Kona weather in October
October in Kona: sweltering, rainy, with clean air — fine if you can take 18 rainy days.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#7 of 12 months in Kona · #251 of 1413 destinations to visit in October · comfort 87/100 (tier A)
- Days
- 30°C
- Nights
- 24°C
- Wet days
- 18
- Sun
- 10.5 h
- Humidity
- 84%
- Daylight
- 12 h
Traveller notes on Kona in October
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 — October
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Kona in October
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.
BusyIronman World Championship(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 October
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 ↗
- Hazard
Central Pacific hurricane season
1 Jun – 30 NovMost systems that reach Hawaii shear apart before landfall, but the season is real and August and September are the busy weeks. The bigger practical risk on this coast is the surf a distant storm sends onto the boat ramps. 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.
- Festival
Ironman World Championship
10 OctSporting eventCrowdedClosuresBook earlyRace weekend takes over Aliʻi Drive and the Queen K, with road closures from dawn and rooms booked a year out. The championship now alternates its men's and women's races between here and Nice, so check which one is in town. 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 October — FAQ
- Is October a good time to visit Kona?
- October in Kona: sweltering, rainy, with clean air — fine if you can take 18 rainy days. It ranks #7 of 12 months for Kona on SeasonMap's comfort score (87/100).
- What is the weather like in Kona in October?
- In October, Kona averages a daily high of 29.5°C and a low of 23.5°C, with about 109 mm of rain over roughly 18.2 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Kona in October?
- Kona has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 17 in October.
Within 300 km: Maui's Calmest water and warmest sea around 15 Jun – 15 Oct, and Lahaina's Rebuilding access rules on 1 Jan – 31 Dec.