On Thursday night, July 16th, a thunderstorm dropped about 2 inche of snow on the summit of Hawaii’s tallest peak, 13,800-foot Manuna Kea.
The snow stayed on the ground until midday Friday (yesterday). ย
Hawaii gets snow just about every year, but nearly always in the winter. ย That said, National Weather Service meteorologitst Maureen Ballard says that snow can fall on the summit of Mauna Kea any time of the year.
In the summer on 13,800-foot Mauna Kea, the average high tempsย at the summit are around 40 degrees, and average lows are around 25 degrees. ย The weather up on Mauna Kea can change very rapidly due to the high elevation and proximity to the sea.
“A calm sunny dayย may quickly become treacherousย with hurricane force winds and blizzard conditions.” – sign on Mauna Kea
Temperatures on Mauna Kea were right around freezing on Thursday night when the snow fell.
The low temperature in the nearby town of Hilo, Hawaii was 71ยบF on Thursday night. ย
This past winter, Hawaii got enough snow for some solid powder skiing and riding including some jumps and backflips.
Hawaiian Hucking | Photo Tour: