Hawaii weather: March vs. November
 

Does anyone have any thoughts on whether the weather in Hawaii (Oahu) is generally more reliable in March or November? I know these are both shoulder months as far as the rainy season goes, but is one generally more likely to get better weather in one than the other? Thanks

I lived on Oahu for a year, and I remember them being pretty equal as far as weather. Just keep in mind that March is prime time for spring break, so you're more likely to see more kids and families, including partying college students.

In my long experience you are more likely to have rain in March than in November. It will also likely be cooler in March, typically one of the cooler months in Hawaii.

There is no difference between the two months. Temperatures and rainfalls are about equal.

If seeing whales are important, then March would be better as the whales don't start arriving until mid-November. Mid-December before they are all here. They don't leave until mid-April to first part of May.

I have found the ocean to be cooler in March than in Nov--if you plan on doing a lot of snorkeling or swimming that might make a difference to you. it wasn't really cold, just enough cooler that we had to get adjusted to the temp, and didn't stay in the water quite as long. Otherwise my experience would be that the weather is about the same.

We have visited in August and Feb. Seeing the whales when we visited in Feb. was a highlight of our trip. I would go in March.

Yes, water temp in November will be quite a bit warmer than the water temps in March (when they are at their coolest).

A couple of worthwhile sites regarding Hawaiian weather & water temps:

http://hawaiiweathertoday.com/content.php?pid=19

This one actually shows average monthly water temps all over the country (pretty interesting stuff):

http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/index.html

Ken

You know what, guys? Our weather doesn't really vary much throughout the year. When we talk about it being cooler, or differences in water temp, we are talking about a few degrees. Can you really say you can tell the difference between water that is 76 degrees and water that is 79 degrees? Leeward sides of the islands don't even really get that much more rain during the winter season, except for the occasional storm. It's not like arctic storms blow in and we're socked in for weeks at a time. But, to be precise, historically we get more rain in Nov than in March--but, again, we're splitting hairs.

March and November are pretty equal. Both have the potential for a storm--winter storms start in Nov, pretty much are over by mid-March. But you're still looking at daytime temps in the mid-80's (as opposed to high 80s during summer). Even the worse day in the islands in either month will pretty much be better than the weather in your home town.

here_today_gone2Maui -

Yes, you are of course correct. It is a pretty subtle difference. The main tourist areas of Maui (South & West Maui) are warm year-round. I do find water temps near 80 to be noticably warmer than water temps near 75 - though 75 is certainly acceptable, it just takes a few minutes for me to get used to it, whereas water near 80 is good as soon as I get in. Of course everyone is different in regards to what they consider "cool" (I tend to be a wimp in that regard - I like my water very warm).

Overall, however, you are quite right, for most folks the differences will not be that much.

Ken