On a February morning along the Kona coast, the first thing you notice from a lanai is a plume of mist far out on the water, then a dark back rolling under it. Humpback whales are in the channels, the trade winds come and go, and the lava-rock shorelines are quiet before the spring crowds. February in Hawaii is the heart of whale season, with warm days on every island and a clear split between the dry leeward coasts and the rainy windward ones.
What is the weather like in Hawaii in February?
February is warm and mostly pleasant everywhere, with dry, sunny leeward coasts such as Kona and Honolulu, a few more showers on Kauai and Maui, and steady rain on the windward side of the Big Island around Hilo.
| Place | Region | Average high (°F) | Average low (°F) | Rain (in) | Rain days | Sea (°F) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu | Oahu, south shore | 80.5 | 67.1 | 1.94 | 3.0 | 76.1 |
| Maui | Maui | 82.2 | 63.8 | 2.00 | 3.8 | 76.1 |
| Kauai | Kauai | 78.1 | 66.2 | 3.63 | 5.4 | 75.5 |
| Kona | Big Island, leeward coast | 81.5 | 68.4 | 1.17 | 1.5 | 77.9 |
| Hilo | Big Island, windward coast | 78.4 | 64.1 | 10.22 | 10.9 | 76.3 |
The big contrast is between Kona and Hilo. In the month, Kona receives just over an inch of rain, with only a day or two of showers, which means beach days are the norm. Hilo, on the other side of the same island, collects more than ten inches over about eleven rainy days. Those showers feed the waterfalls and the lush gardens, but plan on a raincoat and some flexibility there.
Honolulu sits in between, dry and sunny with only a few short showers. Kauai is the greenest of the three islands in the table, and its wetter north shore gets the bulk of that rain. Nights are cool on Maui, a good deal cooler than in Kona.
In winter the trade winds can also be interrupted for days or weeks by fronts from the north and by Kona storms, which bring cloudier, muggier spells. The sea stays comfortable for most people, a touch warmer on the Kona side.
Where to go in Hawaii in February
Oahu: Honolulu, Waikiki and the North Shore
Honolulu is dry and sunny this month, which suits a city stay of beach mornings in Waikiki and afternoons in the museums, markets and the food counters of Chinatown. Pearl Harbor is the other visit nearly everyone makes, and it is easier in cool, bright weather.
February is also big-wave season. Winter swells build large surf on north-facing shores, so the North Shore is for watching from the sand, with Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach as the famous stretches. The calmer swimming moves to the south shore, near Waikiki. Let the lifeguards and the beach signs decide where the water is open.
Maui: Wailea, Kaanapali and the whales
Maui is the island most people associate with whale watching from a beach chair, and the resort beaches of Wailea and Kaanapali on the dry side are well placed for it. Warm afternoons, cool nights and only a few rainy days make it an easy month for a beach-focused trip.
The summit of Haleakala is another story. It is far colder than the coast, so a sunrise there means real layers. Along the rain-soaked windward shore, the Road to Hana passes through jungle at its peak of green, full of waterfalls plus clumps of banana and bamboo. Expect passing showers, and take it slowly.
Kauai: Poipu, Hanalei and Na Pali
Kauai is the wettest of the islands in the table apart from Hilo, and that is why it looks so green. The sunnier south shore around Poipu is the safer bet for beach days, while Princeville and Hanalei on the north shore see more showers and bigger winter surf.
Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali Coast cliffs are the scenery you came for. In wet spells the red earth and the waterfalls are most dramatic, but low cloud can hide the views, so keep the plan loose and leave room for a second try.
The Big Island: Kona, Hilo and the volcano
This month the Kona coast ranks as the driest spot in the islands and among the warmest, with coffee farms on the slopes above and water that keeps its warmth. It is a fine base for snorkeling trips, sunset dinners and whale watching on calm mornings.
Hilo is rainy, but its waterfalls and botanical gardens are best with water in them. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is cool and often wet at the crater rim, and the summit of Mauna Kea is cold. Treat them as layered outings, not beach days.
What to do in Hawaii in February
Humpback whale watching
February sits in the January-to-March peak of humpback season, which generally runs from November through May. Whales come to the warm shallow channels to mate and give birth, and you can often spot spouts, tail slaps and full breaches from the shore. Lahaina and Wailea on Maui, the Kona coast, the south shore of Kauai and the east end of Oahu are all good lookouts, and boat trips leave from most harbors.
Distance is a legal matter. It is illegal to approach within 100 yards of a humpback, and boats are asked to slow down in whale season. Good operators follow this, so the whales come to you rather than the other way round.
For a hands-on role, the Sanctuary Ocean Count takes place on the last Saturday of the month, in the morning, from shores on Oahu, the Big Island and Kauai. Locals and visitors volunteer to count whales from land, and sign-up is through oceancount.org.
Hikes, volcanoes and waterfalls
Cool, dry-side mornings are perfect for the Diamond Head trail above Waikiki. It is a short but steep walk to a view of the city and the coast. Non-residents need an entry and parking reservation, and the table gives the essentials.
| Site | Open | Admission |
|---|---|---|
| Diamond Head State Monument | 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., last entry 4:30 p.m. for the 4:00 p.m. slot | $5 per non-resident, $10 per vehicle for parking, reservation required |
On the Big Island, the walks around the Kilauea crater rim are cool and often misty. On Kauai and Maui, waterfall hikes are at their fullest after rain. Keep to marked trails and stay off the reef and any stones of a temple, since much of this land is sacred.
Surf watching and slow beach days
February is the month to watch the best surfers in the world on the North Shore of Oahu, from the sand and from a safe distance. Between swells, spend time at the shaved-ice stands and the roadside shrimp trucks. On the dry side of every island, simple beach days with a plate lunch, poke from a market counter and a long sunset are the rhythm of the month.
Is Hawaii busy in February?
Moderately busy, with the winter-escape crowd still filling the popular coasts, though without the crush of the year-end holidays or the height of summer.
The people who come now are mainland travelers fleeing the cold, couples, and whale watchers. Presidents Day weekend tends to bring a short rush of families, and the stretch around Valentine’s Day fills romantic resorts. Spring break comes later, in March and April, so the weeks that follow the long weekend are calmer.
The busiest corners are the usual ones: Waikiki, the resort strips of Wailea and Kaanapali, Poipu and the Kona coast. Quieter choices include Molokai and Lanai, which have few hotels, little traffic and no city, and the rainy windward sides, where fewer people linger.
Whale boats and popular hikes fill earlier on holiday weekends, so book the things you care about ahead. Each island needs its own rental car, since there is no car ferry between them.
What to pack for Hawaii in February
Pack for summer on the beach and for a cool, wet day in the hills. The coast is warm, but the volcano rims, Haleakala and Mauna Kea are chilly, and windward spots can be soggy. Mineral sunscreen and a hat matter even on cloudy days.
- Swimsuits, a rash guard and a light cover-up for the beach and boat trips.
- A light rain jacket for Hilo, the Road to Hana and the north shore of Kauai.
- A warm layer and long pants for the summit of Haleakala or Mauna Kea and for chilly evenings.
- Sturdy sneakers or hiking shoes for muddy waterfall trails and the Diamond Head climb.
- Binoculars for whale watching from the shore.
- Mineral sunscreen, sunglasses and a refillable water bottle.
Good to know before you go
February falls outside the official hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30 in the Central Pacific. Still, the season has weather of its own: northerly fronts and Kona storms may break the trades for days, ushering in damp, overcast stretches.
There is no passport or visa to think about, since Hawaii is a U.S. state. Check the lifeguard flags and beach signs, especially on north shores where winter surf is big.
Is February a good time to visit Hawaii?
Yes, especially for whale watching and for beach time on the dry coasts of Kona, Maui and Oahu’s south shore. Hilo and the north shores are the places where a rainy day is most likely.
Compared with January, the air is nearly the same, with a slightly wetter Hilo and a sea that has cooled a little. March is a touch warmer, but Hilo gets noticeably wetter, nearly fifteen rainy days, and spring-break families begin to arrive. February sits in a comfortable middle, still in the whale peak, with the trade winds back more often than not and the sea still pleasant.
For a first trip, a split between a dry-side beach base and a day or two of rain-fed scenery works well: Kona with a visit to Hilo’s waterfalls, or Maui’s Wailea with a drive to Hana. Surfers and wave watchers should add the North Shore. What sets this month apart is the sound of the ocean itself, the exhale of a humpback somewhere off the point at dusk.
Sources
- NOAA NCEI, monthly normals 1991-2020, station USW00022521, checked September 8, 2026
- Open-Meteo Marine API, average 2015-2024, checked September 8, 2026
- sunrise-sunset.org, sunrise and sunset calculated for the 15th of the month, checked September 8, 2026
- NOAA NCEI, monthly normals 1991-2020, station USW00022516, checked September 8, 2026
- NOAA NCEI, monthly normals 1991-2020, station USW00022536, checked September 8, 2026
- NOAA NCEI, monthly normals 1991-2020, station USW00021510, checked September 8, 2026
- NOAA NCEI, monthly normals 1991-2020, station USW00021504, checked September 8, 2026
- NWS Honolulu (HFO), « Climate of Hawaii » summary, weather.gov/hfo/climate_summary, checked September 24, 2026
- NWS Honolulu / Central Pacific Hurricane Center, « 2026 Central Pacific Hurricane Season Outlook », weather.gov/hfo/hurricaneOutlook2026, checked September 24, 2026
- Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (NOAA), pages « Boating Guide » and « About the Sanctuary », hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov, checked September 24, 2026
- Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale NMS (NOAA), « Boating Guide », checked September 24, 2026
- Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale NMS (NOAA), « Sanctuary Ocean Count », checked September 24, 2026
- Hawaii DLNR Division of State Parks, « Diamond Head State Monument », dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp, checked September 24, 2026
- DBEDT, press releases monthly July (blog/25-34), September (blog/25-42) and December 2025 (blog/26-04), checked September 24, 2026
To plan your stay
- Things to Do in Hawaii: Volcano Sunrises, Snorkeling Bays, Pearl Harbor and What to Eat
- Where to Stay in Hawaii: Choosing an Island, Oahu to Kauai Bases and the Hotel Tax
- Getting Around Hawaii: Interisland Flights, TheBus and Skyline, Rental Cars and Taxi Fares
- Know Before You Go to Hawaii: Agriculture Form, Sunscreen Law, Reservations and Taxes