Photo: LittleT889 · CC BY-SA 4.0Few U.S. towns have milder winter nights than Waikapu
High summer brings afternoon highs near 89°. Rain follows the seasons: December brings about 16 times as much as June. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 92% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from December to March, with highs of 82–83°.
A year in Waikapu at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Waikapu’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Waikapu’s place in Hawaii beside it.
What a year in Waikapu feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Frost is rare
Frost dates and degree days from Kahului Airport, 8 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Waikapu’s center in zone 12a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 51°. 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 52 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Pohakea Brg 307.2, HI, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Waikapu
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 Waikapu’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 and December. 1.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Waikapu from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (78%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Waikapu and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Waikapu in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Waikapu’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waikapu, 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 Waikapu compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Waikapu’s place among Hawaii’s.
Waikapu weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pohakea Brg 307.2, HI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 82° | 64° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 |
| February | 82° | 64° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 |
| March | 83° | 65° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 |
| April | 85° | 67° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 |
| May | 87° | 68° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 |
| June | 88° | 70° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 |
| July | 89° | 72° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 |
| August | 90° | 72° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 |
| September | 90° | 71° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 |
| October | 89° | 70° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 |
| November | 86° | 68° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 |
| December | 83° | 66° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 |
| Year | 86° | 68° | 16.2" | 0.0" | 52 | 0 |
Where Waikapu’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: Pohakea Brg 307.2, HI.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Kahului Airport, 8 miles away.
- 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 Waikapu’s climate
What is the weather like in Waikapu?
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 Waikapu 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 Waikapu get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Pohakea Brg 307.2, HI, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Waikapu?
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 Waikapu?
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 Waikapu in?
Zone 12a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 51°.
What is the best time of year to visit Waikapu?
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 Waikapu.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.