High Surf in Hawaii, November 29 to 30, 2012

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, November 29 to 30, 2012
Start: 2012-11-29T22:00
End: 2012-11-30T22:00
Location: Hawaii

November 29 to 30, 2012 · NWS HFO · 12 events in 12 counties and zones

A swell from a low north of the Aloha State generated surf of 12 to 16 feet along the north-facing shores of all the main islands except Lanai. No serious property damage or injuries were reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
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Wind
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Winter weather
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Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 12

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 low north of the Aloha State generated surf of 12 to 16 feet along the north-facing shores of all the main islands except Lanai. No serious property damage or injuries 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 Nov 29, 8:30 PM HST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 29, 8:30 PM HST, 1 hour 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
830 PM HST THU NOV 29 2012

.SYNOPSIS...
LIGHT SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK WITH
HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. AFTERNOON SEA BREEZES
WILL BRING SOME CLOUDS AND SHOWERS TO LEEWARD AND INTERIOR AREAS
FRIDAY AFTERNOON. A FRONT APPROACHING THE ISLANDS FROM THE NORTHWEST
WILL BRING MORE SHOWERS TO THE WESTERN ISLANDS THROUGH EARLY NEXT
WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
THE SHORT TERM FORECAST LOOKS TO BE ON TRACK. WE HAVE SOME HIGH
CLOUDS MOVING OVER THE ISLANDS FROM THE SOUTHWEST. NOT EXPECTING ANY
GRID UPDATES TONIGHT FOR THE FORECAST THROUGH THE END OF THE WORK
WEEK. LIGHT SOUTHERLY FLOW TO CONTINUE...WITH AN INCREASE IN CLOUDS
AND SHOWERS MAINLY OVER LEEWARD AND INTERIOR LOCATIONS FRIDAY
AFTERNOON.

THE BIGGER QUESTION COMES WITH THE FORECAST FOR SATURDAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY. A LOW IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP NEAR 30N 175W TONIGHT. AN
EXISTING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM NEAR 40N 180 TODAY IS FORECAST TO THEN
MERGE WITH THIS DEVELOPING LOW SATURDAY NIGHT NEAR 36N 170W. THE GFS
AND ECMWF ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE STRENGTH AND NEAR PLACEMENT OF
THIS EVENT. THE LOW IS THEN FORECAST TO MOVE TOWARDS THE MAIN
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS...STALLING THE SURFACE LOW NEAR 30N 165W BY TUESDAY
NIGHT.

THERE IS SIMILAR AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GFS AND THE ECMWF IN THE
UPPER LEVELS THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. AT THAT TIME...THE ECMWF
DEVELOPS A DEEPER TROUGH AND IS SLOWER TO MOVE THE TROUGH TO THE
EAST. MEANWHILE...THE GFS DEPICTION IS NOT AS PRONOUNCED. THAT
BEING SAID...BOTH INDICATE SOME UNSETTLED WEATHER FOR KAUAI AND
POSSIBLY OAHU FOR THE START OF THE WEEK.

THE SURFACE SYSTEM HAS A FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH IT THAT LOOKS TO
REACH KAUAI AND POSSIBLE THE KAUAI CHANNEL ON MONDAY. THE UPPER
LEVEL DYNAMICS STICK AROUND FOR ANOTHER 24-48 HOURS. SO THE INCREASE
IN POPS FOR KAUAI LOOK GOOD. WITH THE MODEL TO MODEL AND RUN TO RUN
AGREEMENT WITH INCREASED INSTABILITY WILL BE TWEAKING THE GRIDS FOR
THAT TIME TO INCLUDE THE MENTION OF SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. WILL
ALSO BE EXAMINING THE CHANCES FOR CONVECTION WITH THIS SYSTEM.

&&

.MARINE...
A NORTH SWELL ARRIVING TONIGHT WILL BE PEAKING FRIDAY. A HIGH SURF
ADVISORY CONTINUES FOR NORTH FACING SHORES THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT.
THE LONG PERIOD NORTH SWELL WILL ALSO IMPACT THE HARBORS EXPOSED TO
THE NORTH...PRIMARILY KAHULUI AND HILO HARBORS...BRINGING MODERATE
TO STRONG SURGES...AND THE THREAT OF WAVES BREAKING NEAR
THE HARBOR ENTRANCES.

&&

.AVIATION...
THE STABLE ATMOSPHERE AND LIGHT SOUTHEAST FLOW WILL PRODUCE VFR
CONDITIONS WITH LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS FOR THE TERMINALS. LAND
BREEZES SHOULD CLEAR OUT MUCH OF THE LOW CLOUDS OVER THE ISLANDS
TONIGHT. FRIDAY...SEA BREEZES WILL RESULT IN THE LOW CLOUDS
RETURNING WITH POSSIBLE SHOWERS OVER ISLAND INTERIOR AND LEEWARD
SECTIONS. A JET STREAM ALOFT WILL CONTINUE THE BROKEN HIGH CLOUDS
ACROSS THE ISLANDS THROUGH FRIDAY.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM HST SATURDAY
FOR NIIHAU-KAUAI WINDWARD-KAUAI LEEWARD-OAHU NORTH SHORE-OAHU
KOOLAU-OLOMANA-MOLOKAI-MAUI WINDWARD WEST-MAUI CENTRAL VALLEY-
WINDWARD HALEAKALA-BIG ISLAND NORTH AND EAST.

&&

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Niihau

When: November 29, 10:00 PM HST to November 30, 10:00 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: November 29, 10:00 PM HST to November 30, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: November 29, 10:00 PM HST to November 30, 10:00 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, Oahu North Shore

When: November 29, 10:00 PM HST to November 30, 10:00 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: November 29, 10:00 PM HST to November 30, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Olomana

When: November 29, 10:00 PM HST to November 30, 10:00 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: November 29, 10:00 PM HST to November 30, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: November 29, 10:00 PM HST to November 30, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: November 29, 10:00 PM HST to November 30, 10:00 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: November 29, 10:00 PM HST to November 30, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: November 29, 10:00 PM HST to November 30, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When: November 29, 10:00 PM HST to November 30, 10:00 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, November 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: 416159, 416160, 416161, 416162, 416163, 416164, 416165, 416166, 416167, 416168, 416169, 416170.