Greenwell Store · Photo: W Nowicki · CC BY 3.0Kealakekua has some of the mildest winter nights among U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 86°. Winter and summer sit 19° apart. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 97% of U.S. towns. Garden chairs stay out from December to May, the months with highs of 81–84°.
A year in Kealakekua at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kealakekua’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kealakekua’s place in Hawaii beside it.
What a year in Kealakekua 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 Opihihale #2 24.1, HI, 18 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kealakekua’s center in zone 12a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 53°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
About 10 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 83 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Puuhonua-o-honaunau 27.4, HI, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Kealakekua
5% 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 Opihihale #2 24.1, HI.
Living with Kealakekua’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 12a. 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. 2.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kealakekua from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (46%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kealakekua and its neighbors
Captain Cook has the coldest January nights next door (57°, 12° 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 Kealakekua’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kealakekua, 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 Kealakekua compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kealakekua’s place among Hawaii’s.
Kealakekua weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Puuhonua-o-honaunau 27.4, 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" | 4 | 0 |
| March | 82° | 70° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 |
| April | 83° | 71° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 |
| May | 84° | 73° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 |
| June | 85° | 74° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 |
| July | 86° | 75° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 |
| August | 87° | 76° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 |
| September | 87° | 75° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 |
| October | 86° | 75° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 |
| November | 84° | 72° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 |
| December | 82° | 70° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 |
| Year | 84° | 72° | 9.9" | 0.0" | 83 | 0 |
Where Kealakekua’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: Puuhonua-o-honaunau 27.4, HI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Opihihale #2 24.1, HI, 18 miles from the town’s center, 650 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Kealakekua’s climate
What is the weather like in Kealakekua?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 69°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights: first of 12,955 U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 56% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kealakekua 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 Kealakekua get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Puuhonua-o-honaunau 27.4, HI, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Kealakekua?
July, with a typical high of 86°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Opihihale #2 24.1, HI.
When is the first and last frost in Kealakekua?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 0% of winters at Opihihale #2 24.1, HI, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Kealakekua in?
Zone 12a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 53°.
What is the best time of year to visit Kealakekua?
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 Kealakekua.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.