Characterized by high annual rainfall, monthly temperatures above 64.4°F, and no distinct dry season is the tropical continuous wet climate zone, which can be found in Oahu’s Manoa Falls Trail, and Maui’s Hana Coast. Maui is famous for its multiple micro-climates, ranging from dry and desert-like to humid and verdant. Tropical storms are more frequent. Maui’s two high mountains shield its west and south coasts from the numerous winter storms that come from the northeast, resulting in near-perfect weather in the beach areas of Kaanapali and Wailea. Science Lake Effect Snow Table of Contents Waterspouts Lake Breezes Lake Snow Parameter. So at Maui’s resort beaches, in the morning the sun may be behind the clouds over the mountains to the east, but by afternoon the sun usually moves from behind the clouds over the mountains and out over the clear skies above the beaches and ocean until sunset. Wind speeds resulting from these storms have on several occasions exceeded 60 MPH over a period of one to two minutes, and 80 MPH momentarily in gusts. As with most volcanic tropical islands, however, many different micro climates mean packing for a variety of conditions: swim suits and light hot-weather clothing for the beaches,  a lightweight windbreaker for the occasional shower at higher elevations, and more serious protection during inclement conditions when hiking Haleakala. Tropical Continuous Wet. Navin Rajagopalan/Flickr. Major storms are chiefly events of the winter season. Climate Zone: are divisions of the Earth's climates into general climate zones according to average temperatures and average rainfall. The main zones are further divided into 5 F subzones. Summer-Dry Warm Temperate. Winter is the season when the sun is in the south, the weather is cooler, and the trade winds are most often interrupted by other winds. Humidity is frequently between 50 to 55 percent in the drier, warmer coastal resort zones, (but seldom falls below 40 percent). The break (a large-scale feature of the Pacific High) is caused by a temperature inversion embedded in the moving trade wind air. At sea level the average afternoon winter temperature is around 75°F (see above for approximate degrees Celsius) during the coldest months of December and January. T Sea/Flickr. Lahaina, Kihei, Wailea, Haleakala, and Kaupo have desert microclimates. You can visit all of them on Hawai‘i Island, or find a few scattered throughout the Islands. This is partly because of the virtually constant flow of fresh ocean air across the islands, especially with the location of Hawaii in mid-ocean. On the average, a tropical storm will pass sufficiently close to Hawaii every year or two to affect the weather in some part of the Islands. The west Maui resorts sit at the base of the West Maui Mountains that are 5,000 feet high, which is high enough to block most storms, and cause these West Maui Microclimates. (21-29°C) December. Hot Desert. The trade winds blow across Hawaii during May through September 80 to 95 percent of the time. The map below of Maui, Hawaii has different zones such as desert, forest, scrub, and is divided into 20 areas. They are so-called because they often bring winds from the south (called kona in Hawaiian), unlike the more usual trade wind storms from the northeast. The climate on Maui is perfect all year, but weather varies locally. Sports clothing or beachwear is appropriate for almost all daily activities. Spotter Reporting Information Navin Rajagopalan/Flickr. Kona storms occur during the winter season. Hawaii has all of these zones except the Cool Snow Forest climate. These are extreme values, and it is possible for several years to pass before temperatures near 50 F are experienced in any locality near sea level. The climate of Hawaii is ideal every day of the year -- it's summer in Hawaii all winter long! An outstanding feature of the climate of Hawaii is the small annual temperature range. The amount of vog is equal to the emissions from 300 power plants produced per day since the volcano restarted erupting in 1987. In Hawaii, the plant growing zones are 10 and 11. True hurricanes are very rare in Hawaii, indicated by the fact that only four have affected the islands during a 63-year period. If it is raining and windy at your hotel in Kapalua (where it often rains in winter), you can drive four miles south to Kaanapali where it's usually sunny. Koppen’s five major climate zones are: 1.Arid and Semi-Arid, 2. One of the very first of over 400 blog posts I have written for Hawaii Life was a post about Climate Zones on the Big Island. Lowest on record have been in the 50’s in winter at elevations below 1,000 feet, or rarely in the high 40’s in dry leeward areas. Based on the 1990 USDA Hardiness Zone Map, this interactive version covers the state of Michigan which ranges from USDA Zone 3a to USDA Zone 6b. In downtown Honolulu the warmest month is August, with an average temperature of about 78 F the coldest, February, around 72 F – the range between the coldest and warmest months averages only 6 degrees F. Seasonal changes in temperature are slight throughout much of Hawaii. Tropical Rainy, 3. This also means that fewer travel bargains are available and that room rates at this time will average 10%-15% higher than the rest of the year. Low, drier areas, warm to hot. Also summer is the drier season in terms of average monthly rainfall. These leeward areas – which are less affected by summer trade-wind cloudiness – tend to be cloudier during the winter, when storms are more frequent. Climate data and weather averages in Maui. In the dry leeward areas like Lahaina and Wailea, temperatures in the low 90’s may be reached on several days during the year, but temperatures higher than these are unusual. Between October and May, major storms may deposit a foot or more of snow on the upper slopes of Maui’s highest mountain at 10,000 feet, Haleakala. Tropical weight evening attire (casual) will be okay for all but the fanciest nightspots. Vog is volcanic smog from the volcano on the Big Island to the south that regularly drifts north to Maui, whenever the northeast trade winds stop blowing. But hurricanes may pass close enough to the islands to produce heavy rains, high winds, and big waves upon the coasts. The Hawaiian Islands claim 10 of the world’s myriad climate zones, the only place on earth with so many concentrated in one small area. On a clear winter day, level ground in Hawaii receives at least 67 percent as much solar energy between sunri… Zone 1. The moderate humidity, persistent breezes, equable temperatures and plenty of sunshine give it a climate that may be regarded as one of the state's most important natural resources.. And Hawaii averages six degrees cooler in the Hawaiian winter than the summer, which makes Hawaii feel just as comfortable in winter as in summer. BEST TIMES TO VACATION ON MAUI WEATHER-WISE. Dress is usually quite casual. Climate Local Information Normal/Record Temps Normal Rainfall Temperature Graphs Rainfall Graphs Past Snowfall Northern MI Climatology Holiday Climatology. MUCH RAINFALL -- Other areas exceed 300 inches annual average, along the north and eastern lower windward slopes of these high mountains, at the other extreme. Safety NOAA Weather Radio Winter Hazards. Due to the prevailing trade winds, most rainfall hits the north- or northeast-facing shores, leaving the south and southwest areas relatively dry. Climate data and weather averages in Kauai Island. Averages are for Lihue Lihue Airport, which is 13 miles from Kauai Island. "But Nature is always stingy of perfect climates," said Mark Twain in his book Following the Equator. Hawaii is in the tropics, where the length of day and temperature are relatively uniform throughout the year. Ready to zone out? The weather on Oahu doesn’t change much throughout the year, and the island really only has two seasons (winter and summer). Showers are very common; yet while some of these are very heavy, the vast majority are very light and brief – a sudden sprinkle of rain and that is all. The weather on Maui is quite different depending on where you’re at on any given day. Usually there are one or two Kona storms a year, and sometimes there are four or five. It’s actually quite difficult to describe the weather on Maui during the winter because it has so many climate zones. Hawaii Interactive 1990 USDA Hardiness Zone Map. In the lowlands at all times of the year, rainfall is most likely to occur during the nighttime or in the morning hours and least likely to occur during midafternoon. Polar. Less than 20 inches of rain per year. Averages are for Kahului Airport, which is 14 miles from Maui. But the snow quickly vanishes, since even winter air temperatures in Hawaii are ordinarily above freezing. SUMMER season of five months (May through September) has the best warm beach weather and the fewest storms. It is not unusual to have maximum speeds of only 35 to 40 MPH in one locality and much higher speeds in a restricted area only a few miles away. Location This may be why the Hawaiian royalty chose to live in Lahaina, which is very dry and relatively free of clouds. They are most likely to occur during the last half of the year, from July through December. Winter and Spring (mid-December through mid-April) is high season for Maui when most travelers plan their trip to the island. Tropical Summer-Dry. If it is raining and windy at your hotel in Kihei, you can drive four miles south to Wailea, and if it’s not raining there but is cloudy, you can drive four more miles south to the area called Makena, where it sunny and calm virtually every day of the year. In any major, wind-producing storm extreme wind speeds may vary radically from one place to another, due to the peculiarities of the storm and to the effects of terrain. The climate is a big draw for tourists to Maui, with mild temperatures, low rainfall, and generally sunny conditions in the leeward resort areas of Lahaina, Kaanapali, Kihei and Wailea. While at the Park, determined hikers can experience three different climate zones - Temperate Continuously Wet Warm near the Visitors Center, Humid Tropical Summer Dry along Chain of Craters Road, and Humid Tropical Continuously Wet in the Kahuku Unit. Hawaii's longest and shortest days are about 13 1/2 hours and 11 hours, respectively, compared with 14 1/2 and 10 hours for Southern California and 15 1/2 hours and 8 1/2 hours for Maine. But if it’s cloudy there, you can drive four more miles south to the town of Lahaina [which means ‘Relentless Sun’] where it is sunny and balmy virtually every day of the year because the mountain shields it from storms. Continuously Wet Warm Temperate. This is the map of the USDA planting zones for Hawaii. Rainfall variability is far greater during the winter, when occasional storms contribute appreciably to rainfall totals, than during summer, when trade-wind showers provide most of the rain. Higher than 3,000 feet. Kona storms bring rain to the usually sheltered and dry south–facing resort areas of Lahaina and Wailea. August and September are the hottest summer months … ----- Major storms occur most frequently between October and March. VIEW BY REGION United States Alaska Great Plains Hawaii Mid-Atlantic Midwest Northeast Rocky Mountains South Southwest West August and September are the hottest summer months with temperatures in the low 90s. Tropical Monsoon. Such storms typically bring heavy rains, sometimes with very high winds from any direction. There dry weather prevails except for occasional light trade wind showers which drift over the mountains from windward. 1. The ten climate zones of Hawaii Island are listed below, as well as the area in which these zones can be found. More than 40 inches of rain per year. IN GENERAL, the Hawaiian climate is characterized by, • mild and fairly uniform warm temperature conditions everywhere -- except cooler at high elevations, • striking geographic differences in amounts of rainfall, • generally somewhat humid conditions and high cloudiness -- except at high elevations and at the resort areas on the driest coasts. With temperatures almost as mild for hundreds of miles around, even to the north – the air that reaches Hawaii is neither very hot nor cold. -----. The rains may continue steadily, but the longer lasting ones are characteristically interrupted by intervals of lighter rain or even partial clearing, as well as by intense showers bursts. Per BigIsland.org, there are as many different climate zones on the island of Hawaii as exist along the entire coast stretching from Alaska to Costa Rica. These zones are defined by temperature and precipitation measurements. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year. Annual Weather Averages Near Maui. The summers are warm but not hot, so that air conditioning is a luxury rather than a necessity – although most new hotels and businesses have central air conditioning. In general, Oahu is usually much drier on the west side of the island (the leeward side) than the east side (the windward side), so you will find most of the greener landscape along the coastal areas to the east. For this reason, the weather on one side of the island may not reflect the weather on another side. 69-84°F. On a typically warm day, trade winds carry moisture-laden air up the northeast slopes of Haleakala. Rare Violent Winds on Maui Hawaii Climate -- Complete Official Description. The Hawaiians say Maui No Ka Oi -- Maui is The Best! The inversion tends to suppress the vertical movement of air and so restricts cloud development to the zone just below the inversion. Cool, dry areas in higher elevations (above 1,000 feet). In most parts of the tropics rainfall is highly variable from one year to another and Hawaii is no exception. Unlike cold front and Kona storms, hurricanes and tropical storms are not limited to the winter season. August is the hottest month for Hana with an average high temperature of 76.4°, which ranks it as one of the coolest places in Hawaii. The ideal comfort range for people is between 70-82 degrees F and 50 % humidity -- which also describes Hawaii perfectly! Non-trade-wind conditions are quite different. Zone 2. The south side areas of Kihei and Wailea is a leeward “dry side” of the island and known for miles of incredibly beautiful beaches. ..a topic that became popular again during the 2018 Kilauea eruption. The five main climate classifications are: tropical rainforest, arid and semi-arid, temperate zone, periglacial, and snow. August, September, October and November are the only months when temperatures of 80° F occur more than once percent of the time. If it is raining in Hana, it might be sunny in Lahaina or cold in Paia but dry and warm in Kihei. Maui Weather Cycle Click the image to enlarge. Summer is very definitely the warmer season, the season with an overwhelming prevalence of trade winds, and the season when widespread rainstorms are rare. 67-81°F. (Trade-winds were so-named in sailing days because they blew regularly enough from one direction to enable sailing trade ships to reach their destinations.). Maui County averages 0 inches of snow per year. Torrential rains, falling on Hawaii’s steep slopes and small drainage basins, often generate flash floods that erode fields and cause landslides and damage to homes. November. It offers information on what can grow in these areas and is helpful when buying Maui real estate. Kauai is home to what is arguably the wettest spot on earth at Wai'ale'ale (around 470" [1094 cm] annually), while Hilo, on the Big Island, is the wettest city in the United States (approximately 140" [356 cm] annually). 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