Lawai’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 66°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Lawai at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lawai’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lawai’s place in Hawaii beside it.
What a year in Lawai 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 Lihue Wso Airport 1020.1, 11 miles from the town’s center, 450 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lawai’s center in zone 12a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 54°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
About 36 inches of rain a year
March is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 193 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Lihue Wso Airport 1020.1, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Lawai
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 Lihue Wso Airport 1020.1.
Living with Lawai’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, October, November and December. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lawai from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (73%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lawai and its neighbors
Kalaheo has the coldest January nights next door (64°, 2° colder) and Kalaheo the hottest July afternoons (86°, 2° 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 Lawai’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawai, HI | 66° | 85° | 36" | 0.0" |
| Islamorada, Village of Islands, FL | 64° | 89° | 45" | 0.0" |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 49° | 91° | 34" | 0.0" |
| Topanga, CA | 48° | 84° | 20" | 0.0" |
| St. Simons, GA | 43° | 91° | 49" | 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 Lawai compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lawai’s place among Hawaii’s.
Lawai weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lihue Wso Airport 1020.1. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 79° | 66° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 |
| February | 78° | 66° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| March | 79° | 67° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 |
| April | 80° | 70° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 |
| May | 82° | 71° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 |
| June | 83° | 73° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 |
| July | 85° | 75° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 |
| August | 85° | 75° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 |
| September | 85° | 75° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 |
| October | 84° | 74° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 |
| November | 81° | 71° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 |
| December | 79° | 69° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 |
| Year | 82° | 71° | 36.2" | 0.0" | 193 | 0 |
Where Lawai’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: Lihue Wso Airport 1020.1.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lihue Wso Airport 1020.1, 11 miles from the town’s center, 450 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 Lawai’s climate
What is the weather like in Lawai?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 66°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than all but 21 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lawai 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 Lawai get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Lihue Wso Airport 1020.1, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Lawai?
July, with a typical high of 85°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Lihue Wso Airport 1020.1.
When is the first and last frost in Lawai?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 0% of winters at Lihue Wso Airport 1020.1, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Lawai in?
Zone 12a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 54°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lawai?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, June, 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 Lawai.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.