High Surf in Hawaii, February 9 to 11, 2023

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, February 9 to 11, 2023
Start: 2023-02-09T15:33
End: 2023-02-11T15:28
Location: Hawaii

February 9 to 11, 2023 · NWS HFO · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

Large and rough conditions affected East facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and the Big Island. An extended period of strong easterly trade winds generated surf of 10 to 15 feet.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 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: 10

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.

Large and rough conditions affected East facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and the Big Island. An extended period of strong easterly trade winds generated surf of 10 to 15 feet.

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 9, 3:29 PM HST, 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 9, 3:29 PM HST, 4 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Honolulu HI
329 PM HST Thu Feb 9 2023

.SYNOPSIS...
A persistent, strong high far to the northeast of Hawaii will
keep windy trades blowing through the middle of next week. The
trade winds could be locally damaging in a few spots tonight into
Friday. Trades will ease just a bit this weekend as the high
weakens, then again Monday night into Tuesday. A trough aloft near
the islands will keep the trades rather wet at times through the
next several days. Most showers will focus windward and mauka, but
a few showers will reach leeward areas at times especially during
the nights and mornings.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A 1034 mb surface high located about 1050 mi NE of PHNL is moving
ENE about 20 mph. This high is responsible for the very windy and
locally damaging trades that have been gusting over 60 mph at a
few reporting stations.

The winds will fluctuate a minor amount down and up over the next
several days. Although the high is moving away, a rather strong
ridge extends toward the WSW from the high and will help to
maintain a rather intense pressure gradient over the islands for
the next 12 to 24 hours. It will still be windy on Friday, but
maybe down a touch from today. Wind headlines will still be
needed, and for now will make no changes to the High Wind Warning
and Wind Advisory configuration. Winds should ease just a little
more over the weekend, but a new high passing farther away to the
N may nudge winds back up again Mon. Yet another easing is
expected Mon night into Tue, with winds trending up again Wed into
Thu as another strong high passes to the N. The overall flavor
through all these small ups and downs will be continued windy.

As far as showers go, a trough in the mid to upper levels over
and S of the islands is keeping our local airmass somewhat
unstable with rather chilly mid-level temperatures. This is not
expected to change significantly for the next several days, so the
trade winds will continue to be rather wet overall at times with
numerous to frequent showers windward and mauka. The strong winds
should have little trouble pushing some of those showers over to
adjacent leeward sections from time to time, especially during the
nights and mornings.

&&

.AVIATION...

High pressure passing north of the state is producing strong
strong and gusty trade winds across the islands this afternoon.
Wind advisories and high wind warnings are in effect for most
locations around the state. Surface winds in excess of 30 kts
will continue to be possible for some locations with even higher
gusts through the night and into Friday. Therefore, AIRMET Tango
remains in effect for 30 kt surface winds. AIRMET Tango also
remains in effect for moderate to isolated severe low level
turbulence over and downwind of terrain of all islands. This
AIRMET will likely be needed through at least Friday. Finally,
forecast soundings and and PIREPs that have been received this
afternoon indicate that winds aloft are even stronger, up to about
40 kts in the layer between the surface and 2,000 feet. This will
continue to produce low-level wind shear through the afternoon
across Maui.

The strong trades will allow for passing showers, especially
during the overnight to early morning hours over windward and
mountain areas. Although isolated MVFR ceilings and visibilities
are possible within showers, VFR flight conditions will generally
prevail at most locations.

&&

.MARINE...
Strong- to gale-force easterly trade winds will continue through
the second half of the week as high pressure passes to the north.
Gales are most likely over the typically windier waters and
channels from Oahu to the Big Island. Seas have responded and
expected to top out in the 10 to 15 ft range today through
Friday. Although winds and seas should drop slightly over the
upcoming weekend as a weakness in the ridge develops far north-
northwest of the area, rough boating conditions will continue with
Small Craft Advisory conditions expected for most waters.

Surf along east facing shores will stay elevated as the strong
trades expand over the state and upstream over the eastern
Pacific. A High Surf Warning is now in effect for most easterly
exposures through Friday night.

A fresh north-northwest swell from a gale that developed west of
the Date Line early this week continues to build down the island
chain this afternoon and peak tonight. By Friday, the swell will
be past peak and ease quickly through the day and into the
weekend. A small long- period northwest swell from a hurricane-
force low centered around 1900 nautical miles to the northwest is
expected to fill in late Saturday and linger through the weekend.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Wind Advisory until 6 PM HST Friday for Niihau-Kauai Leeward-
Kauai Mountains-Olomana-Lanai Mauka-Kahoolawe-Maui Windward West-
Maui Leeward West-Haleakala Summit-Big Island Interior-Big
Island Summits-Kauai North-Kauai East-Kauai South-East Honolulu-
Koolau Windward-Molokai-Lanai Windward-Lanai Leeward-Lanai South-
Maui Central Valley North-Maui Central Valley South-Windward
Haleakala-Kipahulu-South Maui/Upcountry-South Haleakala-Big
Island South-Big Island Southeast-Big Island East.

High Wind Warning until 6 AM HST Friday for Waianae Coast-Oahu
North Shore-Central Oahu-Waianae Mountains-Honolulu Metro-Ewa
Plain-Koolau Leeward.

Wind Advisory from 6 AM to 6 PM HST Friday for Waianae Coast-
Oahu North Shore-Central Oahu-Waianae Mountains-Honolulu Metro-
Ewa Plain-Koolau Leeward.

High Surf Warning until 6 AM HST Saturday for east facing shores.

High Wind Warning until 6 PM HST Friday for Kohala-Big Island
North.

Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM HST Friday for Kauai Northwest
Waters-Kauai Windward Waters-Kauai Leeward Waters-Kauai Channel-
Oahu Windward Waters-Oahu Leeward Waters-Maui County Windward
Waters-Maui County Leeward Waters-Big Island Windward Waters.

Gale Warning until 6 PM HST Friday for Kaiwi Channel-Maalaea Bay-
Pailolo Channel-Alenuihaha Channel-Big Island Leeward Waters-Big
Island Southeast Waters.

&&

DISCUSSION...R Ballard
AVIATION...Vaughan
MARINE...Shigesato

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 9, 10:23 AM HST, 5 hours 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1023 AM HST THU FEB 9 2023

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1005 AM     NON-TSTM WND DMG MAKIKI                  21.31N 157.84W
02/09/2023                   HONOLULU           HI   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            PENSACOLA ST CLOSED BETWEEN NEHOA TO PIIKOI
            DUE TO DOWNED POLE W/ELECTRICAL WIRES. MORE
            THAN 2,100 CUSTOMERS ARE WITHOUT POWER IN
            THE MAKIKI AREA.

&&

MB

Local storm report, Feb 9, 11:05 AM HST, 4 hours 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1105 AM HST THU FEB 9 2023

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0644 AM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 1 NNE PEARL CITY        21.42N 157.96W
02/09/2023                   HONOLULU           HI   BROADCAST MEDIA

            TREE DOWN ON KOMO MAI DR. AT AUMAKUA.

1055 AM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 2 SSW KAIMUKI           21.26N 157.82W
02/09/2023                   HONOLULU           HI   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            KALAKAUA AVE EAST BOUND LANE CLOSED AT
            DIAMOND HEAD WATER FOUNTAIN DUE TO FALLEN
            TREE.

&&

Local storm report, Feb 9, 11:41 AM HST, 3 hours 52 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1141 AM HST THU FEB 9 2023

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1134 AM     NON-TSTM WND DMG IWILEI                  21.32N 157.87W
02/09/2023                   HONOLULU           HI   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            KOKEA ST CLOSED BETWEEN KING ST AND
            DILLINGHAM BLVD DUE TO MULTIPLE DOWNED
            UTILITY POLES.

&&

MB

Local storm report, Feb 9, 12:05 PM HST, 3 hours 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1205 PM HST THU FEB 9 2023

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1201 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 3 SW KANEOHE            21.37N 157.82W
02/09/2023                   HONOLULU           HI   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            LIKELIKE HWY (KANEOHE BOUND) IS CLOSED DUE
            TO FALLEN TREE WHICH FELL ON THE KALIHI SIDE
            BEFORE TUNNEL.

&&

MB

Local storm report, Feb 9, 1:38 PM HST, 1 hour 55 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
138 PM HST THU FEB 9 2023

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1236 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 5 N WAIMALU             21.48N 157.94W
02/09/2023  M75 MPH          HONOLULU           HI   MESONET

            MESONET STATION OFRH1 OAHU FOREST NWR
            (USFWS).

0535 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 3 N KAWAIHAE            20.09N 155.83W
02/08/2023  M67 MPH          HAWAII             HI   MESONET

            MESONET STATION KHRH1 KOHALA RANCH.

0856 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 8 SSW WAIKII            19.77N 155.70W
02/09/2023  M57 MPH          HAWAII             HI   MESONET

            MESONET STATION PKWH1 PTA WEST.

0915 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 9 SW NAALEHU            18.99N 155.68W
02/09/2023  E57 MPH          HAWAII             HI   MESONET

            MESONET STATION SOPH1 SOUTH POINT.

1039 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 2 WSW KAMUELA           20.00N 155.67W
02/09/2023  M59 MPH          HAWAII             HI   AWOS

            AWOS STATION PHMU KAMUELA.

&&

Local storm report, Feb 9, 1:47 PM HST, 1 hour 46 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
147 PM HST THU FEB 9 2023

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0600 AM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 1 ESE KULA              20.75N 156.31W
02/09/2023                   MAUI               HI   PARK/FOREST SRVC

            APPROXIMATELY 16-INCH DIAMETER EUCALYPTUS
            TREE FELL ACROSS HALEAKALA HWY (STATE ROUTE
            377) AT MILE 3 OF STATE HIGHWAY 377.

&&

MB

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment