High Surf, Niihau
- When
- January 1, 8:00 AM HST to January 5, 6:00 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, January 1 to 5, 2019
A swell from the northwest and a trade wind swell produced surf of 10 to 20 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai, and along the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; 8 to 14 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai; and 6 to 12 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island. There were no reports of serious…
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
- 15
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 the northwest and a trade wind swell produced surf of 10 to 20 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai, and along the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; 8 to 14 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai; and 6 to 12 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island. There were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
15 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High Surf, Kauai Windward
- When
- January 1, 8:00 AM HST to January 5, 6:00 AM HST
- Where
- Kauai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Kauai Leeward
- When
- January 1, 8:00 AM HST to January 5, 6:00 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
- January 1, 8:00 AM HST to January 5, 6:00 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
- January 1, 8:00 AM HST to January 5, 6:00 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
- January 1, 8:00 AM HST to January 5, 6:00 AM HST
- Where
- Oahu Koolau forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Olomana
- When
- January 1, 8:00 AM HST to January 5, 6:00 AM 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
- January 1, 8:00 AM HST to January 5, 6:00 AM HST
- Where
- Molokai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Molokai Leeward
- When
- January 1, 8:00 AM HST to January 5, 6:00 AM HST
- Where
- Molokai Leeward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Maui Windward West
- When
- January 1, 8:00 AM HST to January 5, 6:00 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
- January 1, 8:00 AM HST to January 5, 6:00 AM HST
- Where
- Maui Central Valley forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Windward Haleakala
- When
- January 1, 8:00 AM HST to January 5, 6:00 AM HST
- Where
- Windward Haleakala forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, South Big Island
- When
- January 1, 8:00 AM HST to January 5, 6:00 AM HST
- Where
- South Big Island forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Kona
- When
- January 1, 8:00 AM HST to January 5, 6:00 AM HST
- Where
- Kona forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Big Island North and East
- When
- January 1, 8:00 AM HST to January 5, 6:00 AM HST
- Where
- Big Island North and East 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
- Heavy Snow in New Mexico, January 1 to 2, 2019
- Frost and Freeze and Cold in California, January 1, 2019
- Winter Weather in Illinois, January 1 to 2, 2019
- Winter Weather in Missouri, January 1, 2019
- High Wind in New York, January 1, 2019
- Dense Fog in Texas, January 1, 2019
- High Wind and Strong Wind in New York, January 1, 2019
- Winter Storm in Arizona, January 1 to 2, 2019
- Strong Wind in Ohio, January 1, 2019
- High Wind and Strong Wind in Massachusetts, January 1, 2019
- Strong Wind in Pennsylvania, January 1, 2019
- Extreme Cold in Minnesota, January 1, 2019
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, January 2019
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: 796077, 796078, 796079, 796080, 796081, 796082, 796083, 796084, 796085, 796086, 796087, 796088, 796089, 796091, 796092.