Rain in Maui
 

I'm leaving the end of this week for Maui and just checked the 10-day weather forecast for Lahaina. The forecast says there is a 60% chance of rain every day. Does that mean a shower or two during the day or drizzle all day like we have in Portland? I'm trying to get away from the rain!

It is the beginning of the winter, so things will be cooler and wetter just like at home.

It means somewhere on the island there is a good chance that it will be raining. Pssing showers with maybe more intense rain at night has been my experience, but this is dependent upon where you are. Windward side will get more rain and cooler temps, leeward side will be dryer and warmer. Don't let the forecast worry you.

You'll have less chance of rain the farther southeast you go- Kihei, Wailea, Makena all tend to be drier than even Lahaina.

In Lahaina and along Kaanapali beach that almost always means some light showers, likely overnight and early morning. But don't fret - usually they are short-lived, light and very refreshing little showers. Just enough to green everything up again - the sun is usually shining through these sprinkles, so look for rainbows. Most people don't stop anything outdoors because of rain in that area. It shouldn't be anything like Portland.

Enjoy your trip!

Thanks everyone for your replies especially Iowagirl. I'm feeling better about the weather thanks to all your replies.

Hawaii is known for its micro-climates, meaning you can drive 10 miles in another direction and have completely different weather. Sometimes, as I am driving in the rain, I can literally see where the end of the rain is and the sunshine begins!

Other times, you might experience "liquid sunshine." A couple of weeks ago, we had a MINI cooper car show. It poured for a couple of hours....the sun came out and was beating down on us, but it was still raining!

As Iowagirl says, though, it will not be like what you have in Portland. At least, not constantly. This morning in Honolulu, we had thunder & lightning. It was raining so hard and was so dark outside, you couldn't tell what time it was or where you were! But at this posting, it's 1 p.m. and it's cloudy but no rain.

I'm checking back on fodors now at 5 p.m. and the skies are blue.