High Surf in Hawaii, February 5 to 9, 2011

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, February 5 to 9, 2011
Start: 2011-02-05T05:00
End: 2011-02-09T05:00
Location: Hawaii

February 5 to 9, 2011 · NWS HFO · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

A series of swells from a strong low far northwest of the islands caused surf of 15 to 30 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai; 15 to 25 feet along the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; 10 to 20 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai; and 6 to 10 feet along the west-facing shores of the Big Island of Hawaii. No serious property damage or…

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

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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 Feb 5, 4:00 AM HST, 1 hour earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 5, 4:00 AM HST, 1 hour before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
400 AM HST SAT FEB 5 2011

.SYNOPSIS...
A FRONT WILL REACH KAUAI SUNDAY BUT THEN STALL AND WEAKEN NEAR OAHU
ON MONDAY. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE DURING THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK
WILL PRODUCE ONLY MODERATE NORTHEAST WINDS...POSSIBLY TRENDING TO
EASTERLY BY WEDNESDAY. SOMEWHAT WET WEATHER MAY PERSIST INTO TUESDAY
MAINLY OVER THE WINDWARD OR MOUNTAIN AREAS. ANOTHER FRONT WILL
APPROACH THE ISLANDS LATE NEXT WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
RELATIVELY DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUE OVER THE SMALLER ISLANDS.
SCATTERED SHOWERS HAVE MOVED ONTO THE SOUTH BIG ISLAND AND SOUTH
HILO DISTRICT. WIND FLOW IN THE LOWER ATMOSPHERE IS SOUTH TO
SOUTHEASTERLY AND WILL INCREASE TO MODERATE STRENGTH LATE TONIGHT
AND SUNDAY WEST OF MOLOKAI. A WEAK CONVECTIVE PATTERN IS EXPECTED
AGAIN TODAY...WITH CLOUD BUILDUPS AND ISOLATED SHOWERS EXPECTED OVER
INTERIOR AREAS THROUGH THIS EVENING. BESIDES CLOUDS AND WEATHER
ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT A GOOD DEAL OF HIGH CLOUDS WILL SPREAD
OVER THE ISLANDS WEST OF THE BIG ISLAND LATE TODAY AND THROUGH
MONDAY.

CLOUDS AT THE LEADING EDGE OF A COLD FRONT MOVED UP TO KAUAI EARLY
THIS MORNING BUT THE BROAD BAND OF CLOUDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT
HAS HALTED ITS EASTWARD MOVEMENT. THIS IS DUE TO A DEVELOPING LOW
JUST NORTH OF MIDWAY ISLAND THAT WILL MOVE RAPIDLY EAST
NORTHEASTWARD. THE INFLUENCE OF THIS LOW WILL TEMPORARILY DRAW THE
FRONT BACK UP TO THE NORTH AS A FRONTAL WAVE DEVELOPS...BUT BY
SUNDAY MORNING THE ENTIRE FRONT WILL CONTINUE ADVANCING EASTWARD.

TIMING OF THE FRONT REMAINS THE SAME...THE MAIN PORTION OF THE FRONT
REACHING KAUAI SUNDAY...BUT THEN STALLING NEAR OAHU ON MONDAY AND
WEAKENING MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. SHOWERS...SOME OF WHICH MAY
BE HEAVY...WILL HOWEVER OCCUR IN THE CONVERGENCE WITHIN THE
SOUTHERLIES AHEAD OF THE FRONT TONIGHT SPREADING TO MOLOKAI AND
POSSIBLY MAUI MONDAY MORNING. THE THUNDERSTORM THREAT APPEARS TO
REMAIN JUST NORTH OF THE ISLANDS.

THE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE THAT REMAINS OVER THE ISLANDS AFTER THE FRONT
STALLS ON MONDAY IS SOMETHING OF A QUESTION...THE GFS MODEL SUGGEST
SOMEWHAT WET WEATHER...SHOWERS ENHANCED BY WEAK SURFACE TROUGHING
OVER THE ISLANDS. SHOWERS NONETHELESS FAVORING THE WINDWARD AND
MOUNTAIN AREAS. THERE WILL BE MODERATE TO FRESH NORTHEASTERLY WINDS
SWINGING AROUND TO EASTERLY TRADES ON TUESDAY. WINDS WILL LIKELY
CARRY REMNANT MOISTURE BACK ACROSS THE ISLANDS WEST OF MAUI TUESDAY
AND WEDNESDAY.

MIDWEEK FORECAST IS SOMEWHAT UNCERTAIN DUE TO DIFFERENCES IN THE
MODELS. THE GFS MODEL ATTEMPTS TO DEVELOP A SURFACE TROUGH OVER THE
ISLANDS BY WEDNESDAY MORNING THAT PERSISTS INTO THE SECOND HALF OF
THE WEEK. THIS SEEMS OVERDONE IN VIEW OF NO SIGNIFICANT TROUGHING IN
THE UPPER ATMOSPHERIC FLOW TO THE NORTH AND NORTHWEST OF THE
ISLANDS. THE NEW MODEL RUN OF THE ECMWF CONTINUES TO LOOK MORE
REASONABLE DEPICTING A WEAK SURFACE HIGH TO THE NORTH OF THE ISLANDS
MONDAY THAT SHIFTS NORTHEASTWARD BUT RETAINS AN ADEQUATE RIDGE NORTH
OF THE ISLANDS TO MAINTAIN EASTERLY TRADE WINDS THROUGH
THURSDAY...EXCEPT NEAR KAUAI. MODELS ARE NOT IN AGREEMENT IN
HANDLING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LOW NEAR THE DATELINE OR JUST WEST OF
MIDWAY ISLAND DURING THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. SURFACE WINDS
EVENTUALLY VEER TO SOUTHEASTERLY AFTER THURSDAY. CONFIDENCE IS LOW
IN TIMING THE ARRIVAL OF THE NEXT FRONT NEXT WEEKEND.

&&

.MARINE...
BUOY 51101 NORTHWEST OF KAUAI HAS RISEN DURING THE NIGHT INDICATING
THE ARRIVAL OF THE LARGE NORTHWEST SWELL WILL AND IS IN AGREEMENT
WITH WAVEWATCH FORECAST. THE SWELL WILL PRODUCE ADVISORY LEVEL SURF
ALONG NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF NIIHAU...KAUAI AND OAHU AS
WELL AS ALONG NORTH FACING SHORES OF MOLOKAI AND MAUI. SMALL CRAFT
ADVISORIES AND HIGH SURF ADVISORIES WILL BE IN EFFECT AT 4 AM THIS
MORNING FOR THESE AREAS. THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY WILL BE EXTENDED
THOUGH THE WEEKEND SINCE SURF HEIGHTS WILL REMAIN ABOVE ADVISORY
LEVELS AND THEN ANOTHER LARGE NORTHWEST SWELL WILL ARRIVE MONDAY
WITH SURF AGAIN APPROACHING WARNING LEVELS.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FROM EARLY SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY
NIGHT FOR NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF NIIHAU...KAUAI AND
OAHU...AS WELL AS FOR NORTH FACING SHORES OF MOLOKAI AND MAUI.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM EARLY SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY
NIGHT FOR WATERS AROUND KAUAI...KAUAI AND KAIWI CHANNELS...AS WELL
AS FOR WINDWARD OAHU AND WINDWARD MAUI COUNTY WATERS.

&&

HOAG

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: February 5, 5:00 AM HST to February 9, 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: February 5, 5:00 AM HST to February 9, 5:00 AM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: February 5, 5:00 AM HST to February 9, 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: February 5, 5:00 AM HST to February 9, 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: February 5, 5:00 AM HST to February 9, 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: February 5, 5:00 AM HST to February 9, 5:00 AM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: February 5, 5:00 AM HST to February 9, 5:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: February 5, 5:00 AM HST to February 9, 5:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: February 5, 5:00 AM HST to February 9, 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: February 5, 5:00 AM HST to February 9, 5:00 AM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: February 5, 5:00 AM HST to February 9, 5:00 AM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kona

When: February 5, 5:00 AM HST to February 9, 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: February 5, 5:00 AM HST to February 9, 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 2011 Every state in 2011 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, February 2011

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: 277003, 277004, 277005, 277006, 277007, 277008, 277009, 277010, 277011, 277012, 277013, 277014, 277015.