Honolulu— This week snow fell on the highest peak of hawaiibriefly turning the mountaintop into a winter wonderland. The summit area of Mauna Kea, on the Big Island, received about 2 inches of snow.
The Hawaiian archipelago is best known for its warm climate, beaches and tropical forests. But It is not uncommon for snow to fall in the highest areas of Mauna Kea during the wettest winter months.
The top is so high —It is located 13,803 feet above sea level— that temperatures can drop below freezing all year round, so it can snow in any month.
This week, an upper-level disturbance brought colder temperatures as moisture moved in from the east and moved over the islands from Sunday to Monday, said Maureen Ballard, senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service, in Honolulu.
“The combination of cold temperatures and humidity generates snow when the temperature is below freezing”Ballard explained.
Webcams placed on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope showed the ground covered in white shortly after dawn on Monday. Two days later, cameras showed that the snow had disappeared.
No one lives on top of Mauna Kea, which is sacred to many indigenous Hawaiians. According to centuries-old legends, Mauna Kea is the firstborn of Father Sky and Mother Earth.
The low light pollution and dry atmosphere at the top of the mountain make it one of the best places in the world to observe the night sky. Astronomers have built a dozen telescopes at the summit, leading to Nobel Prize-winning discoveries. and some of the first images of planets found outside our solar system.