High Surf in Hawaii, January 11 to 12, 2011

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, January 11 to 12, 2011
Start: 2011-01-11T02:00
End: 2011-01-12T16:00
Location: Hawaii

January 11 to 12, 2011 · NWS HFO · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

Swells from a series of strong lows moving through the western and central Pacific generated surf of 10 to 20 feet along the north-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 8 to 15 feet along the west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, 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; 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 10, 11:15 PM HST, 2 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 10, 11:15 PM HST, 2 hours 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1115 PM HST MON JAN 10 2011

.UPDATE...
WINDS HAVE DECREASED ON HALEAKALA AND HAVE CANCELLED THE WIND
ADVISORY THERE AS WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO DECREASE
OVERNIGHT. HAVE EXTENDED THE WIND ADVISORY FOR THE BIG ISLAND
SUMMITS AS WIND GAGES THERE CONTINUE TO SHOW WEST WINDS IN THE 30 TO
35 MPH RANGE. WINDS ON THE BIG ISLAND SUMMITS ARE STILL EXPECTED TO
DECREASE ON TUESDAY MORNING AS THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PASSES WELL TO
THE EAST OF THE STATE. IN ADDITION...SNOW SHOWERS CONTINUE ABOVE
10000 FEET ON THE BIG ISLAND SUMMITS WITH SEVERAL INCHES OF
ACCUMULATION EXPECTED BY TUESDAY MORNING.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTH OF THE STATE AND DISSIPATE BY EARLY
TUESDAY WITH DRIER AND STABLE AIR FILTERING IN FROM THE NORTHWEST.
AN AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL PASS THROUGH THE STATE TUESDAY
AFTERNOON RESULTING IN LIGHT WINDS AND STABLE WEATHER. ANOTHER COLD
FRONT WILL APPROACH THE ISLANDS WEDNESDAY AND STALL OVER THE STATE
ON THURSDAY. THIS STALLING FRONT WILL BRING AN EXTENDED ROUND OF
WET AND WINDY WEATHER WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. A DRYING TREND IS
EXPECTED FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A COLD FRONT POSITIONED ACROSS THE MIDDLE OF STATE THIS EVENING
WILL DRIFT SLOWLY SOUTHEAST OVERNIGHT AND PUSH THE SHOWER BANDS AND
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS AWAY FROM THE ISLANDS BY EARLY TUESDAY. SNOW
FALLING OVER THE SUMMITS OF THE BIG ISLAND WILL AMOUNT TO SEVERAL
INCHES WITH STRONG WINDS DRIFTING THE SNOW ACROSS ELEVATIONS ABOVE
10000 FEET. BOTH THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY AND WIND ADVISORIES
FOR THE BIG ISLAND WILL BE CONTINUED THROUGH TONIGHT. THE WINDS
WILL DECREASE OVER HALEAKALA AND THE ADVISORY THERE WILL LIKELY BE
ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT MIDNIGHT.

DRY AND STABLE AIR WILL MOVE IN FROM THE NORTHWEST BY EARLY TUESDAY
BEHIND THE DISSIPATING COLD FRONT.  A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE
WILL TRANSITION ACROSS THE STATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON WITH LIGHT WINDS
ALLOWING SEA BREEZES TO DEVELOP. STABLE...SUBSIDING AIR WILL KEEP
CLOUDS AND SHOWERS VERY MINIMAL TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

THE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO DETERIORATE QUICKLY EARLY WEDNESDAY AS
THE NEXT COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST. RESIDUAL MOISTURE
FROM TODAYS COLD FRONT WILL BE HANGING JUST SOUTH OF THE ISLANDS
TUESDAY AND WILL BE CAUGHT UP IN THE INCREASING SOUTHERLY WINDS AND
MOVE BACK ACROSS ON WEDNESDAY. AS THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES
DYNAMICS AND MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
AND BRING THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAINFALL AND A CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS. FLASH FLOOD WATCH WILL BE IN EFFECT BEGINNING
WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY FOR THE HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL
ASSOCIATED BOTH WITH PREFRONTAL SHOWER BANDS AND THE RAIN BAND
ALONG THE FRONT. THE AIRMASS WILL BE SUFFICIENTLY UNSTABLE FOR THE
STRONG DYNAMICS TO BRING A THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE
WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY PERIOD...WHICH WILL BRING ADDITIONAL
HEAVY RAIN AND POTENTIALLY STRONG WIND GUSTS. WINDS INDICATED ON
MODEL VERTICAL CROSS SECTIONS ARE NEAR 40 KNOTS NEAR MEAN RIDGE-TOP
LEVEL...H85...WHICH WILL TRANSLATE INTO WIND GUSTS NEAR 50 MPH BEING
FORCED DOWNSLOPE INTO AREAS SUCH AS KANEOHE AND WAIALUA AND A WIND
HIGHLIGHT WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED FOR THESE AREAS WEDNESDAY. APPEARS
AT THIS TIME THAT A WINTER STORM WATCH WILL NEED TO BE ISSUED FOR
THE BIG ISLAND SUMMITS FOR THE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY
TIME PERIOD AS THE MOISTURE IS SUFFICIENTLY DEEP FOR PROLONGED
PERIODS OF SNOW SHOWERS ABOVE ABOUT 11000 FEET. THE COLD FRONT WILL
REACH AS FAR EAST AS KAUAI ON THURSDAY...THEN STALL OUT AND
DISSIPATE THURSDAY NIGHT. THE SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO BRING
A FEW SHOWERS FRIDAY...BUT A GRADUAL DRYING TREND IS EXPECTED FRIDAY
INTO SATURDAY AS DYNAMICS AND INSTABILITY DECREASES.

ANOTHER COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED SUNDAY WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF KONA
WINDS AND WET WEATHER.

&&

.MARINE...
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES CURRENTLY IN EFFECT FOR THE BUILDING
NORTHWEST SWELL OVER THE WATERS AROUND KAUAI...OAHU...AND NORTH AND
WEST OF MAUI.

A LARGE NORTHWEST SWELL WILL BUILD TONIGHT...PRODUCING HAZARDOUS
SEAS. THIS SWELL WILL BE CONFUSED...MEANING IT WILL HAVE BOTH LONG
AND SHORT PERIOD ENERGY. IT WILL GENERATE SURF ABOVE ADVISORY
LEVELS BEGINNING LATER TONIGHT...AND A HIGH SURF ADVISORY HAS BEEN
POSTED. ANOTHER PULSE OF LONG PERIOD WEST NORTHWEST SWELL IS DUE
TUESDAY NIGHT...POSSIBLY PUSHING SURF TO WARNING LEVELS. SURF WILL
REMAIN ELEVATED THROUGH WEDNESDAY...WITH ADDITIONAL BOUTS OF HIGH
SURF POSSIBLE THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY
AFTERNOON FOR ALL HAWAII ISLANDS.

HIGH SURF ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM HST WEDNESDAY
FOR NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF NIIHAU...KAUAI...OAHU AND
MOLOKAI...AND THE NORTH FACING SHORES OF MAUI.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM HST TUESDAY FOR BIG ISLAND
SUMMITS.

WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM HST TUESDAY FOR BIG ISLAND SUMMITS.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST WEDNESDAY FOR WATERS SURROUNDING
KAUAI...OAHU...AND NORTH AND WEST OF MAUI.

&&

BRENCHLEY

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 11, 2:00 AM HST to January 12, 4:00 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: January 11, 2:00 AM HST to January 12, 4:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: January 11, 2:00 AM HST to January 12, 4:00 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: January 11, 2:00 AM HST to January 12, 4:00 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: January 11, 2:00 AM HST to January 12, 4:00 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: January 11, 2:00 AM HST to January 12, 4:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: January 11, 2:00 AM HST to January 12, 4:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: January 11, 2:00 AM HST to January 12, 4:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: January 11, 2:00 AM HST to January 12, 4:00 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: January 11, 2:00 AM HST to January 12, 4:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: January 11, 2:00 AM HST to January 12, 4:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kona

When: January 11, 2:00 AM HST to January 12, 4:00 PM 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 11, 2:00 AM HST to January 12, 4:00 PM 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, January 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: 274183, 274185, 274187, 274188, 274189, 274191, 274192, 274193, 274194, 274195, 274196, 274197, 274198.