Oahu in November: Weather, Waves and Events

November is the month rain starts to matter. In Waikīkī the average day reaches 83.8°F and cools to 71.5°F, with 2.57 inches of rain on 4.5 days. October has 2.9 rain days there and December 4.5, so November is where the island crosses over; NWS Honolulu counts October through April as winter (NWS). Table: November by place (NOAA NCEI, pulled October 13, 2026; a rain day has at least 0.10 inch).

Where you sleep decides how November feels: the airport and Waikīkī sit in the rain shadow, while the windward side and the North Shore valleys get more than twice the rain. For the other eleven months, see our guide to the best time to visit Oahu.

NOAA’s outlook leans dry. With a greater than 90% chance of a very strong El Niño, its September 17 outlook gave Honolulu a 60% chance of below-normal rain for October through December (Climate Prediction Center). That is odds, not a forecast for your week.

Sunset is at 5:55 p.m. on November 1 and 5:48 p.m. on November 30 (U.S. Naval Observatory). Hawaii has no daylight saving time, and the mainland’s ends on November 1 (NIST), so from then on Hawaii is 2 hours behind Pacific time and 5 behind Eastern.

Hawaii Ocean Safety dates the winter surf season to November through April and describes “consistent huge and dangerous swells” on north shores. It says inexperienced surfers, and swimmers of any skill level, should avoid the water in high surf (Hawaii Ocean Safety). In summer the same shores are flat to small.

The National Weather Service issues a High Surf Advisory for north-facing shores at 15 feet and a High Surf Warning at 25 feet, measured as full face height, trough to crest (NWS). Check the NWS Honolulu surf forecast the evening before and the morning of. Small waves hurt people too: the state says the average wave height when a spinal cord injury occurs is 3 feet (Hawaii Ocean Safety). Our guide to whether it is safe to swim on Oahu today covers the flags and the lifeguards.

For watching, the beach parks are the viewpoints: Waimea Bay, Sunset Beach and Ehukai Beach Park, home of Pipeline. Our North Shore waves guide says where to stand and park, and the Banzai Pipeline guide covers that beach.

The contests start early. The World Surf League lists the HTA Sunset Pro at Sunset Beach from October 26 through November 2 and the HTA Haʻleiwa Pro and Longboard Pro from November 5 through 14, then the Pipe Masters December 8 to 20 (WSL, October 6, 2026; Pipe Masters). These are waiting periods, so check WSL before you drive out.

If you would rather not drive on a big-surf day, the North Shore tour below lists its Pipeline stop as running “only during surf season.”

The water stays warm. Our analysis of NOAA’s Honolulu Harbor station (1612340, 2016 to 2026) puts November’s average at 79.7°F, with hourly readings from 77.2°F to 82.4°F: 1.9°F under September and 1.6°F above December. The station runs slightly warm for Waikīkī; see the water temperature page.

Winter flips the surf map. The state lists south shores as flat to small from November through April (Hawaii Ocean Safety). That makes Waikīkī and the south shore the swim side; our Oahu snorkeling guide compares the spots.

Box jellyfish are a south and leeward shore issue. The Waikīkī Aquarium’s 2026 calendar (PDF) marks November 2 to 4 as high-probability days; the next are December 2 to 4. Its dates are estimates, jellyfish can be present any day, and it says to swim at guarded beaches and ask a lifeguard.

Whales are early arrivals. NOAA says humpbacks are “generally seen in Hawaiʻi from November through April,” with the peak from January through March (NOAA sanctuary); our whale watching guide covers tours. The Central Pacific hurricane season officially ends on November 30 (NOAA CPHC).

November is one of the three quietest months. The state counted an average of 102,195 visitors on Oahu per day in November 2025 and 100,677 in November 2024, against 122,314 and 129,825 in June. Only September and October ran lower, in both years (DBEDT; 2025 workbook).

Hotel rates are averages for properties with 20 or more rooms, from the Hawaii Hotel Performance Report (STR data published by DBEDT; November 2025 report). They exclude vacation rentals, are not a quote for any one hotel, and do not break out holiday weeks. The best time to visit Oahu guide has the twelve-month comparison.

Every date comes from the organizer’s own page, checked October 13, 2026. Markets and contests can move for weather, so check the day before.

Honolulu City Lights does not open in November this year. Opening Night is Saturday, December 5, 2026 (Honolulu City Lights); in 2025 it was November 29 (City and County of Honolulu). More markets run through December; see our guide to Oahu holiday markets and craft fairs. For the rest of the island by area, see things to do in Oahu.

Pack for warm days and a few wet ones.

• A light rain layer. Waikīkī has 4.5 rain days in November, Kāneʻohe 10.2 and Waimea Valley 12.1.
• One warm layer for evenings. Waikīkī lows average 71.5°F, and the Waimea Valley low is 66.8°F, so a sweater helps at a North Shore sunset or up a valley.
• Sunscreen without oxybenzone or octinoxate. Hawaii bans selling sunscreen with either without a prescription (HRS 342D-21). Check the label on anything you bring.

November suits most trips. If the choice is November against the quietest weeks of the year, September and October are drier and emptier; our best time to visit Oahu guide ranks all twelve months.