High Surf, Niihau
- When
- February 14, 3:45 AM HST to February 17, 3:08 AM HST
- Where
- Niihau forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf in Hawaii, February 14 to 17, 2024
A northwest swell brought surf heights of thirty five to forty five feet along most north-facing shores. Twenty to twenty five foot surf heights were observed along west-facing shores.
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
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.
A northwest swell brought surf heights of thirty five to forty five feet along most north-facing shores. Twenty to twenty five foot surf heights were observed along west-facing shores.
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 14, 3:32 AM HST, 13 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 14, 3:32 AM HST, 13 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Honolulu HI 332 AM HST Wed Feb 14 2024 .SYNOPSIS... Winds will strengthen out of the southwest today as a front approaches from the northwest, then passes over the island chain tonight through Friday morning. Expect increased clouds and showers as the front passes by. North winds will fill in behind the front, then become northeasterly trade winds through the weekend. && .DISCUSSION... Troughing to our northwest has pushed a weakened subtropical ridge across the islands this morning, keeping our winds light. Cloud cover across the islands decreased from last evening, but has begun to increase again early this morning across Kauai and Oahu as light southwesterlies develop ahead of an approaching front. Expect continued strengthening of these southwesterlies statewide today. Rainfall was minimal overnight, reflecting a rather dry and stable prefrontal airmass. Latest soundings showed less than in inch of PW with positive lifted index values. Models show the front approaching from the northwest will reach Kauai tonight, then move down the island chain afterwards through Friday morning. Expect a limited period of wet weather for each island as frontal clouds and showers pass by. The front will have little upper level support, so we are not expecting heavy rain or thunderstorms along the boundary. High pressure will build in behind the front, producing cooler temperatures along with breezy north to northeast winds. Passing windward and mountain showers will continue through early next week as the high shifts eastward north of the main Hawaiian Islands this weekend. && .AVIATION... A cold front approaching the islands from the northwest will produce southwesterly winds spreading across the state today. A few showers will develop along south and west facing slopes of each island today and tonight. This cold front will reach Kauai later tonight and Oahu by early Thursday morning, producing periods of MVFR conditions as the front marches eastward down the island chain. No AIRMETs are in effect and none are expected through this afternoon. AIRMETs for mountain obscuration will be needed as the front passes through each island. && .MARINE... An approaching cold front from the northwest will strengthen south to southwest winds to more moderate magnitudes, with locally stronger winds reaching Small Craft Advisory (SCA) thresholds around Kauai, later today. The front will move down the state from tonight through late Thursday as fresh northerly winds fill in behind the front. Winds will gradually veer to the northeast Friday and likely strengthen to SCA magnitudes as surface high pressure moves into the central North Pacific. This high will pass far north of the state on Sunday, maintaining fresh to locally strong trade winds. Surf along north and west-facing shores will remain small through today with as background, short period northwest energy fades out. A significant, XL northwest (320 degree) swell will arrive late tonight and rapidly build down the island chain Thursday. This swell will lift surf to well above High Surf Warning levels along most north and west-facing shores. The passing of this swell within moderate to locally strong northeast winds will result in rough sea conditions and warrant an SCA for most local nearshore waters. A swell of this size will adversely impact coastal areas, especially during periods of high tide both Thursday and Friday evenings. Preparations should be made for the threat of coastal flooding as ocean water runs up and inundates beaches and potentially affects coastal properties and roadways. The northwest swell will slowly decline Friday and Saturday with a large, medium period north swell (350 degree) following on its heels Saturday and Sunday. This swell will maintain solid High Surf Advisory level surf along most northern exposures and keep seas at SCA heights. Surf along east-facing shores will experience a rapid increase this weekend due to a combination of rough, short period trade wind swell and large north swell. Seasonal small surf will occur along south shores. && .HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Surf Warning from midnight tonight to 6 PM HST Friday for Niihau-Kauai Leeward-Waianae Coast-Oahu North Shore-Maui Windward West-Kauai North-Kauai East-Molokai Windward-Molokai North-Molokai West-Maui Central Valley North-Windward Haleakala- Big Island East-Big Island North. Small Craft Advisory from midnight tonight to 6 AM HST Saturday for all Hawaiian waters except Maalaea Bay- && DISCUSSION...Powell AVIATION...Bohlin MARINE...Blood
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
10 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High Surf, Kauai North
- When
- February 14, 3:45 AM HST to February 17, 3:08 AM HST
- Where
- Kauai North forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Oahu North Shore
- When
- February 14, 3:45 AM HST to February 17, 3:08 AM HST
- Where
- Oahu North Shore forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Waianae Coast
- When
- February 14, 3:45 AM HST to February 17, 3:08 AM HST
- Where
- Waianae Coast forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Molokai West
- When
- February 14, 3:45 AM HST to February 17, 3:08 AM HST
- Where
- Molokai West forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Molokai North
- When
- February 14, 3:45 AM HST to February 17, 3:08 AM HST
- Where
- Molokai North forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Maui Windward West
- When
- February 14, 3:45 AM HST to February 17, 3:08 AM HST
- Where
- Maui Windward West forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Maui Central Valley North
- When
- February 14, 3:45 AM HST to February 17, 3:08 AM HST
- Where
- Maui Central Valley North forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Windward Haleakala
- When
- February 14, 3:45 AM HST to February 17, 3:08 AM HST
- Where
- Windward Haleakala forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Big Island North
- When
- February 14, 3:45 AM HST to February 17, 3:08 AM HST
- Where
- Big Island North forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- 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
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in South Dakota, February 14, 2024
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Minnesota, February 14, 2024
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Washington, February 14 to 15, 2024
- Winter Storm in Montana, February 14 to 16, 2024
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Idaho, February 14 to 16, 2024
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, February 14, 2024
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Wisconsin, February 14 to 15, 2024
- Winter Storm in Wyoming, February 14 to 16, 2024
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Wyoming, February 14 to 16, 2024
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in South Dakota, February 14, 2024
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Oregon, February 14 to 16, 2024
- Heavy Snow in Oregon, February 14 to 16, 2024
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, February 2024
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: 1158763, 1158764, 1158765, 1158768, 1158769, 1158770, 1158772, 1158775, 1158776, 1158778.