USDA Hardiness Zone 12a
Frost Dates for 96738 — Waikoloa, Hawaii
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Puukohola Heiau 98.1, HI (133 ft), 6 miles northwest.
Updated
No night at or below 32°F was recorded at Puukohola Heiau 98.1, HI in 1991–2020, not even 36°F, so Waikoloa has no frost dates to plan around; the coolest month, February, averages a low of 68°F.
- Winters with a freeze
- 0%
- Winters with 36°F
- 0%
- Coldest month low
- 68°F
- Hardiness zone
- 12a
32°F or below, 1991–2020
frost possible on leaves
average, February
50 to 55°F (10.0 to 12.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Waikoloa
Puukohola Heiau 98.1, HI, 6 miles northwest of Waikoloa, did not record a night at or below 32°F in 1991–2020. 36 of the 37 other Hawaii stations behind this site's ZIP pages recorded no 32°F night either.
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Puukohola Heiau 98.1, HI, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 96738 →Compare Waikoloa with another place →
Weather by month in Waikoloa
August is the warmest month at Puukohola Heiau 98.1, HI, averaging 89°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 82°F and 68°F. Not one month recorded a 32°F night; the lowest monthly average low is 68°F.
Warmth for growing adds up to 10,527 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), the most of the 35 Hawaii stations. 47% of them (4,956) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 990. Precipitation totals 8.9 inches a year, most in January (1.5") and least in July (0.2"); May to September bring 30% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82 | 68 | 1.5 | 0% | 0 | 783 |
| Feb | 83 | 68 | 0.7 | 0% | 0 | 708 |
| Mar | 84 | 70 | 0.9 | 0% | 0 | 825 |
| Apr | 85 | 71 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 837 |
| May | 86 | 72 | 0.5 | 0% | 0 | 894 |
| Jun | 87 | 74 | 0.6 | 0% | 0 | 909 |
| Jul | 88 | 75 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 973 |
| Aug | 89 | 75 | 0.8 | 0% | 0 | 990 |
| Sep | 88 | 75 | 0.6 | 0% | 0 | 941 |
| Oct | 87 | 74 | 0.8 | 0% | 0 | 949 |
| Nov | 86 | 73 | 0.7 | 0% | 0 | 879 |
| Dec | 84 | 70 | 1.2 | 0% | 0 | 839 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Puukohola Heiau 98.1, HI (133 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Kailua Kona Ke-Ahole Airport, HI, 22 miles southwest of Waikoloa, has no 32°F night on record either, and the same coolest-month low, 68°F.
When it snows in Waikoloa, Hawaii
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Puukohola Heiau 98.1, HI, 5.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 96738 is 6 miles from Puukohola Heiau 98.1, HI, which stands at 133 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 96743 (Kamuela). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 96738 in zone 12a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 50 to 55°F (10.0 to 12.8°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.