Kona weather in January
January in Kona: hot, a little rain, with clean air — one of the best months to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#1 of 12 months in Kona · #67 of 1413 destinations to visit in January · comfort 92/100 (tier S)
- Days
- 27°C
- Nights
- 21°C
- Wet days
- 13
- Sun
- 10 h
- Humidity
- 82%
- Daylight
- 11 h
Traveller notes on Kona in January
Notes from nearby Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (78 km away)
Kona doesn't have its own notes for January yet — these are about Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, close enough to share the season.
Volcanoes National Park's forum is quick to correct the assumption that this is typical sunny Hawaii weather: sitting at around 4,000 feet, the park runs noticeably cooler than the coast, with a typical daytime high near 66F and nights dropping into the 40s or lower. Posters consistently said most of the rain falls overnight into early morning, with late morning and afternoon usually - though not always - drier, so an early start improves the odds of a clear window for sightseeing. Pack real layers and rain gear rather than beach clothes for this one.
Other months in Kona
Kona forum regulars are consistent about September: it's hot and sticky, and the trade winds that usually cool the coast can break down for stretches, so there's less relief than you'd expect. It's still technically hurricane season, and while a direct hit is rare, the remnants of a passing system can bring heavy surf and a burst of heavy rain even on an otherwise sunny week. That said, several posters described near-perfect two-week stretches with no crowds and easy access to snorkeling spots - it's a gamble, but one that tends to pay off more often than not.
March in Kona is the tail of whale season — humpbacks run from about mid-December to late March, thinning as the month goes on, so mid-March is still reliable and the very end of it is not. On rain, the forum's line that March is one of the Big Island's wettest months is about the windward side: on Kona's leeward coast March is one of the drier months, ten rain-days against fourteen through the summer. The variable that is genuinely local is vog — volcanic haze concentrates in the Kailua-Kona area and can bring headaches and eye and lung irritation, more seriously for asthma. The regulars' fix is geographic: drive north a few beaches and it largely clears.
Add your own note from Kona's card on the map.
Kona climate normals — January
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Kona in January
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsChristmas and New Year, Winter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Kona's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherKona's weather doesn't swing hard through the year — comfort stays fairly steady in every month.
What's on in Kona in January
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Hazard
Vog from Kīlauea
1 Jan – 31 DecVolcanic activitySulphur haze from the volcano drifts round the south point and settles along this coast, which is why the Kona side gets the hazy afternoons rather than the windward towns. It comes and goes with the eruption and the wind, not with the calendar. Source ↗
- Nature
Kona coffee harvest
1 Sep – 15 Jan · usuallyThe cherry ripens unevenly on the slopes above town, so pickers go through the same trees several times between September and January. Farm tours are worth doing while there is actually fruit on the branch.
- Nature
Humpback whale season
1 Dec – 15 Apr · usuallyHumpbacks come down from Alaska to breed and calve in the warm water off the leeward coast, with the peak numbers in February and March. You can hear them through the hull on a morning boat, and often see blows from the shore road. Source ↗
- Holiday
Christmas and New Year
24 Dec – 1 JanChristmas & New YearClosuresCrowdedChristmas Day and New Year's Day are federal holidays: on 25 December most shops, museums and many restaurants close, and airports stay busy through the week between as families travel. New Year's Eve fills bars and restaurants, many at set-menu prices. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Kona — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Kona?
Kona in January — FAQ
- Is January a good time to visit Kona?
- January in Kona: hot, a little rain, with clean air — one of the best months to visit. It ranks #1 of 12 months for Kona on SeasonMap's comfort score (92/100).
- What is the weather like in Kona in January?
- In January, Kona averages a daily high of 27.4°C and a low of 20.6°C, with about 67.9 mm of rain over roughly 13.3 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Kona in January?
- Kona has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 25 in January.
Within 300 km: Hilo's Humpback whale season on 15 Nov – 15 May, and Maui's Humpback whale season on 15 Dec – 15 May.