Snow in Hawaii? Cold air and moisture deliver snow to the state's tallest mountain

HONOLULU — Snow fell on Hawaii's tallest peak this week, briefly turning the mountaintop into a winter wonderland. The summit area of Mauna Kea on the Big Island got about 2 inches (5 centimeters) of white powder.

Hawaii is better known 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 Sunday through 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.

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 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. 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.