Aloha all Hawaii lovers. Over the years I've always heard that South Maui (Kihei area) is drier than West Maui (Lahaina to Kapalua). So I decided to do a little research on weather.com (thru Yahoo portal). Here is what I found from the historical data there: Lahaina area gets 13.57 inches of rain per year and Kihei area gets 13.6 inches!! So why do most guidebooks call Kihei the drier area? They're basically identical. Maybe the myth is perpetuated because Lahaina area is more cloudy? Kihei supposedly gets more wind because of the trades shooting the gap between the mountains from Kahului to Kihei. This keeps the clouds away.

So, what does everyone think? Fact or fiction? :)

Lahaina area (http://weather.yahoo.com/climo/USHI0055_f.html)

Kihei area (http://weather.yahoo.com/climo/USHI0048_f.html)

Phil

Aloha, philemer!

As you note, Lahaina side includes Kapalua. Kapalua gets LOTS of rain in the rainy season, and it will rain, "up north" there, even in the dry season.
Hence the difference in perception in rainfall, between Lahaina side and Kihei side.
It's all Kapalua's fault!

Hey kaukau,
So, if I read you right, you would agree that Kihei & Lahaina are fairly equal as far as weather is concerned? But the guide books group Kapalua/Napili in with Lahaina (West Maui) & that skews the data? Makes sense.

We've stayed in both areas and never noticed much difference in the weather, other than more wind in South Maui.

Phil

Lahaina gets very little rainfall, though when I was there a week ago it rained all day long. (I was also there for the tsunami and a shark attack; also very rare.)

However, there are not many hotels/condos in Lahaina itself. Most are a bit north of Lahaina, on Kaanapali Beach. How much difference can a few miles make? Well consider the fact that the wettest spot on Maui (and one of the top 3 wettest places on earth) is less than 8 miles from the driest place.

That being said, you are correct that Kihei/Wailea gets about the same amount of rainfall as Lahaina. Kaanapali does get a bit more rain, but certainly not enough to deter me from staying there.

If you are stressing about which area to choose, I'd say quit worrying.

When King Kamehameha won control of the Hawai'ian archipelago, he made Lahaina his residence.