What time of year is the best time to go to Hawaii to catch the best weather there?|123037

I want to visit the islands, but don_t want to experience too much of the endless heat and sun, so I_m looking for the best weather, and ideally no expensive fares. Ideally we want cloudy skies (probably a rarity there, unfortunately), relatively cool temperatures, and maybe some nice breezes from the ocean - generally pleasant weather. Thanks!

The weather doesn_t change much throughout the year. There are times of the year that are more susceptible to hurricanes (June through November is hurricane season, with the greatest likelihood being August through October). And, during the winter, there are large ocean swells that come in from the north. The water can be a bit cooler this time of year, to where you would do well to wear at least a partial wetsuit for snorkeling. The swells combined with stronger trade winds (constant prevailing winds out of the east) can make for rough traveling on the water. But, the advantage of going to Hawaii in the winter (december through April, generally) is that_s when the humpback whales return to their breeding grounds in the Hawaiian waters.

And, ironically, it_s during the time when the ocean is rougher due to wind and swells that the whales are the most active. For some reason, the constant activity of the wind and waves on the surface attracts the whales more and they tend to do things like breaching more often. Last time I was in Maui was in February and I went on a snorkel trip to Lanai, across the channel from west Maui. It was 30 knot winds and 6 foot seas. It was so rough, we couldn_t snorkel off of Lanai. But, the whale activity was incredible. At one point, we had a female slapping the water with her fin about 50 feet away from the boat. This drew three males to her, who began breaching out of the water to impress her within about 100 feet of our boat.

Regarding cost, it_s generally less expensive to fly there when people aren_t usually going to be there. The most expensive time is during holidays and traditional travel periods (even in summer). Late fall, and late winter to mid spring are probably the best times to go.

Hawaii is not like Singapore which is in the equatorial tropics, i.e., it is in the _trade wind belt_ so there are usually nice breezes to moderate the heat. Also, the islands are failry small, and the Pacific is a lot colder than the Gulf or Caribbean which have _hotter_ islands.

It is rainy in the winter, and can get down into the low/mid 60_s at night, even the upper 50_s until it warms up during the day. I like the winter, but if you are unlucky you could run into rain multiple days in a row, particularly in December. Jan and Feb are colder but are drier than December. Although the average temperature only varies by about 8F from winter to summer, the additional humidity makes it seem a lot colder in winter and hotter in summer. If you don_t like the heat, avoid the summer months. Airfare and hotel rates are higher in the summer anyway.

So, try March, April, October and November. Fares are usually reasonable during those periods as well (except for Spring Break in April) and in the existing bad economy you can get good rates for airfare and hotels really almost anytime now...

Any time of year is good to go to Hawaii. The temperatures remain the same year-round (around 80 F in the daytime). If you_re headed to Oahu, Honolulu and Waikiki are the drier sites on the island year-round. Do take an umbrella with you in case it rains. When it rains there, it_s usually on the light side and not very heavy or flooding rains. If you_re at a higher elevation, you_ll be cooler. Hurricane season is June through November, but they aren_t that common in Hawaii like they are in other places (the Caribbean and Florida). From my personal experience, I_d go during the winter.

When my husband and I went to Oahu we went in Feb., it was great. We left snow and freezing rain for beautiful tropical weather. It was nice and warm everyday; it did rain one day in the morning but the rest of the time it was paradise.

The first time I went, I was with my parents and older brother in April 2001. The second time I went, I was by myself in July 2007. I think they were about the same to me.