High Wind and High Surf in Hawaii, March 14 to 19, 2014

Name: High Wind and High Surf in Hawaii, March 14 to 19, 2014
Start: 2014-03-14T17:24
End: 2014-03-19T18:00
Location: Hawaii

March 14 to 19, 2014 · NWS HFO · 19 events in 13 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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: 19

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.

Windy conditions, heavy showers, and high surf from a trade wind swell were all part of the panoply of weather that affected the Hawaiian Islands in the middle of March. The strong winds toppled trees and power lines, and blew the roofs off several homes throughout the state. Heavy rain caused ponding and isolated debris flows on roadways, and small stream and drainage ditch flooding. The trade wind swell produced surf of 8 to 12 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii. No serious injuries were reported. The costs of damages across the island chain were not available.

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 14, 3:48 PM HST, 1 hour 36 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 14, 3:48 PM HST, 1 hour 36 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
348 PM HST FRI MAR 14 2014

.SYNOPSIS...
A WEAKENING FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH ENHANCING SHOWERS TONIGHT AND
EARLY SATURDAY. SURGING HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE IN LATE SATURDAY
AND SUNDAY USHERING IN VERY WINDY CONDITIONS. MORE TYPICAL TRADE
WIND WEATHER RETURNS FOR NEXT WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
THE MAIN WEATHER FEATURE IMPACTING OUR WEATHER OVER THE NEXT
SEVERAL DAYS IS A STRONG AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE NOW CENTERED FAR TO
THE NORTHWEST. THE HIGH IS FORECAST TO DRIFT EASTWARD AND SPREAD A
SWATH OF STRONG NORTHEASTERLY WINDS OVER HAWAII BEGINNING SATURDAY
AFTERNOON AND LINGERING THROUGH THE DAY SUNDAY. A HIGH WIND WATCH
IS IN AFFECT FOR MANY AREAS AROUND THE STATE...WITH SEVERAL
FORECAST ZONES ADDED IN THE LATEST ISSUANCE. EXACERBATING THE
SITUATION WILL BE STRONG LOW LEVEL INVERSIONS AS THE HIGH BUILDS
SOUTHWARD AND EASTWARD. THESE LOW INVERSIONS WILL COMPRESS THE
WINDS BETWEEN THE INVERSION AND THE MOUNTAINS LEADING TO A HIGH
PROBABILITY OF LEEWARD ACCELERATION. WINDS WILL BE FAVORING A
NORTHEAST DIRECTION AND WILL LIKELY BE THE STRONGEST TRADE WINDS
SEEN IN THE STATE SINCE JANUARY/FEBRUARY OF 2013. RESIDENTS AND
VISITORS ALIKE WITH OUTDOOR PLANS SHOULD EXPECT STRONG WINDS AND
POTENTIAL ISSUES WITH POWERLINES...ROOFS...AND BROKEN TREE
BRANCHES. WINDS WILL REMAIN ELEVATED THROUGH SUNDAY...WITH THE
PEAK APPEARING TO BE OVERNIGHT SATURDAY INTO LATE SUNDAY MORNING.

THE HIGH WILL MIGRATE FAR ENOUGH TO THE EAST TO REDUCE THE
PRESSURE GRADIENT AND THE WINDS INTO THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK.
MORE TYPICAL TRADE WIND FLOW IS ANTICIPATED FOR THE REMAINDER OF
NEXT WEEK.

&&

.AVIATION...
WHILE VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AT THE TERMINALS...INCREASING
TRADES WILL BRING BRIEF PERIODS OF MVFR CIG/VIS IN SHRA TO WINDWARD
TERMINALS...AS STRONG HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING NW OF THE ISLANDS
PUSHES A WEAK FRONT DOWN THE CHAIN LATER TONIGHT THROUGH TOMORROW.

TRADE WINDS WILL BECOME ESPECIALLY STRONG OVER THE WEEKEND...LIKELY
LEADING TO THE ISSUANCE OF AIRMET TANGO FOR TURB TO THE S AND W OF
THE MOUNTAINS...SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS NEAR 30 KT...AND POSSIBLY
REQUIRING A SIGMET FOR ISOL SEVERE TURB BY LATE SATURDAY. A
SUSTAINED WIND STATEMENT WILL ALSO HIGHLIGHT THE AREA FORECAST FOR THE BULK
OF THE WEEKEND.

&&

.MARINE...
ADVISORY LEVEL NORTHWEST SWELL WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY
SUNDAY...WITH ADVISORY LEVEL EASTERLY SWELL BUILDING AS STRONG
NORTHEASTERLY WINDS MOVE OVER HAWAII. THE COMBINATION OF STRONG
GUSTY WINDS AND THE UNDERLYING SWELL WILL MAKE FOR ROUGH
CONDITIONS LATE SATURDAY THROUGH EARLY MONDAY.

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WILL GIVE WAY TO GALE WARNING FOR CHANNEL
AREAS AND OTHER SELECT SPOTS IN AND AROUND KAUAI AND THE BIG
ISLAND. VERY STRONG NORTHEASTERLY WINDS ARE ANTICIPATED FOR THESE
AREAS SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY MAKING FOR HAZARDOUS
BOATING CONDITIONS.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH WIND WATCH FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON
FOR EITHER ALL PORTIONS OR LEEWARD AREAS OF ALL ISLANDS.

HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR MOST NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES UNTIL 6
AM HST SUNDAY.

HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR MOST EAST FACING SHORES UNTIL 6 AM HST
MONDAY.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL NOON HST SATURDAY AND A GALE WARNING
FROM NOON SATURDAY TO 6AM MONDAY FOR KAUAI NORTHWEST WATERS-KAUAI
LEEWARD WATERS-KAUAI CHANNEL-KAIWI CHANNEL- MAALAEA BAY-PAILOLO
CHANNEL- ALENUIHAHA CHANNEL-BIG ISLAND WINDWARD WATERS-BIG ISLAND
LEEWARD WATERS-BIG ISLAND SOUTHEAST WATERS.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM HST MONDAY FOR KAUAI WINDWARD
WATERS-OAHU WINDWARD WATERS-OAHU LEEWARD WATERS-MAUI COUNTY
WINDWARD WATERS-MAUI COUNTY LEEWARD WATERS.

&&

DISCUSSION/MARINE...CANTIN
AVIATION...BIRCHARD

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 high surf, 7 high wind, 5 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Hawaii

When: March 14, 5:24 PM HST to 9:11 PM HST
Where: Hawaii County, 2.87 mi NW of Kamuela to 2.43 mi ESE of Paauilo
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 20.053, -155.707

Heavy Rain, Maui

When: March 14, 5:26 PM HST to March 15, 11:41 AM HST
Where: Maui County, 1.4 mi SSE of Honokohau to 1.87 mi SW of Waianapanapa Sp
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 21.000, -156.616

High Surf, Kauai Windward

When: March 15, 8:00 AM HST to March 19, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Oahu Koolau

When: March 15, 8:00 AM HST to March 19, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Olomana

When: March 15, 8:00 AM HST to March 19, 6:00 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: March 15, 8:00 AM HST to March 19, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: March 15, 8:00 AM HST to March 19, 6:00 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: March 15, 8:00 AM HST to March 19, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When: March 15, 8:00 AM HST to March 19, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Big Island North and East forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Rain, Hawaii

When: March 15, 8:44 PM HST to March 16, 8:39 AM HST
Where: Hawaii County, 1.08 mi SW of Hawi to 2.7 mi SSE of Paauhau
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 20.221, -155.844

Heavy Rain, Maui

When: March 15, 9:39 PM HST to March 16, 12:21 AM HST
Where: Maui County, 0.97 mi SSE of Honokohau to 1.1 mi WSW of Nahiku
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 21.008, -156.613

Heavy Rain, Maui

When: March 15, 10:58 PM HST to March 16, 1:53 AM HST
Where: Maui County, 1.01 mi WNW of Maunaloa to 0.97 mi SSE of Halawa Valley
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 21.138, -157.233

High Wind, Wainae Mountains

When: March 16, 1:36 AM HST to 5:36 AM HST
Where: Wainae Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind direction: 030 degrees.