High Surf in Hawaii, January 19 to 26, 2011

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, January 19 to 26, 2011
Start: 2011-01-19T22:00
End: 2011-01-26T14:00
Location: Hawaii

January 19 to 26, 2011 · NWS HFO · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

A swell from a deep low far northwest of the Aloha State caused surf of 15 to 30 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai, and along the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 8 to 15 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, Maui, Lanai, and the Big Island of Hawaii. The surf was again high enough to close beaches on the west side of the Big…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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: 14

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 19, 8:40 PM HST, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 19, 8:40 PM HST, 1 hour 20 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
840 PM HST WED JAN 19 2011

.SYNOPSIS...
TRADE WINDS WILL STRENGTHEN INTO FRIDAY...AND WILL BRING A BRIEF
SURGE IN WINDWARD SHOWERS ON THURSDAY. LIGHTER TRADE WINDS WILL THEN
PREVAIL OVER THE WEEKEND...AND INTO NEXT WEEK...WITH ONLY BRIEF
WINDWARD SHOWERS EXPECTED. A LARGE NORTHWEST SWELL WILL BUILD
OVERNIGHT...PEAK AT WARNING LEVELS THURSDAY...AND REMAIN VERY HIGH
INTO THE WEEKEND.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
CURRENTLY...A LOW ALOFT IS CENTERED ABOUT 200 MILES SW OF THE BIG
ISLAND...AND IS MOVING TOWARD THE SSW AWAY FROM THE ISLANDS...AT
ABOUT 20 MPH. THE COLD POOL ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW IS ALSO EXITING
THE ISLAND AREA...AND TEMPERATURES ALOFT ARE GRADUALLY WARMING.
RADAR SHOWS A DIMINISHING SHIELD OF PRECIPITATION ECHOES OVER WATERS
SE OF THE BIG ISLAND OVER THE PAST 5 HOURS...DUE TO THE WANING
INFLUENCE OF THE LOW. A N-S ORIENTED SURFACE TROUGH ABOUT 150 MILES
E OF THE BIG ISLAND...ALONG 153W FROM 16N TO 24N...IS MOVING SLOWLY
W...WITH A RATHER SHARP GRADIENT IN MOISTURE FROM W TO E ACROSS THE
TROUGH AXIS. THE ISLANDS LIE ON THE DRY SIDE OF THIS AXIS...AND
MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES PREVAIL OVER ALL ISLANDS EXCEPT THE BIG
ISLAND...WHERE SOME LAYERED CLOUDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW ARE
LINGERING. WITH THE ISLANDS ON THE W SIDE OF THE LOW-LEVEL TROUGH...
AND A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE LOCATED JUST N OF THE ISLANDS...A WEAK
NE FLOW PREVAILS AT MANY SURFACE OBSERVING STATIONS THIS EVENING.
WINDS OVER THE SUMMITS OF THE BIG ISLAND MAY REACH ADVISORY LEVELS
OVERNIGHT AS THE LOW ALOFT SLIDES S OF THE ISLANDS...BUT THUS FAR
THESE WINDS HAVE NOT MATERIALIZED.

THE FORECAST CALLS FOR THE SURFACE TROUGH E OF THE ISLANDS TO TRACK
W AND GRADUALLY WEAKEN THROUGH FRIDAY...WITH TRADE WINDS SURGING A
BIT AS THE TROUGH PASSES. THIS TRADE SURGE LOOKS AS IF IT WILL BRING
A SURGE IN WINDWARD-FOCUSED TRADE SHOWERS...WITH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE
OVER THE ISLANDS INCREASING BRIEFLY AS IT PASSES. SO THE FORECAST
FOR TONIGHT CALLS FOR LIMITED...BUT GRADUALLY INCREASING...MOISTURE
TO SPREAD OVER THE SMALLER ISLANDS FROM THE E...BUT CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED TO REMAIN FAIRLY DRY STATEWIDE. AS THE TROUGH MOVES
W...WINDWARD SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE OVER THE BIG ISLAND
EARLY THURSDAY...WITH THESE SHOWERS SPREADING W TO THE SMALLER
ISLANDS THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...CLEARING KAUAI BY FRIDAY MORNING.
WITH BUILDING HEIGHTS ALOFT...THESE SHOWERS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE
INTENSE...NOR LONG-LIVED.

AFTER THE BRIEF SURGE IN TRADE WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PASSAGE OF
THE TROUGH...TRADES ARE EXPECTED TO EASE SLIGHTLY SATURDAY AND
SUNDAY...AND FAVOR AN ESE DIRECTION...DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF A
SURFACE RIDGE N OF KAUAI...WHICH WILL BE SHUNTED S DUE TO A FRONT
APPROACHING FROM THE NW. UNLIKE RECENT FRONTS...THIS ONE IS EXPECTED
TO STALL AND DISSIPATE NW OF KAUAI ON SUNDAY...WITH THE SURFACE
RIDGE REMAINING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY N OF KAUAI. THIS WILL MAINTAIN
LIGHT TRADES WELL INTO NEXT WEEK...WITH LIMITED WINDWARD SHOWERS.

SO...GRADUALLY INCREASING MOISTURE THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT WILL
BE WINDWARD-BIASED...WITH TRADE WINDS SURGING AS A SHOWER-PRODUCING
TROUGH PASSES. A MOSTLY DRY E TO ESE FLOW WILL THEN PERSIST FOR THE
REST OF THE FORECAST PERIOD.

&&

.AVIATION...
SIGMET PAPA REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR HIGH LEVEL MOD TO OCNL SEV TURB
DUE TO THE UPPER LOW SINKING S OF THE BIG ISLAND. AN AIRMET IS ALSO
IN EFFECT FOR MOD TURB OVER THE ENTIRE STATE...FOR THE LAYER BETWEEN
100 AND FL400. FOR THE TERMINALS...PRIMARILY VFR WILL PREVAIL FROM
MAUI TO KAUAI OVERNIGHT. PHTO MAY GO TO PRIMARILY MVFR AND BRIEF IFR
CONDS LATE TONIGHT AS A SFC TROF BRINGS IN SHOWERS FROM THE EAST.

&&

.MARINE...
A PLOT OF SWELL HEIGHTS AT BUOY 51101 NW OF KAUAI SHOWS A RISING
WNW SWELL...WITH THE SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT /SWH/ REACHING 20 FEET
WITH A PERIOD OF 19 SECONDS AT 5 PM. ALTHOUGH SUBSEQUENT OBS HAVE
NOT BEEN QUITE AS HIGH...THE EXPECTATION IS THAT SWH WILL HOVER
NEAR 20 FEET AT THE BUOY OVERNIGHT...AND ONLY GRADUALLY DIMINISH ON
THURSDAY. BECAUSE THE SWELL SOURCE IS A HUGE AND NEARLY STATIONARY
LOW OVER THE NW PACIFIC...THE SURF WILL REMAIN ELEVATED FOR SEVERAL
DAYS. THE SURF DISCUSSION /SRDHFO/ CONTAINS ADDITIONAL INSIGHT INTO
THE SWELL...AND PROVIDES SOME HISTORICAL CONTEXT. COMBINED SEAS WILL
RISE WITH THE ADDITION OF THE LARGE SWELL TO THE COASTAL WATERS. A
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT BECAUSE OF THE RISING SEAS.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF WARNING FOR NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF NIIHAU KAUAI
OAHU AND MOLOKAI...NORTH FACING SHORES OF MAUI...AND WEST FACING
SHORES OF THE BIG ISLAND.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ALL WATERS EXCEPT MAALAEA BAY.

&&

BIRCHARD

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Niihau

When: January 19, 10:00 PM HST to January 26, 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: January 19, 10:00 PM HST to January 26, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: January 19, 10:00 PM HST to January 26, 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: January 19, 10:00 PM HST to January 26, 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: January 19, 10:00 PM HST to January 26, 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: January 19, 10:00 PM HST to January 26, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: January 19, 10:00 PM HST to January 26, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: January 19, 10:00 PM HST to January 26, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: January 19, 10:00 PM HST to January 26, 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, Kahoolawe

When: January 19, 10:00 PM HST to January 26, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Kahoolawe 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 19, 10:00 PM HST to January 26, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: January 19, 10:00 PM HST to January 26, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kona

When: January 19, 10:00 PM HST to January 26, 2:00 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 19, 10:00 PM HST to January 26, 2:00 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: 274305, 274307, 274309, 274310, 274311, 274312, 274313, 274314, 274316, 274317, 274318, 274319, 274320, 274321.