Hawai'i has a moderate tropical climate influenced by the warm Pacific Ocean and prevailing northeasterly trade winds.
Temperatures vary little from place to place, except at higher elevations.
Unlike the temperature, Hawai'i's rainfall varies tremendously according to location. The wettest months are from November through March, but the storms are usually isolated and brief. The waters are generally gentle on all the beaches year round, but winter brings heavy surf and big swells on the north-facing beaches. Warning flags are posted to alert swimmers and surfers of beach conditions. This means that when it's 80 degrees F on the beach it may be only 50 degrees F at the 10,023-foot summit of Haleakala.