Photo: Travis.Thurston · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns have milder winter nights than Kailua
Sunny July days climb to about 84°. Rain follows the seasons: December brings about 4.3 times as much as June. Long walks are most pleasant from November to June, when afternoons reach 78–83°.
A year in Kailua at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kailua’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kailua’s place in Hawaii beside it.
What a year in Kailua feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Frost is rare
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Waimanalo Exp F 795.1, HI, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kailua’s center in zone 12b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 59°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
About 42 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 169 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Waimanalo Exp F 795.1, HI, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Kailua
0% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. No month averages under 55°.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Waimanalo Exp F 795.1, HI.
Living with Kailua’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 12b. Frost almost never comes, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, May, June, November and December. 10 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kailua from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kailua and its neighbors
Maunawili has the coldest January nights next door (63°, 2° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Kailua’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kailua, HI | 65° | 84° | 42" | 0.0" |
| Islamorada, Village of Islands, FL | 64° | 89° | 45" | 0.0" |
| Galveston, TX | 48° | 89° | 52" | 0.1" |
| Topanga, CA | 48° | 84° | 20" | 0.0" |
| St. Simons, GA | 43° | 91° | 49" | 0.0" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
How Kailua compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kailua’s place among Hawaii’s.
Kailua weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Waimanalo Exp F 795.1, HI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 78° | 65° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 |
| February | 78° | 65° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| March | 79° | 67° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 |
| April | 80° | 69° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| May | 81° | 70° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 |
| June | 83° | 73° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 |
| July | 84° | 74° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 |
| August | 85° | 74° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| September | 85° | 74° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| October | 84° | 73° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 |
| November | 82° | 71° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 |
| December | 79° | 68° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 |
| Year | 82° | 70° | 42.4" | 0.0" | 169 | 0 |
Where Kailua’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station (NOAA’s grid doesn’t cover Hawaii).
- Snow: Waimanalo Exp F 795.1, HI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Waimanalo Exp F 795.1, HI, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Kailua’s climate
What is the weather like in Kailua?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 65°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than all but 32 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 56% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kailua in winter?
January nights average 65°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.0 a year on average).
How much snow does Kailua get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Waimanalo Exp F 795.1, HI, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Kailua?
July, with a typical high of 84°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Waimanalo Exp F 795.1, HI.
When is the first and last frost in Kailua?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 0% of winters at Waimanalo Exp F 795.1, HI, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Kailua in?
Zone 12b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 59°.
What is the best time of year to visit Kailua?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, June, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Kailua.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.