Photo: Perrinville · Public domainFew U.S. towns get more rain and snow than Kurtistown: 151 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 61°. A year here swings 20° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. In January, nights here are milder than in almost every U.S. town. Long walks are most pleasant from January to December, when afternoons reach 75–80°.
A year in Kurtistown at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kurtistown’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kurtistown’s place in Hawaii beside it.
What a year in Kurtistown 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 Hilo 5 S, HI, 4 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kurtistown’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 151 inches of rain a year
November is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 277 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Waiakea Scd 88.2, HI, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Kurtistown
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 Hilo 5 S, HI.
Living with Kurtistown’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, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. 20 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kurtistown from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kurtistown and its neighbors
Hawaiian Acres has the coldest January nights next door (56°, 5° 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 Kurtistown’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kurtistown, HI | 61° | 79° | 151" | 0.0" |
| Ketchikan, AK | 32° | 65° | 150" | 35" |
| Tillamook, OR | 38° | 71° | 87" | 0.2" |
| Hoquiam, WA | 37° | 68° | 81" | 0.5" |
| Pascagoula, MS | 43° | 89° | 66" | 0.1" |
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 Kurtistown compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kurtistown’s place among Hawaii’s.
Kurtistown weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Waiakea Scd 88.2, HI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 75° | 61° | 10.1" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 |
| February | 76° | 61° | 12.9" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 |
| March | 75° | 62° | 15.4" | 0.0" | 23 | 0 |
| April | 76° | 62° | 12.6" | 0.0" | 26 | 0 |
| May | 77° | 64° | 9.6" | 0.0" | 23 | 0 |
| June | 79° | 65° | 9.1" | 0.0" | 26 | 0 |
| July | 79° | 66° | 12.0" | 0.0" | 27 | 0 |
| August | 80° | 67° | 12.8" | 0.0" | 27 | 0 |
| September | 80° | 66° | 11.2" | 0.0" | 24 | 0 |
| October | 79° | 65° | 13.3" | 0.0" | 24 | 0 |
| November | 77° | 64° | 17.8" | 0.0" | 24 | 0 |
| December | 76° | 62° | 14.6" | 0.0" | 21 | 0 |
| Year | 78° | 64° | 151.2" | 0.0" | 277 | 0 |
Where Kurtistown’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: Waiakea Scd 88.2, HI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hilo 5 S, HI, 4 miles from the town’s center, 240 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 Kurtistown’s climate
What is the weather like in Kurtistown?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 61°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than all but 86 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kurtistown in winter?
January nights average 61°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.0 a year on average).
How much snow does Kurtistown get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Waiakea Scd 88.2, HI, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Kurtistown?
July, with a typical high of 79°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Hilo 5 S, HI.
When is the first and last frost in Kurtistown?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 0% of winters at Hilo 5 S, HI, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Kurtistown 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 Kurtistown?
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 Kurtistown.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.