Snow fell on Hawaii’s tallest peak, Mauna Kea, this week, dusting the mountaintop with 2 inches of white powder. While Hawaii is known for its warm weather, beaches, and rainforests, it is not uncommon for snow to fall at higher elevations on Mauna Kea during the wetter, winter months. Due to its high elevation of 13,803 feet above sea level, temperatures can drop below freezing year-round, creating the potential for snow at any time. An upper level disturbance brought colder temperatures and moisture to the area, leading to the snowfall. Webcams captured the snowy scenes, but the snow had melted after just two days.
Mauna Kea’s summit, a sacred site for many Native Hawaiians, is uninhabited. The mountain’s limited light pollution and dry atmosphere make it an ideal location for observing the night sky, leading astronomers to build about a dozen telescopes at the summit. These telescopes have contributed to Nobel Prize-winning discoveries and provided some of the first images of planets outside our solar system. Overall, the snowfall on Mauna Kea served as a rare and beautiful reminder of the diverse natural features and cultural significance of Hawaii’s landscape.
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