National Weather Service: Maui County rainfall mostly below average in January

Rainfall across Maui County remained largely below average during January, with nearly all monitoring sites recording totals well under typical levels for the first month of the year. The dry weather continues a trend from last year, the second-driest year in more than a century.

Data from the National Weather Service and the US Geological Survey indicate that the windward slopes and higher terrain received between 50% and 80% of their average rainfall. The central valley and most leeward areas were the driest, seeing only 20% to 40% of their monthly averages.

Bucking the dry trend, Puʻu Aliʻi on Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi City were the only two sites in the county to record above-average rainfall for the month. Puʻu Aliʻi also recorded the second-highest rainfall total in the county for January.

The USGS monitoring site at West Wailuaiki Stream on Maui held the top spot for the highest monthly total, recording 15.98 inches. Despite the high volume, this amount represented only 80% of the site’s January average. The same location also recorded the highest daily rainfall total in the county, with 3.22 inches falling on Jan. 5.

Several monitoring sites on Maui are currently missing data for the month due to ongoing maintenance issues.

Drier conditions in the central valley and leeward regions follow a pattern of variable precipitation across the islands, though the overall county-wide totals reflect a slower start to the wet season.

Last year, Hawai‘i residents also experienced stubbornly high temperatures, according to the inaugural Hawai‘i Annual Climate Report for 2025.

The University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program report summarizes statewide rainfall, temperature, and drought conditions over the past year.