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My
Summary of Weather in Hawaii
I receive more email
requests for Hawaii weather information than any other topic!
Here are my answers. ( For current weather, click HERE
).
Temperatures in Hawaii are very stable because it is surrounded by a vast,
warm ocean.
All the air over the islands must first pass over thousands of miles of
that ocean before it
reaches the islands. If the air comes from a cooler place, it warms up.
If it comes from a warmer place, it cools off.
The ocean water temperature off Hawaii only varies from about 76 to 81
degrees F.
Here are typical sea water temperatures for Honolulu:
Honolulu, Hawaii, Oahu Island
| Jan
76 |
Feb
76 |
Mar
76 |
April
76 |
May
78 |
Jun
79 |
| Jul
80 |
Aug
80 |
Sept
81 |
Oct
81 |
Nov
79 |
Dec 77 |
Air
Temperature in Hawaii
The
air temperature follows a seasonal pattern. At sea level, the all day
average
air temperature varies from about 78 degrees in August to 72 degrees in
February.
Temperature varies depending on location.
There are two main factors: Altitude and exposure of the area to prevailing
winds.
The prevailing winds are from the northeast. The northeast side of each
island
is called the windward side. The windward side of each island tends to
be cooler and wetter.
The high temperatures here rarely reach 90° F.
The leeward side is warmer and drier, temperatures exceed 90° F several
days a year.
The temperatures at
altitudes below 1000 feet very rarely drop to 50° F .
Above 8000 feet, there is occasional freezing and even snow.
Precipitation
Snow is rare in Hawaii, but does occur at very high elevations,
above 8000 feet.
Rain: Offshore, the
rainfall is about 25 inches a year. As the warm, moist air passes
over the islands, it must rise and cool as it passes over the hills and
mountains. As it cools,
water condenses. Therefore, the amount of rain depends strongly on location.
The winds usually come from the Northeast. As those trade winds rise they
drop water
on the land beneath them. Therefore, the windward side of the islands
have much more rain
than the leeward sides. In general, the closer you are to the mountains
on the windward side
( usually the northeast ), the wetter it is.
The air, having lost much of its water on the windward side, and warming
again as it moves
down the leeward side of the mountains, clears up. It's clouds dissipate
and the rainfall
diminishes. The driest places are close to the ocean on the leeward (
usually southwest )
side of any island.
The rainiest time
of year, in most places, is winter. The seasonal difference is greatest
at moderate elevations, and small at elevations above 2000 feet.
Rain may be very heavy
at times. Floods are not uncommon near rivers on the windward
side of islands.
Winds
The
trade winds that flow over and around the
islands most of the time, must pass
over mountains and through valleys. These winds are usually above 12 mile
per hour.
As they encounter these obstacles, wind speeds are increased as they pass
through valleys
and their direction changes as eddies form. Winds may be gusty, strong
and unpredictable
as a result. Winds above 60 miles per hour are rare events, occurring
only about
every five years.
Hurricanes
in Hawaii
Hurricanes
rarely hit Hawaii. Damaging hurricanes that do significant damage
have been separated by about 10 years on the average. These hurricanes
are usually
generated between Hawaii and Baja California.
The most recent severe hurricane, Iniki, struck Kauai and parts of Oahu
in 1991.
For wonderful climate
maps and maps and charts of many other phenomena in Hawaii
you will absolutely love Atlas
of Hawaii
|
Hawaii climate and weather as locals know it
