN GAGE REPORTS...WHICH SHOW LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS OVER THE PAST 6 HOURS ACROSS THE ISLANDS. WITH THE PREVAILING TRADE WIND FLOW...SHOWERS WILL FOCUS OVER WINDWARD AND MOUNTAIN SLOPES. HOWEVER...850 MB WINDS ARE STRONG ENOUGH WHERE SOME SHOWERS WILL BE BLOWN OVER TO LEEWARD AREAS. THIS KIND OF WEATHER PATTERN CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH NEXT MONDAY...WITH A SLIGHT INCREASE IN SHOWERS POSSIBLE THIS WEEKEND AS MODELS SHOW AN INCREASE IN THE INVERSION HEIGHTS RESULTING FROM A BIT OF UPPER LEVEL TROUGHING OVER THE STATE. WINDS OVER THE HALEAKALA SUMMIT HAVE REMAINED ABOVE THE WIND ADVISORY THRESHOLD THIS AFTERNOON. GFS SHOWS WINDY CONDITIONS HERE CONTINUING UNTIL THURSDAY MORNING. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION FOR THIS LOCATION...AS THE LATEST GFS RUN SHOWS WIND SPEEDS ACROSS THE HALEAKALA SUMMIT INCREASING FURTHER TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. WINDS ACROSS THE BIG ISLAND SUMMITS MAY REACH WIND ADVISORY STRENGTH AS WELL. WITH KBDI BEING ABOVE 600...STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS...AND RELATIVE HUMIDITIES EXPECTED TO GET CLOSE TO THE 45 PERCENT THRESHOLD...RED FLAG CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE TOMORROW AFTERNOON. THUS...THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR LEEWARD SECTIONS OF MOST ISLANDS. AS A RESULT OF THE STRONG AND GUSTY TRADE WINDS...WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO GALE STRENGTH FOR A COUPLE CHANNELS...SO A GALE WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE PAILOLO CHANNEL AND ALENUIHAHA CHANNELS UNTIL 6 AM HST WEDNESDAY. ALSO...A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT FOR ALL HAWAIIAN COASTAL WATERS EXCEPT THE CHANNELS UNDER THE GALE WARNING...DUE TO THE STRONG AND GUSTY TRADE WINDS AND THE INCOMING NORTHWEST SWELL. THE STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO PRODUCE ROUGH AND CHOPPY SURF ALONG EAST FACING SHORES...WHICH HAS NECESSITATE THE ISSUANCE OF A HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR EAST FACING SHORES OF MOST ISLANDS. A LARGE NORTHWEST SWELL IS CURRENTLY ARRIVING...WHICH WILL BOOST SURF HEIGHTS ALONG NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES TONIGHT AND TUESDAY...AND REMAIN ELEVATED THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF MOST ISLANDS. && .HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST WEDNESDAY FOR THE HALEAKALA SUMMIT AND KOHALA. HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST WEDNESDAY FOR NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF NIIHAU...KAUAI...OAHU AND MOLOKAI...NORTH FACING SHORES OF MAUI...AND EAST FACING SHORES OF NIIHAU...KAUAI...OAHU...MOLOKAI...MAUI AND THE BIG ISLAND. GALE WARNING UNTIL 6 AM HST WEDNESDAY FOR THE PAILOLO AND ALENUIHAHA CHANNELS. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM HST WEDNESDAY FOR ALL COASTAL WATERS...EXCEPT THOSE IN THE GALE WARNING. FIRE WEATHER WATCH UNTIL 8 PM HST WEDNESDAY FOR LEEWARD SECTIONS OF ALL HAWAIIAN ISLANDS EXCEPT NIIHAU...LANAI AND KAHOOLAWE. && HARRISON/CRAIG
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
11 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High Surf, Kauai Windward
- When
- March 29, 8:00 PM HST to March 31, 6:00 PM HST
- Where
- Kauai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Kauai Leeward
- When
- March 29, 8:00 PM HST to March 31, 6:00 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 29, 8:00 PM HST to March 31, 6:00 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 29, 8:00 PM HST to March 31, 6:00 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 29, 8:00 PM HST to March 31, 6:00 PM HST
- Where
- Oahu Koolau forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Molokai Windward
- When
- March 29, 8:00 PM HST to March 31, 6:00 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Molokai Leeward
- When
- March 29, 8:00 PM HST to March 31, 6:00 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai Leeward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Maui Windward West
- When
- March 29, 8:00 PM HST to March 31, 6:00 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 29, 8:00 PM HST to March 31, 6:00 PM HST
- Where
- Maui Central Valley forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Windward Haleakala
- When
- March 29, 8:00 PM HST to March 31, 6:00 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
- Flooding in Massachusetts, March 29 to 31, 2010
- Flooding in Rhode Island, March 29 to 31, 2010
- Dust Storm and Heavy Snow in Nevada, March 29 to 30, 2010
- Tornado and Heavy Rain in Florida, March 29, 2010
- Strong Wind in Idaho, March 29, 2010
- Marine Thunderstorm Wind in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, March 29, 2010
- Winter Storm and High Wind in Wyoming, March 29 to 30, 2010
- Heavy Rain in North Carolina, March 29, 2010
- Flooding in New Jersey, March 29 to 31, 2010
- High Wind in Wyoming, March 29 to 30, 2010
- Flooding in Pennsylvania, March 29 to 31, 2010
- Heavy Rain in Maryland, March 29, 2010
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 214331, 214332, 214333, 214334, 214335, 214336, 214337, 214338, 214339, 214340, 214341.