Video Shows Rare Snow on Hawaii: ‘Winter Is Here’

Winter has arrived already in Hawaii, with the first snowfall of the year coating Mauna Kea on Big Island with magical white powder.
A video recorded on October 28 by Derek Petrowski, a telescope operator and support technician at W.M. KECK Observatory near the summit of Mauna Kea, shows the snow-coated scenes during his drive up the mountain.
Roads up to the summit were closed on Sunday and Monday amid the snowstorm, which resulted in up to 4 inches of snowfall, according to the National Weather Service.
“Winter is here… Summit road currently closed due to ice and hazardous driving conditions,” the Maunakea Visitor Information Station said in a Facebook post on Sunday, sharing images of a road near Mauna Kea Summit blanketed in white.
“For real? It was almost 90 three weeks ago. I thought there was no real winter in Hawaii. We went to top of Summit,” someone commented on the post.
The video shows Petrowski driving behind trucks clearing the snow from the roads on the drive up to the peak. The summit of Mauna Kea—a dormant volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island—has an elevation of about 13,800 feet above sea level, making it the highest point on the Hawaiian archipelago.
“The Big Island summits experienced a some light snow accumulation this morning before quickly melting away. Sub-freezing temperatures will have any precipitation falling as snow right at the summits. Snow accumulations should remain under couple of inches. Any mixed or liquid precipitation above 12k feet may freeze upon contact with colder surfaces and create some light icing issues,” NWS Honolulu said in a forecast discussion on Sunday night.
The summits of Mauna Kea and nearby Mauna Loa were under a Winter Weather Advisory from Sunday through 6 a.m. Monday.
“Additional snow accumulations up to 3 inches, mainly in the morning. Travel could be very difficult. Blowing snow will significantly reduce visibility at times, with periods of zero visibility,” the advisory said. “A winter weather advisory means that periods of snow, sleet or freezing rain will cause travel difficulties. Be prepared for slippery roads and limited visibilities, and use caution while driving.”
Temperatures were at 35 degrees F on Sunday, according to the Center for Maunakea Stewardship Maunakea Weather Center, and in the video, Petrowski mentions that it was 32 degrees out during the time of filming.
Snow is uncommon across much of Hawaii, but Mauna Kea and other high peaks usually see a few days of snow every year.
No more snow is expected in the coming days, as the weather on the Big Island is expected to get more mild as the remains of Hurricane Kristy hit the island.
“By Wednesday afternoon deeper tropical moisture and instability, associated with the remnants of former Hurricane Kristy, will move into the windward slopes of the Big Island. This band of unstable moisture will then spread numerous showers westward across the smaller islands into Friday,” NWS Honolulu said.
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