High Surf in Hawaii, February 8 to 11, 2013

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, February 8 to 11, 2013
Start: 2013-02-08T14:00
End: 2013-02-11T02:00
Location: Hawaii

February 8 to 11, 2013 · NWS HFO · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

A swell from a strong low far northwest of the Aloha State produced 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; 8 to 15 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai; and 6 to 8 feet along the west-facing shores of the Big Island of Hawaii. Beaches on the north side of Kauai;…

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 11

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 Feb 8, 10:00 AM HST, 4 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 8, 10:00 AM HST, 4 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1000 AM HST FRI FEB 8 2013

.SYNOPSIS...
LIGHT TRADE WINDS AND MOSTLY DRY WEATHER WILL PREVAIL THROUGH
SATURDAY...AS AN APPROACHING FRONT STALLS NORTH OF THE ISLANDS. HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDING NORTH OF THE ISLANDS ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY WILL
BRING STRONGER TRADE WINDS AND INCREASED WINDWARD SHOWERS...AS
REMNANTS OF THE FRONT MOVE ASHORE. ANOTHER INCREASE IN TRADE WIND
SHOWERS IS POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A LIGHT TRADE WIND FLOW CURRENTLY OVER THE ISLANDS BROUGHT A FEW
WINDWARD SHOWERS OVERNIGHT...BUT MOSTLY DRY AND SUNNY CONDITIONS
CURRENTLY PREVAIL ACROSS THE STATE...WITH FEW LOW CLOUDS IMMEDIATELY
UPSTREAM OF THE ISLANDS. FOR THE REMAINDER OF TODAY...MOSTLY DRY
CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE...BUT AFTERNOON SEA BREEZES ARE EXPECTED TO
SHIFT CLOUD COVER FROM WINDWARD TO LEEWARD...WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF
AN AFTERNOON LEEWARD SHOWER. A SIMILAR PATTERN CAN BE EXPECTED
TONIGHT AND SATURDAY...AS LIGHT TRADES AND MINIMAL MOISTURE
CONTINUE.

AT THE SURFACE...A FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE NW HAS RESULTED IN A
BREAK IN THE RIDGE N OF THE ISLANDS. THIS WILL REMAIN THE CASE
THROUGH MOST OF TOMORROW...WITH A WEAK PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE
ISLANDS SUPPORTING LIGHT E TO NE WINDS. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING N OF
THE ISLANDS...AND N OF THE STALLING FRONT...WILL LEAD TO INCREASING
TRADE WINDS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY...WITH MODERATE TO LOCALLY
FRESH SPEEDS EXPECTED. THE BUILDING HIGH WILL ALSO CAPTURE SOME OF
THE MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DECAYING FRONT...AND BRING WHAT IS
EXPECTED TO BE A SUBTLE INCREASE IN WINDWARD SHOWERS SUNDAY AND
MONDAY. STRONG HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN PREVAIL FAR NE OF THE ISLANDS
THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...WHILE A DEVELOPING DEEP-LAYER
TROUGH NE OF THE ISLANDS WILL KEEP SURFACE WINDS BACKED TO A NE
DIRECTION FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEK.

ALOFT...GUIDANCE AGREED QUITE WELL THAT THE LONG-WAVE PATTERN WILL
BECOME HIGHLY AMPLIFIED NE OF THE ISLANDS INTO EARLY SUNDAY.
ALTHOUGH INITIALLY THIS TREND WILL TEND TO STABILIZE THE LOCAL
ATMOSPHERE...BY SATURDAY NIGHT MID-LEVEL TROUGHING WILL START TO
EXTEND OVER THE STATE FROM THE E...LEADING TO A DEEPENING OF THE
MIXED LAYER AS THE AFOREMENTIONED REMNANT FRONTAL MOISTURE ARRIVES.
THE AMPLIFYING FLOW IS EXPECTED TO PINCH OFF A CLOSED LOW ALOFT FAR
NE OF THE ISLANDS...WITH THIS LOW EXPECTED TO SLOWLY WEAKEN AS IT
MOVES S TOWARD THE ISLANDS. WHILE CONFIDENCE IS STILL SOMEWHAT
LOW...THIS FEATURE COULD BRING A MORE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN TRADE
WIND SHOWERS AROUND THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.

&&

.AVIATION...
WEAKER TRADE WINDS WILL ALLOW FOR LOCALIZED SEA BREEZES THIS
AFTERNOON...WITH SOME CLOUD BUILDUPS ACROSS LEEWARD SECTIONS.
CONDITIONS WILL BE PRIMARILY VFR...WITH ONLY BRIEF MVFR CEILINGS IN
SHOWERS. A SIMILAR DAY IS EXPECTED ON SATURDAY.

TRADE WINDS WILL INCREASE SATURDAY NIGHT...WITH MODEL CROSS SECTIONS
SHOWING 25 KNOTS WITHIN A FEW THOUSAND FEET OF THE GROUND. FORECAST
SOUNDINGS ALSO SHOW A STRENGTHENING LOW-LEVEL INVERSION. THIS
COMBINATION IS CONDUCIVE TO LOW-LEVEL TURBULENCE DOWNWIND OF THE
TERRAIN. AN AIRMET MAY BE NEEDED FOR MODERATE TURBULENCE BEGINNING
SATURDAY NIGHT. THESE CONDITIONS MAY PERSIST THROUGH MUCH OF THE
COMING WEEK.

&&

.MARINE...
A BUILDING NW SWELL WILL CAUSE SURF TO RISE RAPIDLY ALONG EXPOSED N
AND W SHORES OF THE ISLANDS TODAY...AND A HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAINS
IN EFFECT. THIS SWELL WAS GENERATED BY A DISTANT LOW IN THE N
PACIFIC SEVERAL DAYS AGO...AND WILL BE OVERRIDDEN LATE SATURDAY BY A
SOMEWHAT LARGER SWELL GENERATED BY A SECOND LOW. THIS SECOND LOW
PASSED CLOSER TO THE ISLANDS YESTERDAY...AND IS NOW A HURRICANE
FORCE LOW N OF THE ISLANDS...ACCORDING TO LATEST ANALYSES FROM OPC.
THE EXPECTATION IS THAT THE ARRIVAL OF THE SWELL FROM THE SECOND LOW
WILL PUSH SURF OVER WARNING LEVELS ALONG EXPOSED N AND W FACING
SHORES LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY...AND BRING ADVISORY LEVEL SURF TO
W FACING SHORES OF THE BIG ISLAND. A RELATIVELY HIGH TIDE EARLY
SUNDAY WILL COINCIDE WITH THE EXPECTED PEAK OF THE SWELL...BUT THE
MAGNITUDE OF WAVE RUN-UP SHOULD NOT EXCEED COMMON WINTER LEVELS.

WINDS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS SHOULD REMAIN BELOW THE THRESHOLD FOR
A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY /SCA/ THROUGH THE SHORT TERM. THE INCOMING
SWELL WILL BUILD COMBINED SEAS TO HEIGHTS OVER 10 FT THROUGH TONIGHT
IN WATERS AROUND KAUAI AND OAHU...REQUIRING A SCA. INCREASING TRADE
WINDS WILL LIKELY BRING SCA CONDITIONS TO TYPICALLY WINDIER AREAS BY
TOMORROW NIGHT.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST SUNDAY FOR NORTH AND WEST FACING
SHORES OF NIIHAU KAUAI OAHU MOLOKAI AND FOR NORTH FACING SHORES OF
MAUI.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST SUNDAY FOR KAUAI NORTHWEST
WATERS-KAUAI WINDWARD WATERS-KAUAI LEEWARD WATERS-KAUAI CHANNEL-
OAHU WINDWARD WATERS.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM HST SUNDAY
FOR OAHU LEEWARD WATERS-KAIWI CHANNEL-MAUI COUNTY WINDWARD
WATERS.

&&

PUBLIC/MARINE...BIRCHARD
AVIATION...BRAVENDER

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Niihau

When: February 8, 2:00 PM HST to February 11, 2:00 AM 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: February 8, 2:00 PM HST to February 11, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: February 8, 2:00 PM HST to February 11, 2:00 AM 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: February 8, 2:00 PM HST to February 11, 2:00 AM 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: February 8, 2:00 PM HST to February 11, 2:00 AM 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: February 8, 2:00 PM HST to February 11, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: February 8, 2:00 PM HST to February 11, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: February 8, 2:00 PM HST to February 11, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: February 8, 2:00 PM HST to February 11, 2:00 AM 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: February 8, 2:00 PM HST to February 11, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kona

When: February 8, 2:00 PM HST to February 11, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Kona 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 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, February 2013

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: 430012, 430013, 430014, 430015, 430016, 430017, 430018, 430019, 430020, 430021, 430022.