Many prospective visitors to our island have heard it rains a lot here, so it’s not surprising that questions about rainfall are among the most frequently asked. On average, 85 inches of rain falls on the North Shore each year. Most rainfall occurs during the winter months. The summer months are quite dry. The fear of rain tends to discourage many travelers from staying on the North Shore. In one respect, this is good because fewer visitors means less traffic, fewer developments, and uncrowded beaches. On the other hand, you may find that the fear of having a vacation ruined by rain is not justified. Please consider the following:

• Much of the rainfall occurs at night, when you're probably sleeping or indoors.
  
• North Shore rain is different from the type of rain you might be familiar with on the mainland. These rains are usually generated by moisture-laden air that blows toward the North Shore from the Pacific Ocean. Right behind the North Shore is a series of huge mountains. When the warm air hits the mountains, it rises. As it rises, it cools. This cooling causes condensation, which produces rain. Most of the rain generated by this activity occurs in the mountains behind the North Shore. It is entirely possible to be on the shore and see clouds and rain in the mountains behind you while at the same time viewing sunshine and clear sides as you look toward the ocean. On the coast, where Pali Ke Kua resides, it doesn't rain as much as it does farther inland.

• These tropical rains often start and end within a few minutes.
  
• The nightly rainfall refreshes the lush vegetation and cleans the area so it's sparkling for you the next morning.
  
• If I thought the rain was a problem, I would not have purchased this condo.

Statistics quoting "number of inches of rainfall per year" can therefore be misleading if you wish to measure the impact of weather on your vacation. First, the microclimates must be taken into account. Although it may rain a lot on the North Shore, much of this rain is concentrated in the mountains. Second, it's more useful to ask how many "hours" or "days" of rainfall occur. As a visitor, the number of inches of rain that fall each year is less important than the number of hours in a day that it's actually raining.

Why would you want to vacation in a place that has more rain than other places you could vacation? There are several good answers to this question.

First, it’s important to recognize that it rains on all islands, so no matter where you visit, there’s always some possibility it will rain during your vacation.

Third, Pali Ke Kua is a 30-minute drive from Kapaa and a 50-minute drive from Poipu. If you wake up and find that it's raining, you can drive to Kapaa, where it's probably not raining, and be there in 30 minutes. If Kapaa has rain, you can drive another 20 minutes to Poipu (on the arid south shore) where it's less likely to be raining.