This week, the Big Island’s Mauna Kea summit area got roughly 2 inches of snow. The specific weather conditions of the mountain are detailed here.
Hawaii is more famous for its beautiful beaches, balmy tropical weather, and sunny skies than for its icy winters. Snowfall on Mauna Kea’s summit is possible at this time of year, though, thus seeing white powder is more of a seasonal phenomenon.
Additional details regarding the peak and the climate in this unusual region of Hawaii are available here.
Is Hawaii Receiving Any Snowfall?
This week, two inches (five centimeters) of snow fell on the summit of Hawaii’s highest peak, Mauna Kea.
The peak is at an altitude of 13,803 feet (4,207 meters) above sea level, which means that temperatures never get above freezing. Consequently, snowfall occurs frequently atop Mauna Kea, especially during the wet season in Hawaii (October–April).
According to Maureen Ballard, a senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu, cooler temperatures were brought about by an upper-level disturbance this week. The islands were swept over from Sunday to Monday by the incoming rain. Snow occurs when the temperature drops below freezing and there is a combination of cold temperatures and moisture, according to Ballard.
Is Mauna Kea Vast?
Multiple astronomical observatories call Mauna Kea home, taking advantage of the ideal circumstances for stargazing and research afforded by the mountain’s high elevation and lack of light pollution. When it comes to astronomical study, the Mauna Kea Observatories are right up there with the best of them. The construction of around a dozen telescopes there has resulted in discoveries that have won Nobel Prizes and provided some of the earliest photographs of exoplanets.
Observatories being set up on top of Mauna Kea, since no one lives there, has caused a lot of controversy and demonstrations, especially among Native Hawaiians who are worried about the impact on their culture and the environment.
Various legends dating back hundreds of years portray Mauna Kea as the progeny of a celestial father and a terrestrial mother. The goddess Poliʻahu, who is said to reside on the mountain and bring snow, is also associated with it.
