Kauai Weather

There has always been an uncertainty associated with the weather of Kauai. The island is reported to have one of the fastest changing weather trends in the world. Since Kauai is located farthest north in the Hawaiian Island chain, it has a comparatively cooler climate than the surrounding islands.

Usually the weather changes in accordance with the season. But this is not the case in Kauai. Here, the weather changes more by location. The highland and mountain regions such as Kokee boast cooler weather than the coastal regions. Every thousand feet you go up the sea level, the temperature drops by around 3.5 degrees. The north shore also has a cold climate, which tends to be 5 to 7 degrees cooler than other parts.

The climate is semitropical. The average winter daytime temperature averages between 76 to 80°F and nighttime temperature is slightly lower, 60 to 64°F. During summer, the daytime temperature ranges from 84 to 87°F whereas nighttime lows are between 70 and 72°F. The water temperature - near the shores - ranges from about 80°F to a low of about 73°F.

Kauai have moderate to high humidity. Even though the temperature and humidity are high, the weather here is rarely oppressive. Trade winds are relatively common in Kauai. The hurricane months spans from June to November. The most deadly hurricanes, Iwa and Iniki, had rocked the islands in 1982 and 1992 respectively.

Rainfall is seasonal. The average annual rainfall is around 40 inches. The rainfall is also associated with trade winds. As a result, you can see huge differences in rainfall between the island's windward sides, that is, the northern and eastern shores and the leeward side - southern and western shores. The southwest coast receives more rain when compared to the northeastern areas. Waialeale is the wettest spot on the island, with an annual rainfall of 500 inches.

Generally speaking, much of the island's rainfall occurs during night. Maximum rainfall is experienced in the mountains. Summer months on the shores are partly sunny and partly cloudy. There will be periodic rain during the winter months of November to March.