Photo: Michael Oswald · Public domainFew U.S. towns have cooler summers than Kihei
Nights in January average 53°. The year changes little: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are only 23° apart. Its January nights stay gentler than in 98% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from January to December, with highs of 68–76°.
A year in Kihei at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kihei’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kihei’s place in Hawaii beside it.
What a year in Kihei 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 Kahului Airport, 9 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kihei’s center in zone 12b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 56°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 23 inches of rain a year
March is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 87 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Kula Branch Stn 324.5, HI, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Kihei
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 Kahului Airport.
Living with Kihei’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, July, August, September, October, November and December. 14 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kihei from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kihei and its neighbors
Maalaea the hottest July afternoons (89°, 14° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Kihei’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kihei, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Montecito, CA | 46° | 75° | 20" | 0.0" |
| Oak Harbor, WA | 36° | 71° | 24" | 2.5" |
| Tualatin, OR | 36° | 81° | 40" | 1.0" |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 49° | 91° | 34" | 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 Kihei compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kihei’s place among Hawaii’s.
Kihei weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Kula Branch Stn 324.5, HI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 68° | 53° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 |
| February | 68° | 53° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 |
| March | 69° | 53° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 |
| April | 70° | 54° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 |
| May | 71° | 56° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 |
| June | 73° | 57° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 |
| July | 75° | 58° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 |
| August | 76° | 59° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 |
| September | 75° | 59° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 |
| October | 74° | 58° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 |
| November | 72° | 57° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 |
| December | 70° | 55° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 |
| Year | 72° | 56° | 23.0" | 0.0" | 87 | 0 |
Where Kihei’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: Kula Branch Stn 324.5, HI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kahului Airport, 9 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 Kihei’s climate
What is the weather like in Kihei?
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 53°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kihei in winter?
February nights average 53°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.0 a year on average).
How much snow does Kihei get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Kula Branch Stn 324.5, HI, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Kihei?
July, with a typical high of 75° and a low of 58°. About 39 days a year reach 90° (Kahului Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Kihei?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 0% of winters at Kahului Airport, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Kihei in?
Zone 12b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 56°.
What is the best time of year to visit Kihei?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, 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 Kihei.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.