It comes to snow on Hawaii … Again

On By Littum

  • A low pressure system will bring active weather to Hawaii, including thunderstorms, harmful winds and yes, snow.
  • The Big Island top meetings probably see heavy snow on Thursday to Friday.
  • Snow is not as rare as it sounds to Hawaii, and it happens a few times each year.

Hawaii can occupy a space in popular culture defined by sunny sky and warm beaches, but the island chain has its reasonable proportion of dangerous weather. This includes, contrary to what many expect, strong snow, a few places.

A multi-threat system known as a Kona storm brings heavy rain and devastating winds to Hawaii on Thursday to Friday morning, in addition to the threat of heavy snow over the Big Island summit.

National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm warning for the summits of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, which predicts from 12 to 24 inches of snow. Summits are also under warnings with high winds until Saturday morning due to potential wind throw over 90 km / h.

Rare serious thunderstorms were issued to parts of Hawaii early Thursday. Several reports of abandoned trees and power lines were received by local emergency in Kauai, according to the National Weather Service. Lihue Airport, on the southeastern side of Kauai, measured a wind throw of 58 km / h just after 1 o’clock local time on Thursday.

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(The yellow lines are isobars that surround the low pressure system. Radar and satellite images also appear.)

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Traveling to the summits, if not impossible, and blowing snow can cause periods of zero visibility, according to National Weather Service in Honolulu.

The low pressure center is expected to pass north of Kauai on Thursday and draw a cold front eastward through the islands. In addition to winter weather in high heights, heavy rain can cause flooding of flash and strong wind can cause widespread power cuts.

The front can also cause severe thunderstorms as it passes through the region.

Snow typically occurs a few times a year on the peaks: Although that Snows most often in cooler months Between October and April of these highest heights it can happen at any time of the year. A dust of snow was observed in Mauna Kea in July 2015.

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We’ve even seen Blizzard warnings issued to the summits of the past.

(MORE: Snow in Hawaii, not as weird as it sounds?

This means that all 50 states can see accumulating snow: As Hawaii’s tops see snow a few times each year, Florida has the distinction of being the most unusual state of accumulating snow to occur. However, this year was special, with the recent winter storm Enzo, which brought a record -breaking snowfall to Sunshine State.

Sara Tonks is a content meteorologist with Weather.com and has a bachelor and a master’s degree from Georgia Tech in Earth and atmospheric sciences along with a Master’s degree from Unity Environmental University in Marine Science.