A northwest swell brought large surf to north and west facing shores of the Hawaiian islands. Surf heights of twenty two to twenty six feet for north facing shores and eighteen to twenty two feet for west facing shores were observed.
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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.
The episode as NWS HFO wrote it up.
A northwest swell brought large surf to north and west facing shores of the Hawaiian islands. Surf heights of twenty two to twenty six feet for north facing shores and eighteen to twenty two feet for west facing shores were observed. These large waves made ocean activities dangerous, as well as created strong currents and beach runup.
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 Mar 23, 3:57 PM HST, 2 hours 53 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Honolulu HI 357 PM HST Sun Mar 23 2025 .SYNOPSIS... Light to occasionally moderate east to southeasterly winds are expected to continue through most of the week and into next weekend, with only slight variations in speed and direction. In this flow, clouds and showers will favor windward areas overnight and leeward and interior areas in the afternoon where sea breezes develop. Overall, shower activity will be limited. However, moisture from a front expected to stall just north of Kauai may bring an up tick in shower to the western end of the state tonight into tomorrow and an upper level disturbance may bring another uptick in showers midweek. && .DISCUSSION... This afternoon's radar, satellite imagery and surface observations show that sea breezes are in full swing with clouds and isolated showers building over island interiors. This activity will continue into the early evening hours. The approach of a cold front from the northwest will keep the ridge axis shifted south of its usual position and nearly atop of the island chain, maintaining a light east-southeasterly flow across the state through tomorrow. The cold front will stall north of the state tonight, along with the bulk of its moisture. However, if the front manages to sag a bit further south than what current model guidance is showing, its moisture field could bring a slight bump in shower activity to the western end of the state tonight into tomorrow. Otherwise, in this lighter flow, the east- southeasterly winds will help to focus low clouds and showers over windward areas, particularly overnight, while land breezes will help to bring clearing to leeward areas by morning. Sea breezes will then bring cloud buildups and a few showers to leeward and interior areas during the day. Overall, shower activity will be limited as mid-level ridging tries to build overhead, increasing atmospheric stability, and drier air continues to filter in from the east. This pattern is expected to persist through most of the week and into next weekend as a progressive pattern to the north keeps the surface ridge relegated south of its usual position and light to moderate east to southeasterly winds persist across the state. A possible deviation from this pattern may occur Tuesday into Wednesday as a perturbation in the flow aloft moves overhead and increases atmospheric instability, which may lead to a slight uptick in shower activity as pockets of moisture move in on the east to southeasterly flow. Then models show reasonable agreement on mid- level ridging building back overhead for the latter part of the week and into the weekend, which will help to suppress shower activity once again. && .AVIATION... Light east-southeast winds through Monday as a cold front passes north of the area. Daytime sea breezes will continue through sunset that will bring interior clouds with with isolated showers, followed by clearing tonight with land breezes. AIRMET Sierra is posted for tempo mountain obscurations over Kauai above 2500 feet. These clouds will dissipate around sunset and the AIRMET will be dropped. No other AIRMETs are expected through Monday morning. && .MARINE... Moderate to locally fresh east southeast winds will continue to ease through the day in response to a surface ridge weakening and settling south into the area as a front approaches. This front is expected to stall just north of Kauai later tonight into Monday, resulting in light to locally moderate east-southeast winds across the area through Monday, with the lightest winds near Kauai. Winds will then increase slightly and shift out of the southeast across much of the island chain through Tuesday night, as low pressure develops far northwest of the state. Little change is expected in this pattern through Friday. A long-period northwest (305-325 degrees) swell is quickly building down the island chain today, as reflected in the nearshore buoy obs, and will peak tonight through early Monday. A High Surf Advisory (HSA) remains in effect for most north and west facing shores of the smaller islands, but have extended it in time through Monday night. Surf heights will near warning levels through the peak. Current projections keep surf heights just under warning level, but will continue to monitor in case a High Surf Warning (and adding an HSA to exposed west facing shores of the Big Island) is needed. A Small Craft Advisory has been issued for exposed waters due to seas expected to exceed 10 feet with this swell. The swell will gradually ease Tuesday through midweek as it shifts out of the north. Choppy east shore surf, already below seasonal averages, will drop further through the rest of the weekend and remain small through the upcoming week as wind speeds remain on the lighter side. South shore surf will remain seasonably small, though a small bump is possible around midweek. && .HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Surf Advisory until 6 AM HST Tuesday for Niihau-Kauai Leeward-Waianae Coast-Oahu North Shore-Maui Windward West-Kauai North-Molokai Windward-Molokai North-Molokai West-Maui Central Valley North-Windward Haleakala. Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM HST Monday for Kauai Northwest Waters-Kauai Windward Waters-Kauai Leeward Waters-Kauai Channel- Oahu Windward Waters-Kaiwi Channel-Maui County Windward Waters. && DISCUSSION...Farris AVIATION...Foster MARINE...TS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
Surf heights up to 26 feet created strong currents, beach run up, and made navigating channels dangerous.
Surf heights up to 26 feet created strong currents, beach run up, and made navigating channels dangerous.
Surf heights up to 26 feet created strong currents, beach run up, and made navigating channels dangerous.
Surf heights up to 26 feet created strong currents, beach run up, and made navigating channels dangerous.
Surf heights up to 26 feet created strong currents, beach run up, and made navigating channels dangerous.
Surf heights up to 26 feet created strong currents, beach run up, and made navigating channels dangerous.
Surf heights up to 26 feet created strong currents, beach run up, and made navigating channels dangerous.
Surf heights up to 22 feet created strong currents, beach run up, and made navigating channels dangerous.
Surf heights up to 22 feet created strong currents, beach run up, and made navigating channels dangerous.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Hawaii in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, March 2025
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: 1245331, 1245332, 1245333, 1245334, 1245335, 1245336, 1245337, 1245338, 1245339.