Hawaii Weather

Introduction

While the Islands share latitudes with other hot spots such as Havana and the Sahara Desert, they enjoy a key advantage - natural air conditioning.

Alaska, only 2784 miles north of the Hawaiian Islands, provides cold winds making the Hawaii weather more pleasant. These same winds used to thrust merchants' ships to Honolulu from the West Coast, thus earning the name "trade winds." Although the winds are much warmer by the time they reach Hawaii, they provide a welcome cool breeze.

Depending where you are on the islands, Hawaii weather can vary. The coldest spot in Hawaii is atop Mauna Kea, where the February average is 31.1 degrees. The warmest spot is nearly 14,000 feet below at Puako, near Mauna Lani Resort on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island, with an August average of 80.7 degrees.

Hawaii's year-round average temperature of 77 degrees makes Hawaii weather the best in the United States. Hawaii weather is basically affected by two seasons.

Summer is May to October, when the sun is close to directly overhead. The Hawaii weather during this period is warmer and drier than the rest of the year and the northeast trade winds blow more regularly.

The winter months are November to March. During this time, the sun is farther to the south and the weather, both day and night, is noticeably cooler. The northeast trade wind pattern is often interrupted and kona (south) winds, cloudy periods and rainstorms rumble through the islands.

The difference between winter and summer, and between night and day, is about five to ten degrees on the shorelines, where most people live. Daytime highs are usually somewhere in the 80s. Nights are in the 70s in summer and 60s in winter, with rate dips into the 50s.

Rainfall varies greatly between the islands and within each individual island.

The eastern (windward) sides of the islands generally receive the greatest amount of rainfall because the prevailing northeast trade winds (at least in the summer) bring the rain clouds over the eastern coasts. That's why the windward sides of the islands are so lush and green with rain forests and dense vegetation.

The western (leeward) sides of all the islands tend to be much drier, with considerably less vegetation and more desert-like conditions.

Rainfall along the windward coastal areas ranges from 50 to 130 inches annually. Hana on Maui's east coast averages about 70 inches annually, while Hilo on Hawaii's east coast averages 130 inches per year. Higher elevation areas generally receive much higher annual rainfalls.

The driest regions in the islands are Lahaina on Maui's leeward coast (averages 14 inches annually) and the Kohala Coast on the Big Island of Hawaii (averages less than 10 inches per year). Rainfall is equally distributed throughout the year, with no real wet and dry season.