Wailuku School · Photo: Joel Bradshaw · Public domainWailuku sits near the top of U.S. towns for mild winters
Midsummer highs settle at about 89°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 92% of U.S. towns. December is the wettest month, June the driest. For walks and days out, the stretch from December to March brings highs of 82–83°.
A year in Wailuku at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wailuku’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wailuku’s place in Hawaii beside it.
What a year in Wailuku 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, 5 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wailuku’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.
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 134 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Waiehu Camp 484, HI, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Wailuku
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 Wailuku’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. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wailuku from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wailuku and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Wailuku in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Wailuku’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wailuku, 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 Wailuku compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wailuku’s place among Hawaii’s.
Wailuku weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Waiehu Camp 484, HI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 82° | 64° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 |
| February | 82° | 64° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 |
| March | 83° | 65° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| April | 85° | 67° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 |
| May | 87° | 68° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 |
| June | 88° | 70° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 |
| July | 89° | 72° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 |
| August | 90° | 72° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 |
| September | 90° | 71° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 |
| October | 89° | 70° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 |
| November | 86° | 68° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| December | 83° | 66° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| Year | 86° | 68° | 16.2" | 0.0" | 134 | 0 |
Where Wailuku’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: Waiehu Camp 484, HI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kahului Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft lower; 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 Wailuku’s climate
What is the weather like in Wailuku?
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 Wailuku 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 Wailuku get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Waiehu Camp 484, HI, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Wailuku?
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 Wailuku?
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 Wailuku 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 Wailuku?
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 Wailuku.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.