Overview
- National Weather Service alerts call for additional light accumulations of about 1 to 2 inches after earlier forecasts mentioned up to 4 inches.
- Center for Maunakea Stewardship rangers reported ice and snow at the summit, and the access road above the Visitor Information Station is closed for safety.
- Forecasters attribute the wintry conditions to deep tropical moisture producing a mix of rain and snow with slippery roads and limited visibility.
- NWS meteorologists note that snowfall at these elevations occurs several times each year, reflecting typical high-altitude conditions on the Big Island.
- Images and webcam footage of a snow-dusted Mauna Kea spread widely online as local reports contrasted Hawaii’s flakes with Denver’s unusually late first snow.