High Surf in Hawaii, September 26 to 28, 2010

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, September 26 to 28, 2010
Start: 2010-09-26T06:00
End: 2010-09-28T23:00
Location: Hawaii

September 26 to 28, 2010 · NWS HFO · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

A swell from a deep low far northwest of the Aloha State generated surf of 15 to 25 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai, and 10 to 20 feet along the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii. No significant injuries or property damage were reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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 Sep 26, 4:00 AM HST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 26, 4:00 AM HST, 2 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
400 AM HST SUN SEP 26 2010

.SYNOPSIS...
TRADES WILL SLOWLY WEAKEN THROUGH THE NEXT FEW DAYS. PASSING CLOUDS
AND SHOWERS WILL AFFECT WINDWARD AND MOUNTAIN AREAS TODAY. LIGHTER
WINDS WITH LAND AND SEA BREEZES WILL PREVAIL MONDAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY. THE ISLANDS WILL EXPERIENCE MOSTLY CLOUDY AFTERNOONS WITH
ISOLATED SHOWERS POSSIBLE FOR LEEWARD SECTIONS. A WEAK FRONTAL
BOUNDARY WILL REACH THE AREA BY THURSDAY AS LIGHT TRADE WINDS RETURN
THROUGH THE NEXT WEEKEND.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A LITTLE MORE LOW CLOUDS ARE AFFECTING WINDWARD SOUTHERN ISLANDS
EARLY THIS MORNING. ELSEWHERE MAINLY FAIR WEATHER CONTINUES...WITH A
FEW PASSING CLOUDS AND SHOWERS AT TIMES. TRADE WINDS CONTINUES OVER
THE AREA THIS MORNING...THOUGH THE WINDS WILL BE WEAKER TODAY
COMPARING TO YESTERDAYS. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS NOW OVER THE
EASTERN ISLANDS EARLY THIS MORNING...AND CONTINUES TO TRACK WEST.
MORNING LIHUE AND HILO SOUNDINGS DO INDICATE A MORE UNSTABLE AIR
MASS IN THE ISLAND VICINITY...AND LOW LEVEL MOISTURE HAS MANAGED TO
DEEPEN TO 8 THOUSAND FEET. ON THE OTHER HAND...NOT MUCH LOW CLOUDS
SCATTERED IN THE ISLAND VICINITY AT TIME...THUS RAINFALL REMAINS
QUITE LOW FOR ALL AREAS. STILL EXPECT TO SEE SOME PASSING CLOUDS TO
BRING SOME SHOWERS TO THE ISLANDS TODAY.

A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS JUST NORTH OF THE ISLANDS AS A WEAK
COLD FRONT FROM THE NORTH CONTINUES TO PUSH SOUTH. TRADE WINDS WILL
SLOWLY WEAKEN THROUGH WEDNESDAY...BUT WILL LINGER IN THE AREA. WINDS
WILL BE LIGHT ENOUGH FOR LAND AND SEA BREEZES TO BE MORE PROMINENT
AT TIMES. AIR MASS WILL BECOME MORE STABLE MONDAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY...AS A WEAK UPPER LEVEL RIDGE MOVES OVER THE AREA. LOOK
FOR A MIXED CONVECTIVE AND TRADE WIND TYPE WEATHER MONDAY
THEN...WITH MORE CLOUDS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
PRECIPITATION WILL PROBABLY REMAIN ON THE LIGHTER SIDE AS WEATHER
CONDITIONS REMAIN UNFAVORABLE FOR SHOWERS DEVELOPMENT.

THE APPROACHING FRONT IS STILL EXPECTED TO DISSIPATE NORTH OF THE
ISLANDS BY MID WEEK. REMAINS OF THIS FRONT WILL SPREAD OVER THE
ISLANDS THURSDAY THROUGH THE NEXT WEEKEND...WITH TRADE WINDS
RETURNING. A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH MAY PERSIST IN THE ISLAND VICINITY
AT THE SAME TIME...AND THAT WILL KEEP THE TRADES ON THE LIGHTER SIDE.

&&

.MARINE...
A HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT TILL EARLY MONDAY MORNING
FOR NORTH FACING SHORES OF MOST ISLANDS AND WEST FACING SHORES OF
KAUAI AND NIIHAU. THE LARGE NORTHERLY SWELL HAS REACHED THE ISLANDS
LATE LAST NIGHT AND WILL PEAK THIS MORNING. LOOKS LIKE THIS SWELL
MAY NOT BE BIG ENOUGH TO CAUSE HARBOR SURGES AT KAHULUI HARBOR AT
THIS POINT.

A SERIES OF SWELL IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE ISLANDS THROUGH THE
PERIOD. PLEASE REFER TO THE SURF FORECAST FOR MORE DETAILS.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT TILL 6 AM HST MONDAY FOR NIIHAU-KAUAI
WINDWARD-KAUAI LEEWARD-OAHU NORTH SHORE-OAHU KOOLAU-MOLOKAI-MAUI
WINDWARD WEST-MAUI CENTRAL VALLEY-WINDWARD HALEAKALA-BIG ISLAND
NORTH AND EAST

&&

HUI

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: September 26, 6:00 AM HST to September 28, 11:00 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: September 26, 6:00 AM HST to September 28, 11:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: September 26, 6:00 AM HST to September 28, 11:00 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, Oahu North Shore

When: September 26, 6:00 AM HST to September 28, 11:00 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: September 26, 6:00 AM HST to September 28, 11:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: September 26, 6:00 AM HST to September 28, 11:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: September 26, 6:00 AM HST to September 28, 11:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: September 26, 6:00 AM HST to September 28, 11:00 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: September 26, 6:00 AM HST to September 28, 11:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: September 26, 6:00 AM HST to September 28, 11:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When: September 26, 6:00 AM HST to September 28, 11:00 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, September 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: 256465, 256466, 256467, 256468, 256469, 256470, 256471, 256472, 256473, 256474, 256475.