High Surf in Hawaii, May 24 to 30, 2012

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, May 24 to 30, 2012
Start: 2012-05-24T20:00
End: 2012-05-30T15:00
Location: Hawaii

May 24 to 30, 2012 · NWS HFO · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

A trade wind swell generated surf of 6 to 8 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai, 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; 2 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
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Winter weather
Heat and drought
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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: 8

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 trade wind swell generated surf of 6 to 8 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii. No significant injuries or property damage were reported.

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 May 24, 3:57 PM HST, 4 hours 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 24, 3:57 PM HST, 4 hours 3 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
357 PM HST THU MAY 24 2012

.SYNOPSIS...
STRONG AND GUSTY TRADE WINDS WILL PREVAIL INTO THE HOLIDAY
WEEKEND...WITH PASSING LOW CLOUDS AND SHOWERS AFFECTING MAINLY
WINDWARD AND MOUNTAIN AREAS.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

A STRONG HIGH PRESSURE PARKED NORTHEAST OF THE STATE PLACES THE ISLANDS
WITHIN A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT. THE GRADIENT IS PRODUCING GUSTY
TRADE WINDS ACROSS THE STATE. HOWEVER...OBSERVATION SITES IN MAUI COUNTY
AND THE BIG ISLAND DEPICT WINDS BELOW THE WIND ADVISORY
THRESHOLD...AND THE ADVISORY HAS BEEN CANCELLED. THE WINDS OVER
THE SUMMITS OF HALEAKALA AND THE BIG ISLAND ALSO DECREASED TODAY.
AN INCREASE IN WINDS IS EXPECTED AGAIN OVER THE SUMMITS OF
HALEAKALA ON FRIDAY AS A MIDLEVEL HIGH PRESSURE STRENGTHENS TO THE
NORTHEAST...AND A WIND ADVISORY MAY BE NECESSARY.

AT THE SURFACE...THE HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH
THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND AND STRONG...GUSTY TRADES WILL CONTINUE. A
WIND ADVISORY REMAINS THROUGH TODAY OVER MAUI AND THE BIG ISLAND.
OVERNIGHT...WIND SPEEDS DECLINED BELOW ADVISORY LEVELS BUT ARE
EXPECTED TO INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON AS DAYTIME HEATING MIXES
STRONG WINDS TO THE SURFACE. THE ADVISORY MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED
INTO TONIGHT AS STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE. WINDS WILL
SLOWLY EASE NEXT WEEK AS THE HIGH PRESSURE WEAKENS AND MOVES
EAST...AWAY FROM THE STATE.

RAINFALL WILL REMAIN RELEGATED TO WINDWARD AREAS...AND THE KONA
SLOPES IN THE AFTERNOON...AS A STABLE ATMOSPHERE REMAINS OVER THE
STATE. A FEW PASSING SHOWERS WILL BLOW OVER LEEWARD LOCATIONS OF
THE SMALLER ISLANDS DUE TO THE STRONG TRADES...BUT ACCUMULATING
AMOUNTS ARE NOT EXPECTED.

&&

.AVIATION...
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AT MOST TAF SITES WITH SOME
OCCASIONAL MVFR CONDITIONS AT PHNY AND PHTO DUE TO LOW CLOUDS.
THESE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AT PHTO THROUGH THE
NIGHT WITH IMPROVING CONDITIONS THIS EVENING AT PHNY. AIRMET
TANGO REMAINS UP FOR LOW LEVEL TURB S AND W OF MOUNTAINS.

&&

.MARINE...
GALE WARNINGS CONTINUE FOR TYPICALLY WINDY WATERS AND CHANNELS
AROUND THE BIG ISLAND AND MAUI...WHILE A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS
IN EFFECT FOR THE REMAINING WATERS. WINDS WILL REMAIN ELEVATED
INTO THE WEEKEND.

SHORT-PERIOD WIND WAVES ALONG EAST FACING SHORES HAVE WARRANTED A
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR THE AFFECTED AREAS. ROUGH SURF WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND DUE TO THE STRONG TRADE WINDS.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST FRIDAY FOR KAUAI WINDWARD-OAHU
KOOLAU-OLOMANA-MOLOKAI WINDWARD-MAUI WINDWARD WEST-WINDWARD
HALEAKALA-SOUTH BIG ISLAND-BIG ISLAND NORTH AND EAST.

GALE WARNING UNTIL 6 PM HST FRIDAY FOR MAALAEA BAY-PAILOLO
CHANNEL-ALENUIHAHA CHANNEL-BIG ISLAND LEEWARD WATERS-BIG ISLAND
SOUTHEAST WATERS.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST FRIDAY FOR KAUAI NORTHWEST
WATERS-KAUAI WINDWARD WATERS-KAUAI LEEWARD WATERS-KAUAI CHANNEL-
OAHU WINDWARD WATERS-OAHU LEEWARD WATERS-KAIWI CHANNEL-MAUI
COUNTY WINDWARD WATERS-MAUI COUNTY LEEWARD WATERS-BIG ISLAND
WINDWARD WATERS.

&&

MORRISON

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Kauai Windward

When: May 24, 8:00 PM HST to May 30, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Oahu Koolau

When: May 24, 8:00 PM HST to May 30, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Olomana

When: May 24, 8:00 PM HST to May 30, 3:00 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: May 24, 8:00 PM HST to May 30, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: May 24, 8:00 PM HST to May 30, 3:00 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, Windward Haleakala

When: May 24, 8:00 PM HST to May 30, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, South Big Island

When: May 24, 8:00 PM HST to May 30, 3:00 PM HST
Where: South Big Island forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When: May 24, 8:00 PM HST to May 30, 3:00 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 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, May 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: 375382, 375383, 375384, 375385, 375386, 375387, 375388, 375389.