High Surf in Hawaii, January 1 to 3, 2013

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, January 1 to 3, 2013
Start: 2013-01-01T00:00
End: 2013-01-03T14:00
Location: Hawaii

January 1 to 3, 2013 · NWS HFO · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

A series of swells from a deep low far northwest of the islands caused surf of 15 to 25 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai, and the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 10 to 18 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai. Lifeguards rescued several people in trouble and warned many others to stay away from the rough surf if they were not…

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.

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Fire, smoke and dust
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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 Dec 31, 8:30 PM HST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 31, 8:30 PM HST, 3 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
830 PM HST MON DEC 31 2012

.SYNOPSIS...
A WEAK FRONT WILL BRING BRING RAIN TO KAUAI TONIGHT...OAHU ON
TUESDAY...AND MAUI COUNTY AROUND TUESDAY NIGHT. A COOL AIR MASS
WITH MODERATE TO STRONG NORTHEASTERLY WINDS WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT.
AS THE FRONT DISINTEGRATES THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK...SHOWERS
WILL SPREAD OVER MOST OF THE STATE...THOUGH FAVORING WINDWARD
SLOPES. EVEN STRONGER TRADE WINDS ARE EXPECTED FROM LATE SATURDAY
INTO NEXT WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A WEAK FRONT NUDGED ITS BEDRAGGLED CLOUD BAND TOWARD KAUAI.
ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE STATE...SEA BREEZES FADED SLOWLY. SOUNDING DATA
REPORTED PRECIPITABLE WATER NEAR CLIMATOLOGY...AND CONVERGENCE IN
THE WEAK SOUTHEAST PREVAILING FLOW AROUND THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
MANAGED TO PRODUCE A FEW SIGNIFICANT SHOWERS...ESPECIALLY WHERE THE
SYNOPTIC CONVERGENCE COINCIDED WITH THE SEA BREEZES. LAND BREEZES
SHOULD LIMIT PRECIPITATION OVER LAND INTO THE NIGHT...AT LEAST UNTIL
THE FRONTAL CLOUD BAND ARRIVES.

RECENT GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THE CURRENT TIMETABLE. THE
CLOUD BAND SHOULD REACH KAUAI BY AROUND MIDNIGHT...AND THEN OAHU BY
AROUND SUNRISE. THE FEATURE WILL BECOME MORE DIFFUSE AS IT TRAVELS
SOUTHEAST...SO THAT THERE MAY NOT BE A CLEAR TIME OF ARRIVAL FOR
MAUI COUNTY...BUT SHOWERS THERE WILL SPREAD AND INCREASE FROM
TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING.

MID-LEVEL SUPPORT FOR THE FRONT WILL FADE BY MID-WEEK AS WEAK
RIDGING REASSERTS ITSELF OVER THE STATE. HOWEVER...BUILDING TRADE
WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO CARRY MOISTURE FROM THE THE DISSIPATING FRONT
ONTO THE ISLANDS...KEEPING AT LEAST THE MIDDLE OF THE STATE WETTER
THAN USUAL WELL INTO THE WEEKEND.

BY LATE IN THE FORECAST PERIOD...GUIDANCE PREDICTS DEEP RIDGING TO
BUILD TREMENDOUSLY THROUGH A LARGE DEPTH OF THE ATMOSPHERE TO THE
NORTH OF THE ISLANDS...PRODUCING VERY STRONG TRADE WINDS ACROSS THE
STATE FROM LATE SATURDAY INTO NEXT WEEK. WHILE THIS SCENARIO IS
POSSIBLE...IT STILL SEEMS A BIT EXTREME...AND THUS THE OFFICIAL
FORECAST CARRIES A MORE CAUTIOUS PREDICTION. HOWEVER...THIS MATTER
WILL REQUIRE CONTINUED ATTENTION...AND IN ANY CASE...WINDS CERTAINLY
WILL BE STRONGER THAN USUAL DURING THIS TIME.

&&

.MARINE...
THE CURRENT NORTHWEST SWELL WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THE ISLAND
CHAIN AS IT DECLINES GRADUALLY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. THE
CURRENT HIGH SURF WARNING AND ADVISORY LIKELY WILL BE NEEDED THROUGH
THE FIRST DAY OF THE NEW YEAR. AN NEW ADVISORY-LEVEL NORTHWEST SWELL
IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE ON FRIDAY AND LINGER INTO SATURDAY.

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS UP FOR ALL COASTAL WATERS EXPOSED TO THE
LARGE NORTHWEST SWELL. AS GUSTY NORTHEAST TRADE WINDS FILL IN BEHIND
THE FRONT...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE FOR MOST
AREAS.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF WARNING UNTIL 6 PM HST TUESDAY FOR NIIHAU-KAUAI
WINDWARD-KAUAI LEEWARD-WAIANAE COAST-OAHU NORTH SHORE-OAHU
KOOLAU-MOLOKAI-MAUI WINDWARD WEST-MAUI CENTRAL VALLEY-WINDWARD
HALEAKALA.

HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST TUESDAY FOR KONA-KOHALA.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST WEDNESDAY FOR ALL HAWAIIAN
WATERS EXCEPT MAALAEA BAY.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 6 AM TUESDAY TO 6 PM HST WEDNESDAY FOR
MAALAEA BAY.

&&

RYSHKO

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: January 1, 12:00 AM HST to January 3, 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 1, 12:00 AM HST to January 3, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: January 1, 12:00 AM HST to January 3, 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 1, 12:00 AM HST to January 3, 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 1, 12:00 AM HST to January 3, 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 1, 12:00 AM HST to January 3, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: January 1, 12:00 AM HST to January 3, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: January 1, 12:00 AM HST to January 3, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: January 1, 12:00 AM HST to January 3, 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, Maui Central Valley

When: January 1, 12:00 AM HST to January 3, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: January 1, 12:00 AM HST to January 3, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala 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 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, January 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: 424384, 424385, 424386, 424387, 424388, 424389, 424390, 424391, 424392, 424393, 424394.