High Surf in Hawaii, June 1 to 2, 2022

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, June 1 to 2, 2022
Start: 2022-06-01T04:00
End: 2022-06-02T12:00
Location: Hawaii

June 1 to 2, 2022 · NWS HFO · 20 events in 20 counties and zones

A large swell from the southern hemisphere generated surf of 8 to 15 feet along south-facing shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. There were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 20 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 20

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 large swell from the southern hemisphere generated surf of 8 to 15 feet along south-facing shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. There were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.

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 Jun 1, 3:40 AM HST, 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 1, 3:40 AM HST, 20 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Honolulu HI
340 AM HST Wed Jun 1 2022

.SYNOPSIS...
Moderate easterly trade winds will continue through Thursday with
clouds and light showers favoring windward and mountain locations.
Trade wind speeds will decrease slightly from Friday through
Sunday, allowing land and sea breezes to develop over western and
leeward sections of each island. A stable and dry atmosphere will
limit shower coverage and amounts lasting into early next week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A high pressure ridge north of the islands will keep stable
moderate trade wind weather in the forecast through Thursday.
Model cross sections continue to show trade wind subsidence
inversion heights in the 5,000 to 7,000 foot range, limiting
vertical cloud development and shower coverage. Brief passing
showers may develop in the overnight to early morning hours over
windward and mountain areas in this pattern. Most leeward areas
will remain dry.

The ridge north of the islands will weaken slightly from Friday
into the weekend. Local scale land and sea breezes will develop
over western and leeward slopes of each island this weekend as
large scale trade wind speeds decrease in strength. Clouds will
build over island mountain and interior sections each day from
late morning to afternoon with isolated showers possible. A fairly
stable temperature inversion aloft will tend to limit shower
coverage and amounts in this hybrid trade wind and sea breeze
weather regime.

&&

.AVIATION...
Moderate easterly trade winds will continue through tomorrow as
high pressure remains in place north of the island chain. Stable
air overhead will allow VFR flight conditions to prevail at most
locations, though latest satellite imagery and surface
observations early this morning show isolated areas of low clouds
along windward sections of the islands. Although there are
currently no AIRMETs in effect, tempo mountain obscuration could
become an issue for windward Kauai and Oahu later this morning.
Otherwise, MVFR ceilings and visibility will continue to be
isolated in nature throughout the forecast period and favor north
through east facing sections of the islands. Additionally, leeward
clouds are forecast to increase once again this afternoon across
western sections of the Big Island before clearing late tonight.

Looking ahead, trade winds will gradually weaken by Friday, which
could allow for land and sea breezes to set up across the island
chain.

&&

.MARINE...
High pressure far northeast of the state will maintain moderate
to fresh trade winds across the coastal waters through Thursday.
The Small Craft Advisory for typically windy waters around Maui
County and the Big Island has been cancelled as winds have eased
below criteria level. Trade winds are expected to ease Friday into
the weekend as the ridge weakens slightly moves closer to the
state.

The current south swell appears to have peaked at NDBC offshore
buoy 51002, however energy levels still remain elevated. The wrap
from this long period south swell is providing a boost in surf
heights along exposed west facing shores. A High Surf Warning
remains in effect until noon today for all south facing shores.
Surf heights are expected to slowly subside to High Surf Advisory
criteria later today through early tomorrow morning, then continue
to subside into the weekend. A smaller, long period south swell
is expected to fill in over the weekend, keeping surf near
seasonal averages.

Small surf along north facing shores will continue to dwindle as
the last remaining fragments of the current northwest swell moves
out. A small, medium period north swell may begin to fill in late
tomorrow night, providing a small boost in surf heights Friday
into the weekend. Another small, slightly longer period northwest
swell may overlap over the weekend providing an additional small
boost to north and west facing shores. Surf along east facing
shores will remain smaller than average due to the lack of strong
trade winds. The one exception will be for areas exposed to the
south swell.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
High Surf Warning until noon HST today for south facing shores
of all Hawaiian Islands.

High Surf Advisory from noon today to 6 AM HST Thursday for south
facing shores of all Hawaiian Islands.

&&

DISCUSSION...Bohlin
AVIATION...Vaughan
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

20 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Niihau

When: June 1, 4:00 AM HST to June 2, 12:00 PM 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: June 1, 4:00 AM HST to June 2, 12:00 PM 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: June 1, 4:00 AM HST to June 2, 12:00 PM 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, Kahoolawe

When: June 1, 4:00 AM HST to June 2, 12:00 PM HST
Where: Kahoolawe forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Maui Leeward West

When: June 1, 4:00 AM HST to June 2, 12:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Leeward West forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Kona

When: June 1, 4:00 AM HST to June 2, 12:00 PM 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, Kauai South

When: June 1, 4:00 AM HST to June 2, 12:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai South forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, East Honolulu

When: June 1, 4:00 AM HST to June 2, 12:00 PM HST
Where: East Honolulu forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Honolulu Metro

When: June 1, 4:00 AM HST to June 2, 12:00 PM HST
Where: Honolulu Metro forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Ewa Plain

When: June 1, 4:00 AM HST to June 2, 12:00 PM HST
Where: Ewa Plain forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Molokai Southeast

When: June 1, 4:00 AM HST to June 2, 12:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Southeast forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Molokai Leeward South

When: June 1, 4:00 AM HST to June 2, 12:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward South forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Lanai Leeward

When: June 1, 4:00 AM HST to June 2, 12:00 PM HST
Where: Lanai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Lanai South

When: June 1, 4:00 AM HST to June 2, 12:00 PM HST
Where: Lanai South 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 South

When: June 1, 4:00 AM HST to June 2, 12:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley South forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Kipahulu

When: June 1, 4:00 AM HST to June 2, 12:00 PM HST
Where: Kipahulu forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, South Maui/Upcountry

When: June 1, 4:00 AM HST to June 2, 12:00 PM HST
Where: South Maui/Upcountry forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, South Haleakala

When: June 1, 4:00 AM HST to June 2, 12:00 PM HST
Where: South Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Big Island South

When: June 1, 4:00 AM HST to June 2, 12:00 PM HST
Where: Big Island South forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Big Island Southeast

When: June 1, 4:00 AM HST to June 2, 12:00 PM HST
Where: Big Island Southeast forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (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, June 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: 1027022, 1027026, 1027027, 1027028, 1027029, 1027030, 1027031, 1027032, 1027033, 1027034, 1027035, 1027036, 1027037, 1027038, 1027039, 1027040, 1027041, 1027042, 1027044, 1027046.