Aloha Winter! Snow in Hawaii
Aloha Winter! Snow in Hawaii
Beaches, waves, sunshine and pineapple. Those are normally the things people think of when they talk about Hawaii. But after this weekend’s storm, we’re talking about snow! Yes, snow in Hawaii! Over the past few days the Big Island was under a blizzard warning with wind gusts of 100 mph and over a foot of snow in the forecast.
As of 3pm EST, only two states in the U.S. have a winter weather product issued within their borders. One is Alaska and the other? Hawaii! 🌴 The current snowpack on Mauna Loa’s summit can be seen with visible satellite, with more snow expected to fall this weekend. pic.twitter.com/EVFkXHzRFN
— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) December 2, 2021
The Hawaiian word for snow is “hau”. And I am sure many of you are thinking, “Hau in the world is this possible?!”
While a blizzard warning for the Aloha state may come as a surprise, snow is actually not uncommon. The summits of the Big Island’s volcanos, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, both reach nearly 14,000 feet in elevation. But, while the occasional snow may dust the peaks of the Big Island, their last Blizzard Warning was back in 2018.
Aloha Means Hello And Goodbye
The snow on the Big Island won’t stick around forever. And Hawaii will be back to rainbows and sunshine in no time. But it’s nice to see at least somewhere is getting snow these days. To find out when you might get your own dose of tropical powder, check out OpenSnow for forecasts and mountain conditions near you! Aloha and mahalo!
