Photo: Bonus Onus · CC BY-SA 3.0Waimea’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 68°, and snow is almost unheard of.
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 dates and degree days from Puukohola Heiau 98.1, HI, 13 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Waimea’s center in zone 11a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 42°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 9 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 169 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Honokaa Town 215, 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 Puukohola Heiau 98.1, HI.
Living with Waimea’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 11a. 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. 16 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 (61%). 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 | 68° | 88° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Hacienda Heights, CA | 47° | 87° | 14" | 0.0" |
| Port Isabel, TX | 52° | 92° | 26" | 0.2" |
| Key West, FL | 65° | 90° | 42" | 0.0" |
| Corona de Tucson, AZ | 36° | 96° | 14" | 0.1" |
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 Honokaa Town 215, HI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 82° | 68° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 |
| February | 83° | 68° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 |
| March | 84° | 70° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 |
| April | 85° | 71° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 |
| May | 86° | 72° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| June | 87° | 74° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 |
| July | 88° | 75° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 |
| August | 89° | 75° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 |
| September | 88° | 75° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| October | 87° | 74° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| November | 86° | 73° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 |
| December | 84° | 70° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 |
| Year | 86° | 72° | 9.0" | 0.0" | 169 | 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: Honokaa Town 215, HI.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Puukohola Heiau 98.1, HI, 13 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 Waimea’s climate
What is the weather like in Waimea?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 68°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than all but 4 U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 67% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Waimea in winter?
February nights average 68°. 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 Honokaa Town 215, HI, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Waimea?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 75°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Puukohola Heiau 98.1, 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 Puukohola Heiau 98.1, HI, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Waimea in?
Zone 11a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 42°.
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 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.