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Life on Maui – Part 1 (Weather)

This is the first in what I am hoping will be a series of articles about “Life on Maui”.

I felt that I would start with the weather, because that is what initially draws so many people to visit Maui or move here.

The weather on Maui is nothing short of idyllic. The temperatures on average vary only about 10 degrees from winter to summer.

If you like it warm and dry, then most likely you would tend to gravitate to the two main tourist destinations on the Island, West Maui (Lahaina to Kapalua) or South Maui (Maalaea to Makena) areas.

The South Maui, area averages about 10 inches of rainfall per year. In the 70’s, a consortium was formed between private enterprise and the County of Maui to bring water to South Maui from wells drawing from the aquifer in the West Maui Mountains above Waihee. With water came development and a huge growth in tourism.

The West Maui area goes from very dry and hot in Lahaina to somewhat cooler and more breezy in Kapalua which is exposed to the onshore tradewinds which blow out of the Northeast.

If you like warm days and cool nights, then living in the Upcountry Area or North Shore might suit you better. Upcountry averages between 20 and 50 inches of rainfall per year whereas the North Shore areas of Haiku have rainfall in the 70 to 120 inches per year. Because of the amount of rain and sun, Haiku has a more tropical feel and it is very easy to grow just about anything.

Central Maui gets about the same amount of rainfall as Upcountry, but being at sea level, it tends to be somewhat warmer; although not as hot as either Kihei or Lahaina.

Of course, weather is not the only reason that people visit or live on Maui. Maui has much more to offer than an idyllic climate; although for many people that is sufficient reason to move or live here.

In future articles, we will explore some of the other aspects of Life on Maui. I hope you will enjoy reading these accounts. If there is something that you are particularly curious about, please let me know, so I can cover it in future articles. Have a wonderful week.

Mahalo Nui Loa,

Ken for The Smith Team

P.S. Maui Weather Forecast for the next 7 days.

P.S.S. Another great website explaining about the various micro-climates on Maui.

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