Maalaea sits near the top of U.S. towns for mild winters
July afternoons average 89°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 92% of U.S. towns. The year changes little: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are only 26° apart. From December to March, highs of 82–83° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Maalaea at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Maalaea’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Maalaea’s place in Hawaii beside it.
What a year in Maalaea 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, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Maalaea’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 16 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 32 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Kihei 311, HI, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Maalaea
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 Maalaea’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 and December. 3.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Maalaea from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (33%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Maalaea and its neighbors
Kihei has the coldest January nights next door (53°, 11° 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 Maalaea’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maalaea, HI | 64° | 89° | 16" | 0.0" |
| Port Isabel, TX | 52° | 92° | 26" | 0.2" |
| Alhambra, CA | 47° | 87° | 17" | 0.0" |
| Key West, FL | 65° | 90° | 42" | 0.0" |
| Corona de Tucson, AZ | 36° | 96° | 14" | 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 Maalaea compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Maalaea’s place among Hawaii’s.
Maalaea weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Kihei 311, HI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 82° | 64° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 |
| February | 82° | 64° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 |
| March | 83° | 65° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 |
| April | 85° | 67° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 |
| May | 87° | 68° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 |
| June | 88° | 70° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 |
| July | 89° | 72° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 |
| August | 90° | 72° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 |
| September | 90° | 71° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 |
| October | 89° | 70° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 |
| November | 86° | 68° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 |
| December | 83° | 66° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 |
| Year | 86° | 68° | 16.2" | 0.0" | 32 | 0 |
Where Maalaea’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: Kihei 311, HI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kahului Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Maalaea’s climate
What is the weather like in Maalaea?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 64°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than all but 61 U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Maalaea in winter?
January nights average 64°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.0 a year on average).
How much snow does Maalaea get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Kihei 311, HI, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Maalaea?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 72°. About 39 days a year reach 90° (Kahului Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Maalaea?
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 Maalaea 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 Maalaea?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March 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 Maalaea.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.