High Surf, Niihau
- When
- March 13, 6:00 AM HST to March 14, 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 in Hawaii, March 13 to 14, 2013
A swell from a low far northwest of the islands produced surf of 12 to 16 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai, and the north-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai; and 8 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai. There were no reports of significant property damage or injuries.
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
- 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
- 10
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 far northwest of the islands produced surf of 12 to 16 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai, and the north-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai; and 8 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai. 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 13, 3:30 AM HST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 13, 3:30 AM HST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 330 AM HST WED MAR 13 2013 .SYNOPSIS... THE WEAK WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AND ALLOWING FOR SEA AND LAND BREEZES TO RETURN EACH DAY. SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE TO FAVOR INTERIOR AND MOUNTAIN AREAS. AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM NORTH OF THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS WILL PUSH A SURFACE COLD FRONT TOWARDS KAUAI ON FRIDAY...THEN MOVING EASTWARD ACROSS THE ISLAND CHAIN DURING THE WEEKEND AND BRINGING POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN. && .DISCUSSION... THE AREA OF ACTIVE CONVECTION THAT AFFECTED WINDWARD AND SE BIG ISLAND LAST NIGHT HAS NOW MIGRATED FURTHER TO THE SE AS A WEAK SFC TROUGH LINGERS EAST OF THE ISLAND CHAIN. A WEAK SFC RIDGE IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS TODAY AND BRING A DRIER AND MORE STABLE AIR MASS FOR THE NEXT DAY OR SO. WINDS WILL REMAIN ON THE WEAK SIDE...WHICH WILL ALLOW SEA AND LAND BREEZE CIRCULATIONS TO DEVELOP TODAY. BUT WITH LESS MOISTURE AVAILABLE...SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL BE LIMITED AND MAINLY OVER INTERIOR AND MOUNTAIN AREAS. MEANWHILE...THE UPPER LVL TROUGH N OF THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS WILL KEEP STRONG WINDS ACROSS THE BIG ISLAND SUMMITS DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. THE WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH 6 AM HST THU...THEN WIND SPEEDS COULD BE NEAR OR REACHING WARNING LVLS BY EARLY FRI. FOR THE UPCOMING WEEKEND...ANOTHER FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE ISLANDS FROM THE NW BY FRI WITH THE WEAK SFC FLOW TURNING SE AHEAD OF THE FRONT. SEA AND LAND BREEZE CIRCULATIONS WILL DOMINATE EACH DAY WITH SHOWERS STILL FAVORING INTERIOR AND MOUNTAIN AREAS. GLOBAL MODEL SOLUTIONS REMAIN IN FAIR AGREEMENT...WITH THE FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE ISLAND CHAIN FROM FRI THROUGH SAT AND STALLING JUST E OF THE BIG ISLAND ON SUN. MODELS ALSO DEPICT A RATHER DEEP CLOSED MID/UPPER LOW ALONG THE BASE OF THE TROUGH... WHICH MAY PROVIDE GOOD SUPPORT FOR HEAVY SHOWERS TO DEVELOP LATE FRI THROUGH SAT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP IN THE WAKE OF THE FROPA WITH N/NE WINDS GRADUALLY ESTABLISHING ACROSS THE ALOHA STATE FROM LATE SUN INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION... OTHER THAN FOR ISOL MVFR CIG...THE PREVAILING FLYING COND WILL BE VFR. THE MVFR MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR DURING THE LATE MORNING/AFTN HRS ESPECIALLY OVR MT...INTERIOR AND LEEWD AREAS. VRY LITTLE SHRA ACTIVITY EXPECTED ACRS AREA AS A STABLE AIRMASS HAS MOVD IN...AND WILL HOLD ON THRU THIS AFTN. && .MARINE... A SERIES OF NORTH AND NORTHWEST SWELLS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE ISLANDS DURING THE REST OF THE WORK WEEK...INCREASING TOWARDS THE WEEKEND. HOWEVER...SURF HEIGHTS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO REACH ADVISORY LEVELS. ALSO...WINDS AND SEAS SHOULD REMAIN BELOW SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CRITERIA. && .HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM HST THURSDAY FOR BIG ISLAND SUMMITS. && DISCUSSION/MARINE...REYNES AVIATION...LAU
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
10 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High Surf, Kauai Windward
- When
- March 13, 6:00 AM HST to March 14, 2:00 AM HST
- Where
- Kauai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Kauai Leeward
- When
- March 13, 6:00 AM HST to March 14, 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
- March 13, 6:00 AM HST to March 14, 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
- March 13, 6:00 AM HST to March 14, 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
- March 13, 6:00 AM HST to March 14, 2:00 AM HST
- Where
- Oahu Koolau forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Molokai Windward
- When
- March 13, 6:00 AM HST to March 14, 2:00 AM HST
- Where
- Molokai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Molokai Leeward
- When
- March 13, 6:00 AM HST to March 14, 2:00 AM HST
- Where
- Molokai Leeward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Maui Windward West
- When
- March 13, 6:00 AM HST to March 14, 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
- March 13, 6:00 AM HST to March 14, 2:00 AM 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
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, March 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: 433471, 433472, 433473, 433474, 433475, 433476, 433477, 433478, 433479, 433480.