Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Shock snow in Hawaii turns mountain into winter wonderland

Meanwhile, Mount Fuji in Japan is yet to see any snow on its slopes this year

Audrey McAvoy
Thursday 31 October 2024 10:10 GMT
The summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii on Sunday
The summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii on Sunday

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

There was shock in Hawaii this week as now fell on the state’s tallest peak, turning the mountain top into a winter wonderland.

The summit area of Mauna Kea on the Big Island got about two inches (five centimeters) of the white powder.

Hawaii is better known to many for its warm weather, beaches and rainforests. But it's not unusual for snow to fall at the higher elevations on Mauna Kea during the wetter, winter months.

The summit is so high — it sits 13,803 feet (4,207 meters) above sea level — that temperatures there can drop below freezing year-round, creating the potential for snow during any month.

This week, an upper level disturbance brought colder temperatures as moisture came in from the east and moved over the islands on Sunday through to Monday, said Maureen Ballard, a senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu.

“Combination of cold temperatures and moisture equals snow when it’s below freezing,” Ballard said.

Mauna Kea in Hawaii
Mauna Kea in Hawaii (Hawaii Tourism/PA)

Webcams mounted on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope showed the ground covered in white shortly after sunrise on Monday. Two days later, the cameras showed the snow was gone.

Nobody lives on Mauna Kea's summit, which is sacred to many of the Native Hawaiians. Centuries-old stories say Mauna Kea is the first-born son of the sky father and earth mother.

The limited light pollution and dry atmosphere at the mountain top also make it one of the world's best places to observe the night sky and stars. Astronomers have built about a dozen telescopes at the summit, leading to Nobel Prize-winning discoveries and some of the first images of planets outside our solar system.

Meanwhile, this week, Mount Fuji in Japan is yet to see any snow on its slopes this year, with forecasters saying its a record.

The active volcano just west of Tokyo is the country’s highest peak at 3,776m and usually sees its first snow of the year in early October.

Since records began 130 years ago, this is the latest date in the year the mountain has gone without snow. The volcano last erupted about 300 years ago.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in