Hawaii Flying Weather
HI · 2006–2025 · 8 eligible airports
Persistent northeasterly trade winds dominate most of the year, keeping leeward coasts largely VFR while windward slopes and mountain (mauka) areas carry showers and low clouds. Strong trades accelerate through the interisland channels — the Alenuihaha between Maui and the Big Island is especially notorious — producing significant low-level turbulence and wind shear. From roughly October through April, Kona lows and cold fronts interrupt the trades with heavy rain, embedded thunderstorms, southerly wind shifts, and occasional widespread IFR; volcanic vog on the Big Island's leeward side can also reduce visibility. The steady summer trade season offers the best flying; winter Kona-storm periods are the worst.
- Daylight VFR
- 91.5%
- VFR days/yr
- 292
- Mean wind
- 8.3 kt
- Most VFR month
- September
- Fewest VFR month
- March
- VFR Score
- 73
Regional standouts
VFR conditions by month
Regional average across eligible airports
| Month | VFR % |
|---|---|
| Jan | 91.2% |
| Feb | 91.3% |
| Mar | 89.9% |
| Apr | 90.6% |
| May | 91.0% |
| Jun | 91.9% |
| Jul | 90.9% |
| Aug | 91.6% |
| Sep | 93.5% |
| Oct | 92.6% |
| Nov | 92.3% |
| Dec | 90.4% |
Average wind by month
Regional average sustained wind
| Month | Mean wind (kt) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 7.4 kt |
| Feb | 8.0 kt |
| Mar | 8.3 kt |
| Apr | 8.7 kt |
| May | 8.3 kt |
| Jun | 8.9 kt |
| Jul | 9.3 kt |
| Aug | 9.0 kt |
| Sep | 8.2 kt |
| Oct | 7.5 kt |
| Nov | 7.9 kt |
| Dec | 7.7 kt |
Every airport in Hawaii, ranked
Sort by any column. Best VFR Score first.
| PHNYLanai Airport | Lanai City | 78.9 | 3.2 | 116 | 8 kt | 34 |
| PHTOHilo International Airport | Hilo | 83.6 | 2.3 | 255 | 5 kt | 59 |
| PHLILihue Airport | Lihue, Kauai | 85.7 | 0.7 | 262 | 11 kt | 60 |
| PHMKMolokai Airport | Kaunakakai | 93.5 | 0.6 | 316 | 9 kt | 78 |
| PHOGKahului International Airport | Kahului | 97.6 | 0.5 | 352 | 11 kt | 87 |
| PHNLDaniel K. Inouye International Airport | Honolulu, Oahu | 98.4 | 0.1 | 351 | 9 kt | 88 |
| PHKOEllison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole | Kailua-Kona | 96.8 | 0.1 | 354 | 6 kt | 90 |
| PHJRKalaeloa Airport | Kapolei | 97.0 | 0.3 | 332 | 5 kt | 90 |
The pattern in Hawaii
Across 2006–2025, the 8 eligible airports in Hawaii reported VFR conditions during about 91.5% of valid daytime observations, with an estimated 292 VFR flying days per year and a mean surface wind of 8.3 kt. PHNL (Daniel K. Inouye International Airport) had the most VFR weather at 98.5%. PHNY saw the most instrument conditions, at 3.2% IFR/LIFR. The lowest-ranked eligible field by VFR Score was PHNY (Lanai Airport).
Neighboring regions
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Educational use only. Historical weather rankings from ATIS Alerts are educational summaries of past observations — not a forecast, flight-planning tool, or safety rating. They do not replace current METARs, TAFs, NOTAMs, ATIS, or a weather briefing, and favorable history does not make any airport safe. Always check current conditions and use your own judgment before flight.