Maui Weather by Month
The short version
- Maui's weather changes more by coast than by month: Kīhei and Wailea are the dry side, Hāna and Upcountry are the wet side, Kāʻanapali sits in between.
- May is the best all-around month; February for whales; September for the warmest water and value; June–July for family beach weeks.
- Winter (October–April) brings big north-shore surf and whales; summer (May–September) brings calm north reefs, stronger afternoon trade winds and south swell.
- Most showers are brief and local. What actually costs you beach days is a Kona storm (one that blows in from the south and west) or a winter cold front.
- Hurricane season (June–November): buy travel insurance and watch the forecast, but don’t stay away.
At a Glance
Best Month by Priority
| Priority | Best time | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall month | May | Good ocean access, drier, still green, shoulder-season crowds |
| Snorkeling | May–June or September | Fewer north swells, settled leeward weather |
| Beach days | May–June | Warm and dry, before the hottest late-summer weeks |
| Hiking | April–May | Green, fewer prolonged winter systems |
| Road to Hāna | May or September | Lighter demand, fewer winter flood events |
| Haleakalā sunrise | May–June | Drier pattern, though summit weather is its own thing |
| Whale watching | February | Center of peak abundance |
| Advanced North Shore surfing | January–February | Most dependable north swell |
| Beginner surfing | Summer | Smaller surf at most beginner breaks; the lesson spot still matters |
| Warmest water | September | Seasonal peak |
| Best value | September to early October | Fewer school-calendar travelers, softer demand |
| Avoiding crowds | May or September | Between holiday and school-break periods |
| Family beach trip | June–July | Long days, warm water, settled leeward conditions |
Recommendations, not guarantees: Easter, spring break, Thanksgiving and big events can override the usual crowd and price pattern.
Maui's Dry Side vs Wet Side
"Rainy day" means completely different things in Wailea and Hāna. If it's raining where you're staying, check another part of the island before giving up on the day; our guide to what to do when it rains covers how we'd adjust.
Kīhei, Wailea and Mākena. Maui's driest major visitor coast. Many forecast showers are brief, overnight or stay over Haleakalā. Summer: a shower matters to the day on zero to one day in a typical month. Winter: allow one to three disrupted days in a typical month. One Kona storm can create an unusually wet week that overwhelms those averages.
Kāʻanapali. Still the drier leeward side, but more passing weather than Kīhei or Wailea. A few brief showers most months; in winter roughly one to three days may change beach plans. Central Kāʻanapali is usually drier than Nāpili and Kapalua.
Nāpili and Kapalua. Rainfall rises noticeably as you go north from Kāʻanapali. Overnight and morning showers are common. Kapalua may record rain on many days, but most of it falls briefly or outside beach hours. In winter roughly two to five days a month may materially affect plans, more during a storm cycle.
Winter rain is mostly windward and mostly brief. The leeward beaches usually stay open for business. Photo: Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)
Hāna and East Maui. Wet because moisture-laden trade winds meet Haleakalā. Rain may fall on 15–25 days in many months, but that is not 15–25 ruined days: showers pass overnight, early morning or in short bursts. Heavy rain, rising streams and flood watches matter far more than the monthly average.
Upcountry. Makawao, Kula and the middle slopes of Haleakalā are cooler and cloudier than the coast. Clouds build against the mountain in the afternoon; light showers on many days without ruining them. On calm, humid days a sunny morning often gives way to afternoon cloud or a local shower.
Haleakalā summit. Its own world. Being comfortable on the beach tells you nothing about the summit: elevation drops the temperature sharply and the wind makes it feel colder. For sunrise or sunset, bring long pants, closed shoes and warm layers in January or August alike.
These are planning estimates, not official counts of days with measurable rain. A weather station can log a brief overnight shower and call the date rainy while you get a full beach day.
MauiBookIt take: South Maui gets the fewest vacation-changing rain days. Hāna gets rain most often, Kapalua gets more passing showers than Kāʻanapali, and Upcountry commonly clouds over while the coast stays sunny.
Maui Weather by Month
| Month | Kahului high / low | South Maui (Mākena) high / low | Water | Whales | Surf | Crowds / prices | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 82°F / 64°F | 80°F / 64°F | Coolest, ~75–76°F | Everywhere | North swell peak | High | South Maui is the safest bet for calm beach water; a wet system may cost a few days |
| February | 82°F / 64°F | 80°F / 63°F | ~75°F | Peak | North swell peak | High | Best whale month; coolest air and water; stay Kīhei, Wailea or central Kāʻanapali for the driest resort weather |
| March | 83°F / 65°F | 81°F / 64°F | ~76°F | Strong | Easing, not gone | Spring break | Can be beautiful beach weeks or a major rain event; keep Hāna and ocean plans flexible |
| April | 85°F / 67°F | 83°F / 65°F | ~76–77°F | Fading after mid-month | Fewer north swells | Lighter after Easter | Easy transition month; West and North Maui reefs start reopening for snorkeling; shoulder-season prices |
| May | 87°F / 68°F | 84°F / 66°F | ~77–78°F | A few late | Largely gone | Shoulder | Our best all-around month: beaches, snorkeling, hiking, still green, drier, prices below both peaks |
| June | 88°F / 70°F | 86°F / 68°F | ~79°F | No | Calm north; south swell possible | Family season starts | Warm, dry and reliable leeward; stronger afternoon trades; south swell can hit Mākena |
| July | 89°F / 72°F | 87°F / 69°F | ~79–80°F | No | Calm north; south swell | High summer | Classic family beach month; Honolua and north reefs at their most reliable |
| August | 90°F / 72°F | 87°F / 69°F | ~80°F | No | Calm north; south swell | High, easing late | Hot, dry and windy afternoons; go early for boats and snorkeling; watch the tropics without assuming a storm |
| September | 90°F / 71°F | 87°F / 69°F | Warmest, ~81°F | No | Calm | Low, best value | Warmest water, fewer families; one of the months to watch tropical weather most closely |
| October | 89°F / 70°F | 86°F / 68°F | ~80°F | Not dependable | First north swells return | Quiet, good value | Still feels like summer; whales not yet; keep an eye on the tropics |
| November | 86°F / 68°F | 83°F / 67°F | ~78–79°F | First dependable sightings mid-to-late month | Winter swell returns | Early: value; Thanksgiving: high | True transition month; warm water lingers |
| December | 83°F / 66°F | 81°F / 65°F | ~77–78°F | Building | North-shore surf a major feature | Holiday peak | Not a bad-weather month: South Maui and central Kāʻanapali still deliver beach days, but winter systems are more possible |
Air and water temperatures: NOAA/NWS Kahului climate normals and Kahului Harbor averages.
Wind on Maui by Season
When the trades blow hardest. Trade winds are most persistent from about May through September: not dramatically stronger, but blowing on more days with no winter systems to interrupt them. Wind usually builds after late morning as the day heats up.
Beaches that go bad in the afternoon: Sugar Beach and North Kīhei, Māʻalaea, Kīhei's more exposed beaches, Kanahā, Hoʻokipa and the North Shore, and Big Beach (windy, and shorebreak is the bigger problem). Maluaka, Kapalua Bay and Nāpili Bay offer more shelter in ordinary trades, but swell still decides whether the water is safe.
Summer is the settled beach season on the leeward side. Photo: Pexels
Kona winds. From the south or southwest instead of the usual northeast, most often when winter fronts, troughs or Kona lows interrupt the trades. They reverse the normal pattern: south- and west-facing shores get more exposed, the air feels hot, humid or hazy, leeward areas get unusual rain, normally protected ocean routes turn uncomfortable, and boats may cancel, delay or pick a different coast.
What wind does to boats. Light rain rarely cancels a boat; wind and sea state do. Māʻalaea gets especially rough in strong trades. Morning Molokini departures are more reliable than afternoon ones. Kāʻanapali beach-loading can be suspended when shorebreak makes boarding unsafe. Captains may substitute a protected coastal reef for Molokini, Honolua or Lānaʻi.
MauiBookIt take: Book boats early in the day. If Kona winds replace the trades, throw out the usual "South and West are protected" rule and let the captain choose the route.
Water Temperature, Visibility and Swell
Coolest and warmest water. About 75°F in February, 76–78°F in spring, 79–80°F in summer, around 81°F in September, 77–80°F in late fall and December.
Do you need a wetsuit? Most people are fine in a swimsuit or rash guard year-round. A long-sleeve rash guard helps with sun, wind and the brief winter chill. Cold-sensitive snorkelers may like a thin 1–2 mm top from January through March or on long boat trips. Kids get cold sooner than adults.
Best visibility. It depends more on that morning's wind, swell and runoff than on the month. The most consistently good island-wide windows: May and June (north swell gone, less rain, south swells not constant) and September to early October (warm water, lighter crowds, provided no tropical system or early north swell). Our rule all year: look at the ocean, go early and be willing to change beaches.
Seasonal swell. North and northwest swell gets consistent in October, peaks December through February, and fades through March and April. South swell runs roughly May through September from Southern Hemisphere storms. So summer can calm Honolua and the north reefs while putting real surf on Mākena and other south-facing beaches.
Hoʻokipa, North Shore. Photo: Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)
Maui Whale Season
Humpback whale breaching off West Maui. Photo: Steve Wrzeszczynski / Unsplash
- First sightings: possible in October, but don't book October expecting whales.
- November: possible, but not dependable enough to make whales the centerpiece; numbers build through December.
- The window to plan around: January through March; February is the safest single month. Book a 2-hour prime-time whale watch for that window, ideally February.
- Peak: January through March; strongest weeks late January to early March.
- Last sightings we'd count on: early-to-mid April.
- Late April and May: still possible, numbers falling, some operators stop dedicated tours.
MauiBookIt take: Come between late January and early March if whales are a main reason for the trip. November and late April are bonus-whale periods, not peak substitutes.
Hurricane Season
The Central Pacific season runs June 1 to November 30, but Maui does not spend six months under threat.
What we'd tell a friend: don't skip a summer or fall trip just because it's hurricane season; buy travel insurance if your non-refundable costs are big; start paying real attention only when the National Hurricane Center or Hawaiʻi emergency officials name a credible threat; September and October deserve the closest watch; don't make decisions from social-media forecast maps days out.
What a real storm week looks like. Hurricane Nolo in September 2026 stayed south of Hawaiʻi and its projected Maui impacts shrank, but Maui County still spent days under a tropical-storm watch, flood watch and high-surf advisory. For a visitor that can mean boat and helicopter cancellations, Haleakalā or park closures, Hāna Highway and stream concerns, high surf on normally usable beaches, brown-water advisories, flight changes, resort activities moved indoors, crowded stores, and several uncertain days even when the storm never lands.
MauiBookIt take: Hurricane season is a reason to monitor and insure the trip, not a reason to avoid half the year. The disruptive part is usually the watches, surf, runoff and cancellations around a storm, not a direct hit.
Which Month Is Right for You?
- Whales are the point: February, or late January to early March
- Best all-round trip: May
- Family beach week: June or July
- Warmest water, best value: September
- Snorkeling first: May–June, or September
- Hāna and hiking: May, or September for Hāna
- Holiday trip: December works; stay South Maui or central Kāʻanapali and expect peak prices
Deciding on a trip, not a month? See our Best Time to Visit Maui guide →
What We'd Skip
- “It rains every day in winter.” It may shower somewhere on Maui every day; that says nothing about Wailea.
- Booking or driving the Road to Hāna in a flood watch.
- Going into streams or waterfalls in heavy rain or a flash-flood watch.
- Trusting the Kahului Airport forecast for Kīhei, Kapalua, Hāna or Haleakalā.
- Assuming summer means flat water everywhere. South swell can make South Maui rough while Honolua is calm.
- Assuming winter makes all snorkeling unsafe. It shifts the good options to protected South and West Maui reefs.
- Choosing a month by average rainfall alone.
- Cancelling a boat days ahead from a generic weather app.
- Promising whales in October, November or May.
- Calling every brief shower a rainy day.
The Questions Visitors Ask
What is Maui's rainiest month?
There's no useful island-wide answer. Winter is wetter and March is especially variable, but where you are matters more than the month. A rainy March in Hāna or Kapalua can still mean sunny days in Wailea.
Is December a bad month?
No. Whales, warm coastal air and good South Maui beach weather. The trade-offs are holiday prices, winter north swell and a higher chance of a multi-day system.
Does it rain all day?
Usually not. Most trade-wind showers are local and brief, over windward or mountain areas while the leeward coast stays dry. Winter fronts, Kona lows and tropical systems are what bring real all-day or multi-day rain.
Is summer too hot?
Usually not for a beach trip, but August and September are the hottest months and humidity shows when the trades weaken. Ocean early, shade in the afternoon, no midday hiking.
What is the best month overall?
May: good snorkeling, drier, a green island, fewer people than winter or midsummer. February instead for whales; September for warm water and value.
One Last Tip
Don’t stress about the forecast. Maui’s weather changes more by coast than by month: choose the season for whales, surf, value or warm water, then choose each day’s beach by the wind, swell and coast.
There isn’t really a bad weather month for visiting Maui; every season trades something for something else.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best month to visit Maui?
May: drier weather, calm reefs, a still-green island and shoulder-season crowds and prices. Choose February for peak whales, September for the warmest water (about 81°F) and best value, and June–July for a family beach trip.
What is the rainy season in Maui?
Winter, roughly November through March, but it depends on the coast. Kīhei and Wailea see one to three disrupted days in a typical winter month; Kapalua two to five; Hāna gets rain most days year-round, mostly in brief bursts. Summer on the leeward coast is almost always dry.
When is whale season in Maui?
Dependable sightings run mid-to-late November through early-to-mid April, with the peak from January through March and the strongest weeks late January to early March. October and May sightings happen but can't be counted on.
