High Surf, Niihau
- When
- March 4, 2:00 AM HST to March 7, 12:00 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 4 to 7, 2012
A swell from a strong low far north-northwest of the islands generated surf of 15 to 25 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai; 10 to 20 feet along the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; 10 to 15 feet along the north-facing shores of the Big Island; and 6 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu. There were no reports of significant property damage…
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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
- 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.
A swell from a strong low far north-northwest of the islands generated surf of 15 to 25 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai; 10 to 20 feet along the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; 10 to 15 feet along the north-facing shores of the Big Island; and 6 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu. There were no reports of significant property damage or injuries.
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 3, 8:30 PM HST, 5 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 3, 8:30 PM HST, 5 hours 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 830 PM HST SAT MAR 3 2012 .SYNOPSIS... UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY...AND MAY PERSIST THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. LIGHT TO MODERATE EAST TO SOUTHEAST TRADE WINDS MAY INCREASE BRIEFLY EARLY NEXT WEEK...ESPECIALLY FOR KAUAI. A LARGE NORTH-NORTHEAST SWELL WILL PRODUCE HAZARDOUS SURF ALONG THE WINDWARD SIDES OF THE ISLANDS BEGINNING MONDAY. && .DISCUSSION... MUCH OF THE WEATHER IS NOW FOCUS OVER KAUAI THIS EVENING...AS HEAVY SHOWERS HAVE BEEN PASSING OVER THAT ISLAND SINCE EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THE WEATHER SITUATION IN KAUAI CERTAINLY BEARS A CLOSER MONITORING AS THE GROUND IS GETTING SATURATED FROM THE RAIN AND THE RIVER GAGES ARE SHOWING ELEVATED HEIGHTS. LATEST RADAR DATA SHOW MORE SHOWERS HEADING TOWARDS KAUAI THIS EVENING. THERE ARE ALSO SOME SHOWERS AFFECTING THE KAU AND KONA COASTS OF THE BIG ISLAND AT TIME. A WINTER WINTER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SUMMITS OF THE BIG ISLAND AS SNOW AND OR ICE ACCUMULATION IS STILL POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT INTO SUNDAY. ELSEWHERE WEATHER HAS SETTLED DOWN A BIT COMPARING TO EARLIER TODAY. THE UNSETTLED WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY...AS A PERSISTENT SURFACE TROUGH REMAINS NEAR THE ISLAND VICINITY. LOOK FOR LOCALLY HEAVY SHOWERS WITH THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ALONG WINDWARD ZONES. A FRONT/SHEARLINE IS STILL EXPECTED TO MOVE NEAR KAUAI MONDAY. IT WILL PROBABLY BRING INCREASING WINDS AND MORE UNSETTLED WEATHER TO THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE STATE...ESPECIALLY KAUAI. LATEST GFS RUN NOW INDICATES THIS FRONT/SHEARLINE MAY ADVANCE SLOWLY FURTHER SOUTH TO NEAR MAUI COUNTY BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK BEFORE DISSIPATING IN THE ISLAND VICINITY. THUS AT LEAST WITH THIS NEW SOLUTION...SOUTHERLY WINDS MAY DEVELOP OVER THE EASTERN ISLANDS BRIEFLY ON TUESDAY. SINCE MODEL SOLUTIONS HAVE A RATHER POOR RECORD IN CONSISTENCY FOR THIS PENDING EVENT...SHALL WAIT FOR THE LATEST EUROPEAN MODEL BEFORE MAKING CHANGING TO THE FORECAST PACKAGE FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK. STRONGER TRADE WINDS MAY FINALLY PUSH IN BEHIND THIS WEAKENING SHEAR LINE BEGINNING WEDNESDAY...AND MAY STRENGTHEN QUITE A BIT TOWARDS THE NEXT WEEKEND. MOISTURE FROM THE DISSIPATING SHEAR LINE WILL KEEP THE ISLANDS WET AT LEAST THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION... AN AIRMET FOR MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION CONTINUES ALL ISLANDS DUE TO LOW CLOUDS AND SHRA. THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN PULSING AROUND THE THE STATE WITH CLOUD TOPS OVER 30000 FEET. && .MARINE... DATA FROM BUOY FAR NORTHWEST OF THE ISLANDS INDICATE THE INCOMING NORTHWEST SWELL MAY HAVE PEAKED EARLIER...AND NOW HAVE SWITCHED TO A MORE NORTH DIRECTION. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM HST THIS EVENING FOR NORTH AND WEST OF THE SMALLER ISLANDS. THIS SWELL WILL MAY BUILD FURTHER AS THE PERIOD DROPS SLIGHTLY...FROM SUNDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. THIS BUILDING NNE SWELL WILL PROBABLY BRING WARNING LEVEL SURF TO THE E FACING SHORES...WITH ADVISORY LEVEL SURF PERSISTING ALONG N FACING SHORES. THIS HAZARDOUS SURF EPISODE IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THE BUILDING OF SEAS AND SWELL WILL BRING SMALL CRAFT CONDITIONS TO WATERS AROUND KAUAI TONIGHT...THEN SPREADING STATEWIDE EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BIG ISLAND SUMMITS UNTIL 6 PM HST SUNDAY. HIGH SURF ADVISORY FROM 10 PM HST SATURDAY TO 6 AM HST TUESDAY FOR EXPOSED NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF NIIHAU KAUAI OAHU MOLOKAI AND MAUI. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM HST TUESDAY FOR KAUAI NORTHWEST WATERS-KAUAI WINDWARD WATERS-KAUAI LEEWARD WATERS. && HUI
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
13 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High Surf, Kauai Windward
- When
- March 4, 2:00 AM HST to March 7, 12:00 PM HST
- Where
- Kauai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Kauai Leeward
- When
- March 4, 2:00 AM HST to March 7, 12:00 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 4, 2:00 AM HST to March 7, 12:00 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 4, 2:00 AM HST to March 7, 12:00 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 4, 2:00 AM HST to March 7, 12:00 PM HST
- Where
- Oahu Koolau forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Olomana
- When
- March 4, 2:00 AM HST to March 7, 12:00 PM HST
- Where
- Olomana forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Molokai Windward
- When
- March 4, 2:00 AM HST to March 7, 12:00 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Molokai Leeward
- When
- March 4, 2:00 AM HST to March 7, 12:00 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai Leeward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Maui Windward West
- When
- March 4, 2:00 AM HST to March 7, 12:00 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 4, 2:00 AM HST to March 7, 12:00 PM HST
- Where
- Maui Central Valley forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Windward Haleakala
- When
- March 4, 2:00 AM HST to March 7, 12:00 PM HST
- Where
- Windward Haleakala forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Big Island North and East
- When
- March 4, 2:00 AM HST to March 7, 12:00 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
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Kentucky, March 4 to 5, 2012
- Damaging Winds and Strong Wind in Florida, March 4, 2012
- Heavy Snow in Kentucky, March 4 to 5, 2012
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Gulf of Mexico, March 4, 2012
- High Wind in Montana, March 4 to 5, 2012
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, March 4, 2012
- Winter Weather in Iowa, March 4, 2012
- Heavy Snow in Indiana, March 4 to 5, 2012
- Winter Weather in Kentucky, March 4 to 5, 2012
- Winter Weather in North Carolina, March 4 to 5, 2012
- Blizzard in Alaska, March 4 to 5, 2012
- Damaging Wind in Florida, March 4, 2012
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, March 2012
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: 366155, 366156, 366157, 366158, 366159, 366160, 366161, 366162, 366163, 366164, 366165, 366166, 366167.