The Big Island is truly a natural wonder. You'll find everything from stoney deserts, to tropical forests, to high alpine cold. You can experience 21 of the world's 22 climate zones here. Our island is still a work in progress, with Kilauea adding to and reshaping it every day.

Because Hawaiian weather varies very little throughout the year, the weather you'll experience on the Big Island depends more on location than time of year. The wide variety of climates and the resulting range of temperatures and rainfall across the island are due primarily to differences in elevation and exposure to the moist northeasterly trade winds. The average day-time temperature in the coastal resort areas ranges from the mid 80's (29.4 C)in the summer months of May to October to the mid to low 70's (23.9-26.1 C) during the winter months of November to April.

Photo by Web/Divemistress Andrea Leicher

Jack's is located on the dry west side of the island, where average summer day-time high temperatures are from 77-80 degrees F (25.0-26.7 C), with night-time lows of 61-64 degrees (16.1-17.8 C). Day-time temperatures in the winter here are usually 76-79 degrees (24.4-26.1 C), with night- time lows of 59-62 degrees (15.0-16.7 C). You generally can count on getting a lot of sun in the Kona area, where average monthly rainfall around Kona-Kailua is less than 1 inch in the summer and 1-3 inches during winter months.

The eruptive processes of Kilauea volcano has an impact on the local climate as a result of the gaseous emissions and billowing clouds that spew forth from vents and eruption sites. These emissions create a haze called "vog" that can permeate the island.

For beach-goers the sea water temperatures at the Big Island's beaches range from the low 80's in summer to the low-mid 70's (22.8 C) in the winter.

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