Snow fell on Hawaii’s tallest peak, Mauna Kea, this week, covering the summit area with about 2 inches of white powder. While Hawaii is known for its warm weather, beaches, and rainforests, snowfall at higher elevations on Mauna Kea is not uncommon during the winter months. The summit sits 13,803 feet above sea level, with temperatures that can drop below freezing year-round, creating the potential for snow at any time. An upper level disturbance brought colder temperatures and moisture from the east, resulting in the recent snowfall.
Webcams showed the ground covered in white shortly after sunrise on Monday, but the snow had melted within two days. Mauna Kea’s summit, considered sacred by Native Hawaiians, is not inhabited. It is also renowned as one of the best places in the world for observing the night sky, with astronomers having built about a dozen telescopes at the summit. These telescopes have led to Nobel Prize-winning discoveries and provided some of the first images of planets outside our solar system. The mountain’s clear skies, limited light pollution, and dry atmosphere make it ideal for astronomical observations.
Overall, the recent snowfall on Mauna Kea, while a rare sight on the tropical islands of Hawaii, highlights the unique climate and geological diversity of the region.
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