High Surf in Hawaii, December 5 to 7, 2015

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, December 5 to 7, 2015
Start: 2015-12-05T20:00
End: 2015-12-07T10:00
Location: Hawaii

December 5 to 7, 2015 · NWS HFO · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 1
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.

A swell from a powerful low far northwest of the islands generated surf of 20 to 35 feet along the north-facing, and 10 to 20 feet along the west-facing, shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai. Surf reached 20 to 35 feet along the north-facing shores of Maui as well. Lifeguards and other ocean safety officials provided assistance to surfers and other beachgoers as warranted in the rough conditions. One 22-year-old surfer nearly drowned (and was taken to a hospital in critical condition) at the Banzai Pipeline on Oahu's North Shore on the 6th because of the dangerous surf. No other significant injuries, or property damage, 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 Dec 5, 3:30 PM HST, 4 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 5, 3:30 PM HST, 4 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
330 PM HST SAT DEC 5 2015

.SYNOPSIS...A BUILDING NORTHWEST SWELL WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUSLY
LARGE SURF THROUGH THE WEEKEND. A RIDGE ALOFT WILL REMAIN OVER THE
AREA THROUGH THE COMING WEEK AND KEEP RAINFALL SPARSE. A SURFACE
RIDGE NORTH OF THE AREA WILL MAINTAIN MODERATE TRADE WINDS THROUGH
THE WEEKEND AND FOCUS SHOWERS OVER MAINLY WINDWARD AREAS. THE RIDGE
WILL MOVE CLOSE TO THE ISLANDS MONDAY...KILLING THE TRADES...AND
ALLOWING AFTERNOON CLOUDS AND SHOWERS TO FORM. A NEW HIGH WILL BRING
A RETURN OF TRADE WINDS.

&&

.DISCUSSION...AN EAST TO WEST SURFACE RIDGE ABOUT 300 MILES NORTH OF
OAHU WILL MAINTAIN MODERATE TRADE WINDS THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE
TRADES WILL FOCUS SHOWERS OVER MAINLY WINDWARD AREAS TODAY AND
SUNDAY. A WEAK BAND OF SHOWERY CLOUDS WILL MAKE THE WINDWARD SIDE OF
OAHU WETTER THAN THE REST OF THE AREA TODAY.

THE SURFACE RIDGE WILL MOVE SOUTH CLOSER TO THE ISLANDS MONDAY AS A
FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST. THE TRADES WILL DIE AND SEA
BREEZES WILL PRODUCE AFTERNOON CLOUDS AND ISOLATED SHOWERS OVER
INTERIOR AREAS. THE ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAIN STABLE...SO RAINFALL WILL
REMAIN LIGHT.

TRADE WINDS WILL RETURN TUESDAY AS A NEW HIGH BUILDS EAST. THE
TRADES WILL BECOME QUITE BREEZY WEDNESDAY AS THE HIGH MOVES BY TO
THE NORTH OF THE ISLANDS. TRADE WINDS WILL SUBSIDE ON FRIDAY.

&&

.AVIATION... NO AIRMETS ARE IN EFFECT AND NONE ARE EXPECTED THROUGH
SUNDAY. A RIDGE NORTH OF THE AREA WILL MAINTAIN MODERATE EAST
NORTHEAST TRADE WINDS THROUGH SUNDAY WITH CLD AND SHRA FOCUSED OVER
WINDWARD AREAS. VFR WILL PREVAIL WITH BRIEF MVFR OVER WINDWARD AREAS.

&&

.MARINE...A NORTHWEST SWELL HAS BUILT RAPIDLY AT BUOYS 51101 AND
51001...ABOUT 375 MILES NORTHWEST OF OAHU...AND IS NOW SEVERAL FEET
HIGHER THAN THE FORECAST FROM WAVEWATCH III. THIS SWELL WILL PRODUCE
SURF WELL ABOVE THE WARNING LEVEL ALONG NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES
OF THE SMALLER ISLANDS BY THIS EVENING. THE LARGE SURF WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH SUNDAY...THEN DROP RAPIDLY SUNDAY NIGHT. ANOTHER VERY LARGE
NORTHWEST SWELL WILL ARRIVE TUESDAY...PEAK WEDNESDAY MORNING...THEN
GRADUALLY SUBSIDE.

NO SIGNIFICANT SWELLS ARE EXPECTED FROM THE EAST OR SOUTH...SO SURF
ALONG THE EAST AND SOUTH FACING SHORES WILL COME MAINLY FROM THE
LARGE NORTHWEST SWELLS WRAPPING AROUND THE ISLANDS.

A RIDGE NORTH OF THE AREA WILL MAINTAIN MODERATE TO LOCALLY STRONG
TRADE WINDS THROUGH THE WEEKEND. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...SCA...IS
IN EFFECT FOR SEAS OF 10 FT OR MORE WITH THE VERY LARGE NORTHWEST
SWELL AND WINDS TO 25 KT IN THE WINDIER AREAS AROUND THE BIG ISLAND.
A MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR HARBOR SURGES AND
WAVES BREAKING NEAR CHANNEL ENTRANCES ALONG THE NORTH AND WEST
FACING SHORES.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH SURF WARNING THROUGH 600 PM
SUNDAY FOR NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF NIIHAU KAUAI OAHU AND
MOLOKAI AND NORTH FACING SHORES OF MAUI.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ALL WINDWARD WATERS...THE WATERS
SURROUNDING KAUAI...AND THE KAUAI...KAIWI...AND ALENUIHAHA
CHANNELS...UNTIL 6 PM HST SUNDAY.

&&

DONALDSON

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: December 5, 8:00 PM HST to December 7, 10:00 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: December 5, 8:00 PM HST to December 7, 10:00 AM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: December 5, 8:00 PM HST to December 7, 10:00 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: December 5, 8:00 PM HST to December 7, 10:00 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: December 5, 8:00 PM HST to December 7, 10:00 AM HST
Where: Oahu North Shore forecast zone
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Oahu Koolau

When: December 5, 8:00 PM HST to December 7, 10:00 AM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: December 5, 8:00 PM HST to December 7, 10:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: December 5, 8:00 PM HST to December 7, 10:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: December 5, 8:00 PM HST to December 7, 10:00 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, Maui Central Valley

When: December 5, 8:00 PM HST to December 7, 10:00 AM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: December 5, 8:00 PM HST to December 7, 10:00 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

Every storm in Hawaii in 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, December 2015

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: 607877, 607878, 607879, 607880, 607881, 607882, 607883, 607884, 607885, 607886, 607887.