Photo: Bob Linsdell · CC BY 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns see softer January nights than Waimea
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 86°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 88% of U.S. towns. The year changes little: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are only 23° apart. Garden chairs stay out from November to May, the months with highs of 80–83°.
A year in Waimea at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Waimea’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Waimea’s place in Hawaii beside it.
What a year in Waimea 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 Waimea 947, HI, 0.6 miles from the town’s center, 380 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Waimea’s center in zone 12a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 54°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 23 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 98 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Makaweli 965, HI, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Waimea
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 Waimea 947, HI.
Living with Waimea’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, April, May, November and December. 3.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Waimea from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (80%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Waimea and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Waimea yet.
Climates most like Waimea’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waimea, HI | 64° | 86° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Port Isabel, TX | 52° | 92° | 26" | 0.2" |
| Topanga, CA | 48° | 84° | 20" | 0.0" |
| Key West, FL | 65° | 90° | 42" | 0.0" |
| Green, OR | 37° | 86° | 32" | 0.0" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
How Waimea compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Waimea’s place among Hawaii’s.
Waimea weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Makaweli 965, HI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 80° | 64° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 |
| February | 80° | 65° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 |
| March | 80° | 65° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 |
| April | 81° | 67° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 |
| May | 83° | 69° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 |
| June | 85° | 71° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 |
| July | 86° | 72° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 |
| August | 87° | 72° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 |
| September | 87° | 72° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 |
| October | 86° | 71° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 |
| November | 83° | 69° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 |
| December | 81° | 67° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 |
| Year | 83° | 69° | 23.4" | 0.0" | 98 | 0 |
Where Waimea’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: Makaweli 965, HI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Waimea 947, HI, 0.6 miles from the town’s center, 380 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 Waimea’s climate
What is the weather like in Waimea?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 64°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than all but 52 U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 57% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Waimea 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 Waimea get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Makaweli 965, HI, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Waimea?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 72°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Waimea 947, HI).
When is the first and last frost in Waimea?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 0% of winters at Waimea 947, HI, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Waimea in?
Zone 12a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 54°.
What is the best time of year to visit Waimea?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, 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 Waimea.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.