Hawaii and snow aren’t two phrases that often share the same sentence, but thanks to a winter storm, some parts of the island have seen 2 feet of the cold stuff hit the ground.
Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, which are two peaks on the Big Island, received the brunt of the snow fall and were expected to see an additional foot fall, according to a report from the National Weather Service.
It’s not exactly snowing at the beach, but snow isn’t something many people think about hitting the islands in anyway when they think about the Hawaiian climate.
“The snow level almost never gets below 9,000 feet in Hawaii during the winter, but since these mountains are taller than 13,600 feet, 13,700 feet and 10,000 feet, respectively, they get dusted with snow a few times a year,” said Ken Rubin of the University of Hawaii. “It rarely stays on the ground for more than a few days though.”
The areas expecting and additional 6 to 12 inches, which are above the 11,000 foot mark are also expected to see winds up to 30 mph.
The rest of the island was placed under a flood watch until Sunday afternoon.
Any would be skiers or snowboarders are advised to take extreme caution if they plan to test out the powder.
“There are no lifts, no grooming, no resort, but a road goes to the summit to serve the dozen or so world-class observatories located at the summit,” says the Hawaii Ski Club. “You must have a 4-wheel drive vehicle to get to the summit, which serves as your ‘lift.'”
