Kamakahonu, Residence Of King Kamehameha I · Photo: W Nowicki · CC BY 3.0Kailua’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 69°, and snow is almost unheard of.
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 Ke-ahole Pt 68.13, HI, 7 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.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 10 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 57 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Honokohau Harbor 68.14, 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 Ke-ahole Pt 68.13, 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 and December. 4.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kailua from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (49%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kailua and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Kailua in January and July, closer than 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 | 69° | 86° | 10" | 0.0" |
| Hacienda Heights, CA | 47° | 87° | 14" | 0.0" |
| Port Isabel, TX | 52° | 92° | 26" | 0.2" |
| Key West, FL | 65° | 90° | 42" | 0.0" |
| Green, OR | 37° | 86° | 32" | 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 Honokohau Harbor 68.14, HI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 81° | 69° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 |
| February | 82° | 68° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 |
| March | 82° | 70° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 |
| April | 83° | 71° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 |
| May | 84° | 73° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 |
| June | 85° | 74° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 |
| July | 86° | 75° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 |
| August | 87° | 76° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 |
| September | 87° | 75° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 |
| October | 86° | 75° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 |
| November | 84° | 72° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 |
| December | 82° | 70° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 |
| Year | 84° | 72° | 9.9" | 0.0" | 57 | 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: Honokohau Harbor 68.14, HI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ke-ahole Pt 68.13, HI, 7 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 86°, a January night drops to 69°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights: first of 12,954 U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 56% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kailua in winter?
February nights average 68°. 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 Honokohau Harbor 68.14, HI, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Kailua?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 75°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Ke-ahole Pt 68.13, 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 Ke-ahole Pt 68.13, 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 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.