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ASSOCIATED PRESS
CFHT telescope on the summit of Mauna Kea on Hawaii’s Big Island is covered in snow.
The summits of Hawaii’s Big Island could get more than two feet of snow, with a winter storm warning in effect through Saturday.
Yes, it snows in Hawaii, Matthew Foster, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu, said he had to explain to some surprised out-of-state callers Friday.
“Typically when we get these snow events, it does get a lot of attention,” he said, adding that he explains to curious callers that the snow is falling in a small, remote area where there are mainly telescopes and scientists. “We do have very high mountains here.”
Once they realize the heights of the mountains, snow in the island state makes a little more sense, said Ryan Lyman, forecast meteorologist with the Mauna Kea Weather Center. Mauna Kea is nearly 14,000 feet above sea level.
The weather service forecasts new accumulations of about a foot of snow Friday night through Saturday. An additional foot is possible Sunday. Temperatures are in the mid-20s to lower-30s.
That’s a significant amount of snowfall, but not uncommon for the summits, meteorologists say.
Lyman said there has been 30 to 36 inches in recent winters.
It’s enough snow to shut down operations on Mauna Kea, Lyman said. The mountain’s access road is expected to remain closed until next week, he said.
The weather service doesn’t keep track of what the record amounts of snowfall are on the summits. Heavy snow is often accompanied by wind, which create drifts that make it difficult to accurately measure snowfall, Lyman said.
Abundant snow on Mauna Loa’s 13,677-foot summit could be seen at sunset Thursday from parts of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, said park spokeswoman Jessica Ferracane.
There was heavy rain in other parts of the state Friday, with a flash flood warning in effect for Oahu, Kauai and the Big Island.
How about a ski resort, instead of telescopes?
Better get your environmental impact studies done along with, request to any type of ecological group, Hawaiian group, liberal save the planet groups, Native protection group to include the Sierra Club, OHA…………better yet, just forget it. The deal would be tied up in courts for eons while the lawyers get all the money, the tax payers lose money and the general public squabble about money.