Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site · Photo: Bamse · CC BY-SA 4.0Few U.S. towns have milder winter nights than Puako
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 88°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 98% of U.S. towns. A year here swings 20° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Garden chairs stay out from December to March, the months with highs of 82–84°.
A year in Puako at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Puako’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Puako’s place in Hawaii beside it.
What a year in Puako 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 Puukohola Heiau 98.1, HI, 5 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Puako’s center in zone 13a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 60°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 9 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 36 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Waikoloa Beach Rsrt 95.9, HI, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Puako
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 Puukohola Heiau 98.1, HI.
Living with Puako’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 13a. 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. 5.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Puako from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Puako and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Puako yet.
Climates most like Puako’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puako, HI | 68° | 88° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Hacienda Heights, CA | 47° | 87° | 14" | 0.0" |
| Port Isabel, TX | 52° | 92° | 26" | 0.2" |
| Key West, FL | 65° | 90° | 42" | 0.0" |
| Corona de Tucson, AZ | 36° | 96° | 14" | 0.1" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
How Puako compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Puako’s place among Hawaii’s.
Puako weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Waikoloa Beach Rsrt 95.9, HI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 82° | 68° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 |
| February | 83° | 68° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 |
| March | 84° | 70° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 |
| April | 85° | 71° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 |
| May | 86° | 72° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 |
| June | 87° | 74° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 |
| July | 88° | 75° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 |
| August | 89° | 75° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 |
| September | 88° | 75° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 |
| October | 87° | 74° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 |
| November | 86° | 73° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 |
| December | 84° | 70° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 |
| Year | 86° | 72° | 9.0" | 0.0" | 36 | 0 |
Where Puako’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: Waikoloa Beach Rsrt 95.9, HI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Puukohola Heiau 98.1, HI, 5 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher; 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 Puako’s climate
What is the weather like in Puako?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 68°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than all but 4 U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 67% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Puako in winter?
February nights average 68°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.0 a year on average).
How much snow does Puako get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Waikoloa Beach Rsrt 95.9, HI, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Puako?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 75°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Puukohola Heiau 98.1, HI).
When is the first and last frost in Puako?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 0% of winters at Puukohola Heiau 98.1, HI, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Puako in?
Zone 13a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 60°.
What is the best time of year to visit Puako?
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 Puako.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.