Data: 2023 USDA zones (PRISM/OSU) · NOAA 1991–2020 normals · updated Oct 30, 2026

Planting zone for 96790 — Kula, HI

ZIP code 96790 (Kula, Maui County) is in USDA zone 12a: the coldest winter night averages 50 to 55 °F.

Where ZIP 96790 is

Outlined: the ZIP code area · tap the map for the zone at any spot · scroll or pinch to zoom

Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones come from the 2023 USDA hardiness-zone data by the PRISM Group, Oregon State University; we re-mapped and recolored them. The official map is at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

Zone12a50 to 55 °F

Coldest night10 to 12.8 °C

Last frostrare

First frostrare

2012 zone11b

Was 11b on the 2012 map — half a zone warmer now. The zone is the one at the center of the ZIP code; hilly ZIPs can span two zones. What zone 12a means →

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Kula, HI…

Forecast data: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov), public domain. This is not a warning service — for official frost and freeze warnings see weather.gov.

Frost dates

Frost is rare or absent here: Kula, HI is in zone 12a, where the coldest night of a typical winter stays above freezing. Cool-season vegetables grow best from fall through spring; summer heat, not frost, is the limit.

Native plants for zone 12a in Hawaii

37 plants native to Hawaii, recorded in Hawaii, and rated by the USDA to survive 50 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 12a. Each links to its USDA PLANTS profile.

Source: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov), National Plant Data Team — state distribution, native status and the “Temperature, Minimum” characteristic. Check light, moisture and soil needs before buying; local nurseries and your state native plant society can confirm what thrives in Kula, HI.

Soil in Kula, HI

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 96790 is Laumaia — extremely stony loam, well drained.

TextureExtremely stony loama good balance for most vegetables

pH5.6moderately acidic; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0

DrainageWell drainednatural drainage class

Organic matter7%high

Hydrologic groupAwater soaks in fast

Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Laumaia extremely stony loam, 7 to 40 percent slopes.

Soil Survey Staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database, via Soil Data Access, accessed 2026-10-29. The soil at the center point of ZIP 96790; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Kula, HI

Summer high76 °Faverage high, August

Winter low53 °Faverage low, January

Hot days0days a year at 90 °F or more

Freezing nights0nights a year at 32 °F or less

Growing degree days5,063base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat

Longest day13 h 23 mindaylight on June 21

Shortest day10 h 52 mindaylight on December 21

Onions to growShort-daysummer days stay under about 14 h 20 min, so long-day varieties won’t bulb

Precipitation23 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

Precipitation by month inches

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Kula Branch Stn 324.5, HI (4 mi away); precipitation: Kula Branch Stn 324.5, HI (4 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.