Hawaiʻi County proposes weekly weather and surf outlook for residents

A rapidly building, long period north-northeast swell (010-030 degrees) will produce breaking waves at High Surf Warning levels across most north and east facing shores tonight and Tuesday, the National Weather Service Honolulu office wrote in its Surf Zone Forecast (product ID 512 FZHW52 PHFO 240138) with a header timestamp of 3:38 PM HST on Feb. 23, 2026. The same forecast names exposed west facing shores on West Maui, western Molokai, and North Kohala on the Big Island as likely to see High Surf Advisory conditions.

Local reporting and NWS guidance together single out community impacts on Hawaiʻi Island. Big Island Now noted that "some overwash will be possible along low-lying coastal roads and infrastructure in windward areas, especially in the Keaukaha area east of Hilo." The site also reported that "hazardous conditions and heavy surges are expected in north facing harbors, mainly in Hilo and Kahului, and a Marine Weather Statement remains in place to highlight this threat."

The NWS discussion adds that the north-northeast swell will "gradually decline Tuesday night through Friday" but that "in addition to this swell, a small pulse of overlapping west-northwest swell is expected through Wednesday." The forecast repeated that "very small wintertime surf will continue along south facing shores this week," indicating relative safety for south-facing beaches even as north and east exposures remain dangerous.

Kauai-specific forecast values included in the SRFHFO excerpt show tabulated surf values of north facing 20-25 tonight and 20-30 through Tuesday, west facing 6-8 rising to 7-10, east facing 12-16 rising to 14-18, and south facing 1-3 declining to 0-2; the excerpt also lists Hanalei Bay high 1.7 feet at 9:11 PM HST and Nawiliwili high 1.6 feet at 10:12 PM HST, with "mostly cloudy" skies, "scattered showers," low temperatures "in the mid 60s," and "east winds around 10 mph." The excerpt did not specify units for the surf table values; the NWS product should be checked for unit confirmation.

The SRFHFO product contains two different issuance markers in the excerpts provided: the header shows "338 PM HST Mon Feb 23 2026" and the product code includes 240138, consistent with 01:38 UTC Feb 24, while another line in the same material reads "Issued: 02/24/2026 11:38:00 AM UTC." Those two timestamps do not match and merit verification against the official NWS PHFO SRFHFO product when confirming issuance time for operational planning.

Public health and community planners should note that overwash on low-lying coastal roads and heavy harbor surges can interrupt access to clinics, emergency services, and supply routes for residents of windward neighborhoods such as Keaukaha and for harbor-dependent workers in Hilo and Kahului. County of Hawai‘i Civil Defense, Hilo and Kahului harbor authorities, and emergency medical providers are the key local authorities to confirm closures or operational restrictions; the NWS product ID and header cited above identify the technical forecast underlying those local threats.

The swell is forecast to weaken later in the week, with the NWS projecting a gradual decline Tuesday night through Friday, but overlapping west-northwest energy may sustain hazardous breaking surf into Wednesday.