High Surf in Hawaii, February 1 to 2, 2022

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, February 1 to 2, 2022
Start: 2022-02-01T12:00
End: 2022-02-02T02:00
Location: Hawaii

February 1 to 2, 2022 · NWS HFO · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

A swell from the west-northwest caused surf of 10 to 16 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai, and along the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 6 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai. There were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
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Floods
Wind
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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: 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 Feb 1, 9:53 AM HST, 2 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 1, 9:53 AM HST, 2 hours 7 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Honolulu HI
953 AM HST Tue Feb 1 2022

.SYNOPSIS...
Trade winds will fluctuate between light and moderate strength
through the weekend as a series of fronts pass north of the
state. Stronger trades will be possible early next week. Showers
will continue to be confined to mainly windward slopes, with an
increase in rainfall possible this weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A brief increase in trade winds is underway this morning. Weak
surface high pressure is passing far north of the state, and its
trailing surface ridge sits several hundred miles north of Kauai.
As a result, trades are on the rise on all islands. The atmosphere
is stabilizing as a departing upper level trough gives way to a
ridge aloft building in from the northwest. Expect the stable
trade wind flow to focus clouds and a few showers over windward
areas today. Aside from the typical afternoon clouds and showers
over the Kona slopes of the Big Island, leeward areas will be
rather dry.

A Wind Advisory remains in effect for the high summits of the Big
Island today. Summit winds will ease tonight as the above
mentioned upper level trough moves eastward.

Trades will ease over the islands and shift southeasterly near
Kauai and Oahu late tonight and Wednesday, as the surface ridge is
pushed toward the state by an approaching front. Modest rainfall
will continue to be focused over windward slopes, though we cannot
rule out that afternoon sea breezes could produce isolated shower
over leeward areas in the afternoon.

Trade winds will increase back to moderate strength Thursday, only
to decline once again on Friday as the surface ridge to the north
fluctuates in response to a passing front. Some increase is
expected during the weekend, though there is some question about a
lingering surface trough to the north limiting an expected
increase in weekend trade winds. The GFS and ECMWF are showing a
possible increase in showers Thursday and again during the
weekend. The GFS and ECMWF models are showing the ridge aloft
eroding during the weekend, which could enhance rainfall.

Trade winds may strengthen again early next week. There is some
uncertainty, since the GFS and ECMWF models have recently
advertised stronger trade winds that have not materialized at
longer time ranges.

&&

.AVIATION...
The surface ridge will build north of the region today, with
trade winds strengthening to moderate speeds this afternoon.
VFR conditions will prevail over most airfields across the state
with a few showers causing brief mountain obscuration over
windward slopes.

AIRMET Tango remains in effect across the region for tempo
moderate turbulence between 150 and FL350, with these conditions
expected to continue shift off to the east later this afternoon.

&&

.MARINE...
High pressure will build north of the area rest of today,
supporting a brief return of moderate to fresh easterly trades.
Light winds will return through the second half of the week as a
weak surface trough moves in from the east and a front passes to
the north. Fresh to strong easterly trades are possible beginning
Saturday or Sunday.

A large west northwest swell has arrived at offshore buoys 51001
and 51101 with swell heights of 12 feet and periods in the 15
seconds range which is 5 feet higher than guidance. A High Surf
Warning (HSW) is now in effect for exposed north and west facing
shores of the smaller islands. Surf is expected to rapidly rise
this afternoon and peak tonight before declining below advisory
level Wednesday morning. This west northwest swell will be large
enough to push combined seas to the Small Craft Advisory (SCA)
threshold across waters around Kauai, Oahu and Maui through
tonight. A reinforcing west northwest swell, expected Thursday
night into Friday, will support near advisory-level surf. A third
swell, expected Friday night into Saturday, will likely hit the
advisory mark through the day Saturday, then lower on Sunday.

Surf along east facing shores will remain small through most of
this week. An increase is expected late this week as a small
northeast pulse arrives and as the trade winds strengthen over the
weekend. Surf along south facing shores will return to background
levels with a small bump expected Thursday and another small bump
expected late in weekend.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
High Surf Warning until 6 AM HST Wednesday for north and west
facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, and Molokai and for north
facing shores of Maui.

Wind Advisory until 6 PM HST this evening for Big Island Summits.

Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM HST Wednesday for Kauai
Northwest Waters-Kauai Windward Waters-Kauai Leeward Waters-
Kauai Channel-Oahu Windward Waters-Kaiwi Channel-Maui County
Windward Waters.

&&

DISCUSSION...Wroe
AVIATION...Kino/Foster
MARINE...Almanza

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: February 1, 12:00 PM HST to February 2, 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, Kauai Southwest

When: February 1, 12:00 PM HST to February 2, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Kauai Southwest 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: February 1, 12:00 PM HST to February 2, 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: February 1, 12:00 PM HST to February 2, 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, Maui Windward West

When: February 1, 12:00 PM HST to February 2, 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, Kauai North

When: February 1, 12:00 PM HST to February 2, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Kauai North forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: February 1, 12:00 PM HST to February 2, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Molokai North

When: February 1, 12:00 PM HST to February 2, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai North forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Molokai West

When: February 1, 12:00 PM HST to February 2, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai 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 North

When: February 1, 12:00 PM HST to February 2, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley North 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: February 1, 12:00 PM HST to February 2, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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 2022 Every state in 2022 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, February 2022

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: 1001199, 1001200, 1001201, 1001202, 1001203, 1001204, 1001205, 1001206, 1001207, 1001208, 1001210.