USS ARIZONA Wreck · Photo: Robert Enrique Muller · Public domainWaimalu’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 67°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Waimalu at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Waimalu’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Waimalu’s place in Hawaii beside it.
What a year in Waimalu 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 Honolulu International Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Waimalu’s center in zone 12b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 57°. 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
March is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 214 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Aiea Hts 764.6, HI, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Waimalu
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 Honolulu International Airport.
Living with Waimalu’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 and December. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Waimalu from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Waimalu and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Waimalu in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Waimalu’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waimalu, HI | 67° | 88° | 16" | 0.0" |
| Port Isabel, TX | 52° | 92° | 26" | 0.2" |
| Monterey Park, CA | 47° | 87° | 16" | 0.0" |
| Key West, FL | 65° | 90° | 42" | 0.0" |
| Green, OR | 37° | 86° | 32" | 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 Waimalu compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Waimalu’s place among Hawaii’s.
Waimalu weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Aiea Hts 764.6, HI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 81° | 67° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| February | 81° | 67° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| March | 81° | 68° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 |
| April | 83° | 70° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 |
| May | 85° | 72° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 |
| June | 87° | 74° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 |
| July | 88° | 75° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 21 | 0 |
| August | 89° | 76° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 |
| September | 88° | 75° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 |
| October | 87° | 74° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 |
| November | 84° | 72° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 |
| December | 82° | 69° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 |
| Year | 85° | 71° | 16.4" | 0.0" | 214 | 0 |
Where Waimalu’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: Aiea Hts 764.6, HI (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Honolulu International Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, 230 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 Waimalu’s climate
What is the weather like in Waimalu?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 67°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than all but 7 U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Waimalu in winter?
January nights average 67°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.0 a year on average).
How much snow does Waimalu get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Aiea Hts 764.6, HI, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Waimalu?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 75°. About 32 days a year reach 90° (Honolulu International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Waimalu?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 0% of winters at Honolulu International Airport, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Waimalu in?
Zone 12b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 57°.
What is the best time of year to visit Waimalu?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April 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 Waimalu.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.