Pahoa’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 56°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Pahoa at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pahoa’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pahoa’s place in Hawaii beside it.
What a year in Pahoa 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, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pahoa’s center in zone 12a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 55°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
About 229 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain falls on about 301 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Glenwood #2 55.4, HI, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Pahoa
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 Pahoa’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. 3.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pahoa from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (61%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pahoa and its neighbors
Hawaiian Beaches the hottest July afternoons (83°, 6° 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 Pahoa’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pahoa, HI | 56° | 77° | 229" | 0.0" |
| Ketchikan, AK | 32° | 65° | 150" | 35" |
| Tillamook, OR | 38° | 71° | 87" | 0.2" |
| Ocean Shores, WA | 38° | 66° | 82" | 0.0" |
| Crescent City, CA | 42° | 64° | 69" | 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 Pahoa compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pahoa’s place among Hawaii’s.
Pahoa weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Glenwood #2 55.4, HI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 74° | 56° | 13.1" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 |
| February | 72° | 56° | 15.8" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 |
| March | 73° | 57° | 22.9" | 0.0" | 26 | 0 |
| April | 73° | 58° | 22.0" | 0.0" | 28 | 0 |
| May | 75° | 59° | 15.0" | 0.0" | 25 | 0 |
| June | 76° | 60° | 18.1" | 0.0" | 27 | 0 |
| July | 77° | 62° | 19.0" | 0.0" | 28 | 0 |
| August | 77° | 62° | 23.5" | 0.0" | 29 | 0 |
| September | 78° | 61° | 16.1" | 0.0" | 26 | 0 |
| October | 77° | 61° | 18.2" | 0.0" | 27 | 0 |
| November | 75° | 59° | 23.1" | 0.0" | 25 | 0 |
| December | 74° | 57° | 22.3" | 0.0" | 23 | 0 |
| Year | 75° | 59° | 229.1" | 0.0" | 301 | 0 |
Where Pahoa’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: Glenwood #2 55.4, HI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hilo 5 S, HI, 14 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 Pahoa’s climate
What is the weather like in Pahoa?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 56°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than all but 177 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pahoa in winter?
February nights average 56°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.0 a year on average).
How much snow does Pahoa get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Glenwood #2 55.4, HI, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Pahoa?
July, with a typical high of 77°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Hilo 5 S, HI.
When is the first and last frost in Pahoa?
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 Pahoa in?
Zone 12a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 55°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pahoa?
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 Pahoa.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.