Photo: Andwhatsnext at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns see softer January nights than Kapalua
High summer brings afternoon highs near 86°. Rain follows the seasons: March brings about 3.7 times as much as June. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 86% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside from November to May, when highs sit at 79–83°.
A year in Kapalua at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kapalua’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kapalua’s place in Hawaii beside it.
What a year in Kapalua 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 Kapalua-w Maui Airport 462.4, 3 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kapalua’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 28 inches of rain a year
March is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 182 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Mahinahina 466, HI, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Kapalua
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 Kapalua-w Maui Airport 462.4.
Living with Kapalua’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, November and December. 17 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kapalua from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kapalua and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Kapalua in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Kapalua’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kapalua, HI | 66° | 86° | 28" | 0.0" |
| Key West, FL | 65° | 90° | 42" | 0.0" |
| Port Isabel, TX | 52° | 92° | 26" | 0.2" |
| Topanga, CA | 48° | 84° | 20" | 0.0" |
| Winston, OR | 37° | 86° | 33" | 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 Kapalua compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kapalua’s place among Hawaii’s.
Kapalua weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mahinahina 466, HI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 79° | 66° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 |
| February | 79° | 66° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| March | 79° | 66° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 |
| April | 81° | 68° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 |
| May | 83° | 69° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 |
| June | 85° | 70° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 |
| July | 86° | 72° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 |
| August | 86° | 72° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 |
| September | 87° | 72° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| October | 85° | 71° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| November | 82° | 70° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 |
| December | 80° | 68° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 |
| Year | 83° | 69° | 27.8" | 0.0" | 182 | 0 |
Where Kapalua’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: Mahinahina 466, HI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kapalua-w Maui Airport 462.4, 3 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft lower; 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 Kapalua’s climate
What is the weather like in Kapalua?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 66°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than all but 30 U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kapalua in winter?
January nights average 66°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.0 a year on average).
How much snow does Kapalua get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Mahinahina 466, HI, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Kapalua?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 72°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Kapalua-w Maui Airport 462.4).
When is the first and last frost in Kapalua?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 0% of winters at Kapalua-w Maui Airport 462.4, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Kapalua 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 Kapalua?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, 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 Kapalua.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.