Punaluu sits near the top of U.S. towns for mild winters
High summer brings afternoon highs near 84°. Only 19° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 86% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from October to June, with highs of 78–84°.
A year in Punaluu at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Punaluu’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Punaluu’s place in Hawaii beside it.
What a year in Punaluu 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 Kapaka Farm 904.1, HI, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Punaluu’s center in zone 12b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 58°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
About 51 inches of rain a year
November is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 237 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Kapaka Farm 904.1, HI, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Punaluu
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 Kapaka Farm 904.1, HI.
Living with Punaluu’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, April, May, June, October, November and December. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Punaluu from natural hazards, tsunamis are the largest share (53%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Punaluu and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Punaluu yet.
Climates most like Punaluu’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punaluu, HI | 66° | 84° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Key Largo, FL | 62° | 89° | 52" | 0.0" |
| Galveston, TX | 48° | 89° | 52" | 0.1" |
| Cut Off, LA | 46° | 90° | 63" | 0.0" |
| Gulf Shores, AL | 44° | 90° | 62" | 0.0" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
How Punaluu compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Punaluu’s place among Hawaii’s.
Punaluu weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Kapaka Farm 904.1, HI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 79° | 66° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 |
| February | 79° | 67° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 |
| March | 78° | 67° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 |
| April | 80° | 69° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 |
| May | 82° | 70° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 |
| June | 83° | 73° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 |
| July | 84° | 74° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 23 | 0 |
| August | 85° | 75° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 22 | 0 |
| September | 85° | 75° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 |
| October | 84° | 74° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 21 | 0 |
| November | 81° | 72° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 21 | 0 |
| December | 80° | 68° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 21 | 0 |
| Year | 82° | 71° | 50.8" | 0.0" | 237 | 0 |
Where Punaluu’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: Kapaka Farm 904.1, HI (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kapaka Farm 904.1, HI, 1.7 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 Punaluu’s climate
What is the weather like in Punaluu?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 66°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than all but 20 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Punaluu 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 Punaluu get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Kapaka Farm 904.1, HI, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Punaluu?
July, with a typical high of 84°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Kapaka Farm 904.1, HI.
When is the first and last frost in Punaluu?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 0% of winters at Kapaka Farm 904.1, HI, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Punaluu in?
Zone 12b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 58°.
What is the best time of year to visit Punaluu?
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 Punaluu.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.