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The Hawaiian Islands have the most temperate climate on earth, as well the most diverse. Though that seems contradictory, it's true.
At sea level, the difference in average daytime temperature between summer and winter is less than 10 degrees F. (4 C.). The highest
daytime temperatures in summer do not exceed the mid-90s and the lowest
nighttime temperatures in winter rarely fall below the mid-50s.
Each island is a "mini continent" with climate conditions from tropical rainforest to arid desert. The Big Island of
Hawai`i has all of the major climate zones found on earth. In winter, we literally can ski on the slopes of Mauna Kea in the morning and be surfing Kona's beaches in the afternoon, without a wetsuit!
The only other island with mountains tall enough to get snow is Maui, but it is
always colder at the higher elevations on all islands. Hawai`i is located in the tropics and the closeness to the equator would mean
much higher temperatures but for the natural air conditioner that our trade
winds provide. These refreshing breezes come from the
northeast. When the winds drop or reverse, it can feel extremely hot and
humid. We call this Kona Weather.
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